Sheriff shuts down rumors, clears Nancy Guthrie family in disappearance

TUCSON, ARIZONA: Authorities searching for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie have officially cleared her family as suspects, pushing back against weeks of online speculation and rumors surrounding the case.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators determined that Guthrie’s children, siblings, and their spouses are not involved in her disappearance. The announcement comes as the investigation enters its third week with few definitive answers about what happened to the Arizona woman.

Nanos stressed that the family should be viewed as victims, not suspects, and urged the public and media to stop fueling unsubstantiated claims. 

Sheriff says Guthrie relatives are victims, not suspects

During a media briefing, Nanos stated that every immediate family member has been cleared.

“To be clear…the Guthrie family – to include all siblings and spouses – has been cleared as possible suspects in this case,” Nanos said. “The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.”

He forcefully rejected claims circulating online that suggest otherwise.

“To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel,” the sheriff added. “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.”

The sheriff also confirmed that Annie Guthrie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni — the last known person to see Nancy alive on January 31 — is not considered a suspect.

Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC’s 'Today show.'

Sheriff declines to discuss DNA details

Fox News correspondent Matt Finn asked whether DNA testing played a role in clearing the family, noting that relatives had submitted swabs to a private laboratory working with the sheriff’s office.

Nanos declined to discuss specifics.

“Not going there…they are victims and I will not stand quiet while they are re-victimized,” he said. “It is not just my duty, it is every cop’s duty to stand up and be the voice for victims.”

Investigators have highlighted several pieces of evidence, First, doorbell camera video released by the FBI shows a masked individual walking up to Guthrie’s front door late at night. Analysts estimate the person stands about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build and carried a black Ozark Trail backpack sold at Walmart.

Second, DNA from an unknown person was found inside Guthrie’s home. The FBI is comparing it with DNA recovered from a glove discovered within two miles of the residence. Officials say the glove resembles one worn by the person in the surveillance footage and contains DNA from an unknown male. The profile is expected to be run through CODIS.

Third, blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was confirmed to match her DNA. Authorities have not determined when she began bleeding.

Investigators also learned that Guthrie’s pacemaker lost connection to its phone application at 2:28 am on Sunday, February 1. Law enforcement later conducted an aerial search using a helicopter equipped with Bluetooth scanning technology but did not detect the device.

Despite the lack of a named suspect, Nanos said the investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to follow every viable lead.