While authorities are grateful for the public’s help in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, they are also asking people to be more specific with their tips.
NBC News’ Liz Kreutz shared the latest updates on Savannah Guthrie‘s mother’s case live from Tucson, Arizona, on the Friday, February 20, episode of Today. According to Kreutz, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s 9-1-1 dispatch center has received thousands of tip calls in the weeks since Nancy went missing on February 1.
“They actually tell us they have been so inundated that they have had to add an additional four people a shift to meet this demand,” Kreutz revealed. “The dispatch manager does tell us, though, that while they are getting tips they’re passing along to investigators, they are also getting bogged down with calls from people that are just sharing their thoughts, opinions, even their premonitions about the case. And she asked that if people do want to call in with a tip, that they just stop and think first, ‘Is this something that an investigator can actually act upon?’”
In addition to following tips, Kreutz said that investigators are continuing to look into details about the suspect featured in security camera footage from Nancy’s home, such as his clothing and gun holster. “A ballistics expert we spoke to says it appears that that holster is what’s called a ‘universal fit holster,’ and he says it’s just not a holster that someone who is very experienced with firearms would typically wear,” she revealed. “So, to him, that suggests this is not a professional, that this may be an amateur.”
Kreutz also noted that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is “asking for patience” as the unknown DNA found on Nancy’s property continues to be processed and analyzed.
On the Thursday, February 19, episode of Today, Kreutz shared that officials are using genetic genealogy to try to identify who the unknown DNA belongs to. Public DNA databases could help investigators build a “family tree” that could trace back to Nancy’s alleged abductor. Genetic genealogy has previously been used to capture criminals such as the Golden State killer and Bryan Kohberger. However, officials do not have access to use private DNA databases from companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe.
During her Thursday report, Kreutz informed Today viewers that authorities have also canvassed local gun shops to find the owner of the gun used in Nancy’s home security camera footage. Police are reportedly working with officials on both sides of the border, though there has been no evidence that Nancy was transported across the Mexican border.
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Nancy was last seen at her home on January 31 and was reported missing the following day. Officials still have yet to name any suspects in the case and are offering a $100,000 reward for information related to Nancy’s whereabouts and her suspected kidnappers.
Savannah has not appeared on Today amid her mother’s disappearance and has released several social media videos with her siblings, asking for proof of life and offering to pay in exchange for her safe return.
Savannah’s Today family continues to show their love for the Guthrie family by sporting yellow ribbons with flowers in the center and adorning the show’s Studio 1A set with yellow floral arrangements.
Today, Weekdays, 7a/6c, NBC
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