Law enforcement deploys ‘signal sniffer’ to track Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker in search effort
TUCSON, ARIZONA: Investigators searching for missing 84‑year‑old Nancy Guthrie have deployed a high‑tech device in their ongoing efforts to locate her, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
The tool, known as a signal sniffer, is designed to detect electronic emissions and is now mounted on a helicopter as part of the search. The technology could help pinpoint Nancy’s location by sensing emissions from her pacemaker.
High‑tech tracking and the search for Nancy Guthrie
A device that could detect signals emitted from Nancy’s pacemaker is among the tools investigators are using as their search for her continues into its third week. The high‑tech tracking tool, called a “signal sniffer,” has been mounted on a helicopter and may help detectives pinpoint Nancy's location, the sources said.
The device is often used in missing person cases because they can detect low‑power electronic signals, such as those emitted by a pacemaker. According to the sources, the helicopter carrying the device is flying slowly and at a low altitude over the area where investigators are still hoping to find Nancy.
Nancy, mother of 'Today' show co‑host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing when she failed to show up for church on February 1, after vanishing in the middle of the night from her home in an apparent abduction, the report said.
Savannah Guthrie attends the 'West Side Story' New York Premiere at Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 29, 2021 in New York City (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)Guthrie’s family has made several public appeals for her safe return, while the FBI recently released a description of a male suspect in connection with her disappearance, describing him as approximately 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build.
According to the FBI, surveillance footage from a Nest doorbell at Nancy’s home captured the suspect wearing a face mask, gloves, and carrying a black 25‑liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos also said that the backpack, sold exclusively at Walmart, represents one of the most promising leads in the investigation so far.
Additional details and ongoing investigation in the Nancy Guthrie Case
Authorities have stated that Savannah and her family are not considered suspects in the disappearance of their mother, Nancy. In a statement issued on Monday, February 16, Nanos addressed speculation surrounding the family’s possible involvement and firmly dismissed it.
Nanos said, "To be clear, the Guthrie family, to include all siblings and spouses, has been cleared as possible suspects, The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case."
The statement continued, "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel," the statement continued. "The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple, please, I'm begging you the media to honor your profession and report with some sense of compassion and professionalism."
DNA not belonging to Nancy or her family members was also collected at the property, the sheriff's said, "Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to. We are not disclosing where that DNA was located."
The FBI was also awaiting official confirmation of the DNA test results before uploading the profile into its national database, CODIS, which stands for the Combined DNA Index System.
The database, maintained by the bureau, could produce a match if the individual’s DNA is already on record, such as in situations where a person was previously arrested for certain crimes and required to provide a DNA sample for entry into the system.
