The FBI matched a glove found two miles from NBC host Savannah Guthrie’s mother’s home to one worn by the masked man suspected of kidnapping the 84-year-old two weeks ago.
Investigators told The Associated Press on Sunday they found the item in a field near a road in Tucson, Arizona, not far from Nancy Guthrie’s home. DNA has been extracted from the gloves and official confirmation is still awaiting preliminary results to be released on Saturday.
“It’s never too late to do the right thing” today The presenter reiterated his appeal on Instagram. “We are here. We believe that everyone is inherently good and it is never too late.”
Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s abduction, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. / Pima County Sheriff’s Department
Guthrie’s mother has not been seen since Jan. 31, when she was dropped off at her Catalina Foothills residence by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni. She was reported missing by family members just before noon the next day.
Investigators said they found blood on the property’s porch. Details released by local police show that the doorbell camera disconnected around 1:47 a.m. on February 1, and about half an hour later, the 84-year-old’s pacemaker app recorded a disconnection from the phone.
The Guthrie family made multiple passionate pleas to confirm whether the television host’s mother was still alive. /Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Surveillance video recovered from the scene further showed a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a backpack approaching the front door. The FBI has identified the man as the suspect, describing him as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office told CBS on Monday that they believe the clothing and masks worn by the individuals in the video were likely purchased from Walmart. Investigators have not determined the specific brand, but previously determined the man’s backpack was a black Ozark Trail Hiker.
Only Walmart sells this particular bag. The supermarket chain has now reportedly provided authorities with records of all online and in-store sales of the item.
The Sheriff’s Office has detained a person for questioning after a traffic stop in Tucson last week. It was unclear what prompted the stop, but the man was released hours later. Later that afternoon, authorities conducted a search warrant at a property about an hour’s drive south of the city.
The alleged kidnappers reportedly sent a ransom note to the media and set two payment deadlines, but those deadlines have passed. Guthrie’s family has raised additional concerns, given that the TV host’s mother takes daily medication to treat high blood pressure and ongoing heart problems.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the FBI for comment.
