Nancy Guthrie latest: Task force awaits forensic results as search enters third week | Live Updates from Fox News Digital
Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker is hailed as the most unbiased potential witness by an expert
Cybersecurity specialist Morgan Wright told Fox & Friends Weekend that Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker could serve as a crucial “witness” in her disappearance.
Wright, who leads the Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, explained that the device might reveal what happened inside the 84-year-old’s Tucson, Arizona, home and the timing of events.
He said, “The pacemaker’s data is incredibly important. It may be the clearest, impartial account we have at 2:10 when the device pinged—did the heart rate appear normal for her, did it indicate distress, or did telemetry show no heartbeat at all?”
Authorities say Guthrie’s pacemaker app showed a disconnection from her phone at 2:28 a.m. on February 1, the morning investigators believe she was abducted.
Fox News Digital has learned that investigators used a high-tech Bluetooth scanner mounted on the underside of law enforcement helicopters to detect Guthrie’s pacemaker signal.
The helicopters fly at low altitude in grid patterns, moving slowly to capture signals.
One of these low-flying helicopters was observed near Guthrie’s home on February 4, three days after her disappearance.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Posted by Stephen Sorace
Retired FBI Supervisory Agent James Gagliano emphasized the challenges in obtaining forensic results from Guthrie’s residence.
Gagliano noted that while a typical turnaround for forensic analysis is around 48 hours, actual timing can vary due to several factors.
He pointed out that much of the evidence has been processed at a private laboratory in Florida, complicating the timeline.
According to a KOLD report, DNA Labs International in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is where key evidence has been sent by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. State records show Arizona contracted with the company for biological laboratory services from 2022 through March.
A federal law enforcement source previously told Fox News Digital that FBI retesting may be required.
Gagliano warned that by the time the FBI receives the material, the samples may be degraded or diluted, making testing more difficult and requiring the use of portions of the sample.
He also explained that the FBI relies on CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, to compare crime-scene DNA with profiles in the national database.
Regarding when forensic results might be available in Guthrie’s case, Gagliano suggested the process could take longer than expected.
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Posted by Stephen Sorace
The Guthrie case entered its third week on Sunday as a task force waits for forensic results from a late-night operation conducted near the 84-year-old’s home.
The FBI executed a federal search warrant at a Catalina Foothills house, detaining four people who were later released, according to Fox News Digital on Saturday.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who was not at the scene, said there were no arrests and “no sign of Nancy” found.
Last week, the FBI boosted the reward from $50,000 to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Posted by Michael Sinkewicz
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