Glove in Nancy Guthrie case traced to restaurant worker with no connection to case, sheriff says

TUCSON, ARIZONA: A glove discovered weeks after Nancy Guthrie vanished sparked hope that it could break the case. Now, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says the DNA match has led investigators somewhere unexpected, and not to a suspect.

In mid-February, about two weeks after the 84-year-old disappeared from her Tucson home in the early hours of February 1, a glove was found roughly two miles away. It looked similar to the ones worn by a masked man captured on surveillance footage from her front porch that same night.

Glove DNA in Nancy Guthrie case matched restaurant worker

In an interview with local outlet KVOA, Chris Nanos revealed that investigators tested the glove for DNA and found a match. “There was some talk and discussion that it was police officers out in the field just discarding [the gloves], that is so far from the truth,” Nanos said.

He explained that detectives had already suspected the gloves might not be tied to the suspect seen on camera.

“We knew that at that time, we believed wholeheartedly that those gloves belonged to a restaurant and guess what? The owner of the glove, we found working at a restaurant across the street,” Nanos said.

“It has nothing to do with the case,” he added.

The sheriff did not name the restaurant or confirm whether that individual was questioned. On March 4, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted on X that the person connected to the glove is “not part of this investigation.”

Nanos also shared that other gloves have been sent to a Florida lab for further testing. That process, he warned, could take time.

“It’s a challenge because we know we have DNA, but now we have to deal with that mixture and how we’re going to separate it,” he said.

Timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson disappearance

Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Tucson home in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 1, according to authorities. Her family called 911 at 12:03 pm after she failed to join friends for a virtual church service.

Concern quickly grew when investigators revealed that blood spatter found on her front porch belonged to her. On February 10, authorities released Nest camera images showing a masked, armed man standing on her porch in the early hours that morning.

The FBI described the suspect as a male between 5’9” and 5’10” with an average build, wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

Investigators said Nancy’s doorbell camera was disconnected at 1:47 am. At 2:12 am, the camera detected a dark figure approaching the house. Sixteen minutes later, at 2:28 am, her pacemaker disconnected from the monitoring app on her phone.

Despite an intense search effort by local authorities and the FBI, Nancy has not been found.

Ring camera footage emerges in Nancy Guthrie case

In late February, a couple living about 2.5 miles from Nancy’s home released Ring camera footage showing a car speeding down a back road minutes after investigators believe she was abducted.

One clip was recorded around 2:36 am, just eight minutes after her pacemaker last synced with her iPhone. 

The sheriff’s office told FOX News and NBC News it is aware of the footage but did not say whether it has helped move the case forward. As the investigation continues, Nancy’s family is holding on to hope.

On February 24, her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, announced in an emotional video that the family is offering up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy’s recovery. They are also donating $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The FBI’s separate $100,000 reward remains active.