Guthrie family members cleared as possible suspects, sheriff says
All members of the Guthrie family, including all siblings and their spouses, have been cleared as possible suspects in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an update Monday afternoon.
He added that the family has been “nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.”
“To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel,” Nanos continued. “The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple.”
The statement was not issued as a result of any new piece of evidence. Rather, it appeared to be a response to some recent media reports about a member of the family, as well as to persistent speculation from some tipsters and members of the public.
The investigation into the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has stretched into a third week as investigators in Pima County, Arizona, say they’ve fielded more than 30,000 calls for leads in the case.
Nanos said he sent the message Monday about the Guthrie family because of concerns they could be attacked unfairly.
Nanos in a text message to NBC News Monday evening explained his reasoning in issuing the update: “Because sometimes we forget we’re human and we hurt and kindness matters. It is every cops duty to stand up and be that voice for our victims.”
“I’m not going to sit in silence when others are attacking the innocent. Isn’t that what the badge represents?” Nanos continued.
There are now between 40,000 to 50,000 leads in Guthrie case, sheriff says
There have been between 40,000 and 50,000 leads between the sheriff’s office and FBI in the Guthrie investigation, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC affiliate KVOA of Tucson today.
Nanos previously told the station that investigators had fielded more than 30,000 calls for leads in the case.
Sheriff’s department clarifies it never said Guthrie kidnapping was a burglary gone wrong
Amid reports that Guthrie’s kidnapping was a burglary gone wrong, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department clarified that it has never said that.
“Any reports indicating otherwise are inaccurate,” the sheriff’s department statement said.
The department did not appear to rule this out as a possibility, but did not confirm this is the case at this time.
Trump says abductors would face death penalty if Guthrie is found dead
President Trump told the New York Post today that Guthrie’s abductors would face “the most severe” federal consequences if she were found dead.
Asked by the Post if that meant the Justice Department would request the death penalty in that situation, Trump answered: “The most, yeah — that’s true.”
In response to an inquiry from NBC News about the statements, the White House said: “Refer you to the NYP interview.”
It is not yet clear whether a case against the abductors would be brought in federal court.
Person seen in doorbell video may have been wearing clothes from Walmart
The person seen in surveillance video outside Guthrie’s home the morning she disappeared may have been wearing clothing purchased at Walmart, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in its update today. But that clothing is not exclusively sold at Walmart, the statement added.
“This remains a possibility only,” the statement said.
When asked about this possibility, Sheriff Nanos said that the only article the person was wearing that investigators have identified as definitely purchased from Walmart is the backpack, which is exclusively sold by Walmart.
Nanos also said investigators are working with Walmart management to “see if further leads can be developed.”
Pima County sheriff reshares FBI update on gloves with DNA
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department reshared an FBI statement from yesterday explaining the status of gloves that were found in the area surrounding Guthrie’s home.
The gloves, found about 2 miles from Guthrie’s house in a field near the side of the road, were taken by the sheriff’s department Thursday and sent to a private lab Friday. Results from those initial tests were sent to the FBI on Saturday.
Preliminary results received Saturday indicated the DNA on the gloves is that of an unknown male. The agency is now awaiting official confirmation before it puts that unknown male’s DNA into a national database, called CoDIS, to try to identify that person. The process typically takes 24 hours from the time the FBI receives the DNA.
The gloves being tested appear to match the gloves worn by a person seen in surveillance video from outside Guthrie’s home and released last week by the FBI. Other gloves found nearby all appear to be searchers’ gloves.
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