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Investigators have discovered DNA evidence at Nancy Guthrie's property that doesn't belong to the missing 84-year-old or those close to her, marking a potential breakthrough in the 13-day search.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed that "a number of gloves have been found in a large area around the house," Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement. These items, along with other evidence recovered from the residence, are currently being tested for DNA.
Nanos explained that his office is working collaboratively with the FBI on the analysis. "When evidence comes across my desk, I share it with the FBI, which conducts analysis, and the FBI then shares those analyses with the sheriff's department," he said, dismissing a Reuters report that suggested disagreement between the agencies over evidence testing.
Officials have collected DNA samples from several individuals connected to the investigation, taking cheek swabs from "different individuals we've talked to along the way," though authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest at this time.
The FBI has doubled its reward to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie's whereabouts and released new details about a suspect captured on doorbell camera footage. The man is described as approximately 5'9" to 5'10" tall with an average build, wearing a black 24-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack – a Walmart exclusive brand – when approaching Guthrie's porch the morning she disappeared.
Investigators are now reviewing recent purchases of this specific backpack model in the Tucson area, hoping to identify potential suspects by cross-referencing purchase records against driver's licenses and other identifiers.