TUCSON, Ariz. — A hair sample collected from inside Nancy Guthrie’s home did not yield a DNA profile, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday in a new interview with News Outlet, as the investigation approaches the six-month point.
“Yes, there was a hair. We had it and thought, ‘OK, well, we’ll do the DNA first,’ right? You’re going to do DNA before something else,” Nanos said, describing investigators’ initial approach to the evidence.
With assistance from the FBI, authorities submitted the hair to a California lab for more advanced DNA analysis.
An FBI-released image shows an armed person who appears to have interfered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the morning she disappeared in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 1, 2026. At right is an undated photo of Nancy Guthrie, provided by NBC following the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. (Provided by FBI; Courtesy of NBC)
“It came back … there’s no DNA,” Nanos said. Still, he cautioned that the result does not rule out the sample’s potential significance. “But does that mean the hair isn’t that of the suspect? We won’t know that till we have the suspect’s hair. You don’t just destroy it.”
The sample has been preserved by investigators and could become useful if new evidence or a possible suspect emerges, the sheriff added.
An image released by the FBI shows an armed individual at Nancy Guthrie’s front door on the morning of her disappearance in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 1, 2026. A light appears to be coming from the person’s mouth. (Provided by FBI)
“There’s other things that hair may prove valuable for, but right now it was just about, ‘Is there any DNA there?’ And the answer was no,” Nanos said. “That was just a matter of weeks ago.”
Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. She will have been missing for six months on Saturday.
Nanos indicated the hair was only one part of the broader DNA work underway, though he did not specify how many other samples are being tested.
DNA testing remains a priority in the case, and Nanos said investigators continue working with multiple crime labs to analyze evidence collected from the home.
A tent was placed over the front entrance to Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 12, 2026. The tent covers where Guthrie’s blood was found. (Fox Flight Team)
“Anything we can grasp onto with DNA is a part of this investigation,” he said.
That includes investigative genetic genealogy research, which is used to generate leads from a family tree. He noted rapid advances in DNA technology.
Deputies examine a flyer taped to Nancy Guthrie’s mailbox Feb. 22, 2026. They were called there after volunteer searchers and several streamers walked onto Guthrie’s property with a shovel. (Michael Ruiz/News Outlet)
“That’s really where some of my optimism is, that I just know that we’re gonna get this thing resolved,” Nanos said.
There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million that remains unclaimed.
“We believe, just as the family does, just as Savannah does, somebody knows something. We need that person to call us.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the press room after giving an update on the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, Feb. 5, 2026. (Reuters/Rebecca Noble)
At least one suspect was recorded by Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. According to the FBI, he is between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a mask, long sleeves and gloves, and the backpack he carried has been identified as a black Ozark Trail bag.
The family is urging anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.
An anonymous reward can be claimed by calling 520-88-CRIME with information that leads to an arrest.
