New DNA in Nancy Guthrie investigation - Savannah Guthrie asks abductor to “do the right thing”
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖A DNA profile was recovered from a glove found two miles from Nancy Guthrie's home, matching a glove in surveillance video, and is being entered into CODIS.
- ❖More significantly, DNA unrelated to Nancy Guthrie or her known contacts was discovered inside her residence, offering a direct link to the crime scene.
- ❖The FBI utilized a 'signal sniffer' device on a helicopter, designed to detect Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker, as well as other electronic signals.
- ❖The Pima County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) is criticized for its inexperienced homicide team, high staff turnover, and a strained relationship with the FBI, attributed to Sheriff Nanos's personal grudges and ego.
- ❖Genetic genealogy is a powerful tool for identifying suspects from DNA, but its effectiveness is hampered by the refusal of major commercial DNA databases (Ancestry, 23andMe) to cooperate with law enforcement.
Insights
1Critical DNA Evidence Found Inside Nancy Guthrie's Home
Investigators located DNA within Nancy Guthrie's residence that does not belong to her or anyone in her known circle. This evidence is considered highly significant by forensic experts because it directly links to the crime scene, potentially belonging to the abductor.
The sheriff stated DNA was found in Nancy Guthrie's home that does not connect back to Nancy or anyone in her circle. Forensic genetic genealogist CC Moore emphasized, 'To me that's much more significant because we know that's tied to the crime scene.'
2Pima County Sheriff's Office Faces Significant Internal Deficiencies
The Pima County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), the lead agency in the Nancy Guthrie investigation, is grappling with a severely inexperienced homicide team, high staff turnover, and low morale. This lack of seasoned personnel and internal stability is perceived to be hindering the investigation's effectiveness.
Sergeant Aaron Cross, PCSO union president, stated that 45 out of 96 detectives are 'detective ones' (new), and 101 out of 195 patrol deputies have less than a year of experience. He noted, 'The homicide team is pretty inexperienced right now. They're pretty new.' An almost unanimous 'no confidence' vote in Sheriff Nanos by the union reflects widespread dissatisfaction.
3Sheriff's Ego and Retaliation Strain FBI Relationship and Impede Investigation
Sheriff Nanos's personal grudges and retaliatory practices, particularly through transfers, have created an 'icy relationship' with the FBI and negatively impacted PCSO's operational readiness. This dynamic is seen as driving decisions that prioritize agency ego over collaborative efforts, potentially compromising the investigation.
Sergeant Cross attributes the strained FBI relationship to a 2016 investigation of Sheriff Nanos, stating Nanos 'holds grudges' and that his 'ego' is driving decision-making to 'one up the FBI.' Cross cited an experienced pilot/tactical flight deputy with 17 years of service being transferred for 'demeanor complaints,' which delayed the use of a crucial search plane during the initial response.
4Genetic Genealogy Offers Hope, But Faces Database Limitations
Investigative genetic genealogy can identify suspects from even small amounts of DNA by finding distant relatives in public databases. However, its full potential is limited because major commercial DNA testing companies like Ancestry and 23andMe prohibit law enforcement access, restricting searches to much smaller databases.
CC Moore, a genetic genealogist, confirmed that if 'alien DNA' is found, 'that will solve the case if nothing else does.' She clarified that law enforcement is limited to JedMatch and Family Tree DNA (less than 2 million profiles), while Ancestry and 23andMe (over 50 million profiles combined) 'have barred law enforcement's use.'
5FBI Deploys 'Signal Sniffer' Technology to Locate Pacemaker
The FBI deployed a specialized 'signal sniffer' device attached to a helicopter, capable of detecting Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker. This advanced, though imperfect, technology requires low and sustained hovering to potentially locate electronic signals from the missing person.
The host confirmed that 'a piece of technology on the chopper that was sent in from the FBI called a signal sniffer' could 'actually sense Nancy Guthri's pacemaker.' He noted it's 'an imperfect science and it's a new technology and it has to hover low and it has to stay in one place.'
Bottom Line
The Pima County Sheriff's Office's internal issues, including high turnover and an inexperienced detective unit, are not unique to this case but are exacerbated by high-profile investigations, diverting resources and potentially compromising other ongoing cases.
This suggests a systemic vulnerability in the PCSO's capacity to handle multiple complex investigations simultaneously, potentially leading to delayed or unresolved cases for other Pima County citizens.
This situation could prompt external oversight or a re-evaluation of resource allocation and training within the PCSO, potentially leading to reforms that improve overall departmental effectiveness and public trust.
The refusal of major commercial DNA databases (Ancestry, 23andMe) to grant law enforcement access significantly hinders the speed and success rate of genetic genealogy in active criminal investigations, despite high public support for such use.
This corporate policy creates a bottleneck for solving cases, particularly those involving perpetrators whose relatives might only be present in these larger, inaccessible databases. It forces investigators to rely on smaller, less comprehensive datasets, prolonging searches.
High-profile cases like Nancy Guthrie's could increase public and political pressure on these companies to reconsider their policies, potentially leading to a legal or legislative framework that balances privacy concerns with the imperative of solving violent crimes using advanced forensic tools.
Lessons
- Understand the limitations of public DNA databases in law enforcement investigations, recognizing that not all genetic information is accessible to police.
- Recognize how internal agency politics and leadership's personal biases can critically impede high-stakes investigations, potentially delaying justice.
- Advocate for increased transparency and accountability in local law enforcement agencies, especially regarding resource allocation, training, and inter-agency cooperation during major incidents.
Quotes
"The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the glove of the subject in the surveillance video."
"To me that's much more significant because we know that's tied to the crime scene."
"If they have that DNA, that person who left that DNA will be identified."
"Ancestry 23 andMe and My Heritage, the three largest consumer DNA databases, have barred law enforcement's use."
"I'm worried that this case has become an ego case for him, that this is our chance to to one up the FBI or to show that we're as good as the FBI."
"The experience level inside our C... everybody needs mentors... when you have a high-profile case, they're the ones that you want to go to... but I from what I understand, what I'm being told, there's there's not a lot of that right now."
Q&A
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