The renowned television presenter Savannah Guthrie and her siblings continue to live with great tension as the investigations into the kidnapping of her mother Nancy Guthrie, who disappeared on February 1st, unfold. After receiving the good news of finding DNA evidence at the location of Nancy's disappearance, her loved ones face a new setback.
According to police sources, the DNA found at the Guthrie residence is "mixed." This would mean that the biological sample collected contains genetic material from two or more individuals, indicating mixed genetic profiles. This significant detail complicates the search process for the 84-year-old woman as it poses a challenge in the individual identification of a subject.
Savannah Guthrie: The Family Supporting the Famous American Presenter Whose Mother Has Gone Missing
For this reason, the presenter has decided to take a more drastic step. In a video posted on her social media, she has offered the equivalent of over one million euros to anyone who provides reliable information about the possible whereabouts of her mother. This money would be in addition to the over 100,000 euros offered by the FBI for disclosing any relevant information for the investigation.
"We need to know where she is. We need her to come back home. That's why we are offering a family reward of up to one million dollars for any information that leads to her safe return," she stated. "Please, if you hear this message, if you have been waiting and are unsure, let this be a sign for you to step forward, share what you know, and help us bring our dear mother back home so we can celebrate a glorious and miraculous return or honor the beautiful, brave, bold, and noble life she has lived."
Although she acknowledges during the recording that her mother may have passed away, she does not lose hope of finding her. Meanwhile, investigators continue to try to locate her, as even though the DNA sample found may contain genetic material from multiple individuals, it is still workable, albeit with greater difficulties.
"Working with a complex mixture is much more difficult," confirmed genealogist CeCe Moore to People, "the more people in this sample, the harder it is to isolate a single person from it," the expert affirmed.
However, this new scenario has led to changes in the timelines set by the investigators. Chris Nanos, sheriff of Pima County, was clear in front of NBC News microphones: "Our laboratory assures that there are several challenges with this situation and obtaining clear results could take months or even a year."
Despite this setback at the start of the fourth week of the investigation, the police authority has sent a clear message to the kidnappers: "If I were the kidnapper, I would be extremely concerned right now, especially if I knew there was some kind of altercation or that I touched things inside," he revealed. According to the sheriff's description, the perpetrator had a flashlight in their mouth, making it highly likely that "their saliva" remained and easily transferred to gloves and then to anything touched during the kidnapping: "it is extremely difficult to be in a place for 40 minutes and not leave DNA traces."