Harry Trombitas Cites 50,000 Tips in Nancy Guthrie Missing Persons
Nancy Guthrie missing persons investigators have received over 50,000 tips, former FBI special agent Harry Trombitas said, as the search continues nearly four months after the 84-year-old disappeared from her home in Arizona. He said the names of the people involved are most likely among those tips.
Chris Nanos said on May 11 that investigators believe they know why Guthrie’s home was targeted and expect an arrest at some point. Nanos also said, "We're not going to give up on it just because it's been 100 days."
Harry Trombitas on the tip count
Trombitas said the volume of tips is part of what keeps the case active even without a public suspect or motive. He also said, "You have to build a case and think about future prosecution," describing the work as a process of separating useful information from noise.
He added, "There's been over 50,000 tips received, and I truly believe the names of the individuals involved are most likely in those tips," and said the investigation may already be focused on a suspect. That kind of volume can widen the field for investigators while also forcing them to sort through false leads and repeated accounts.
DNA and video evidence
Investigators are also reviewing doorbell camera footage of a masked individual whom the FBI said was armed, along with video of a speeding car around the time of the abduction and a backpack possibly bought online. They are processing mixed DNA, including a hair sample recovered from Guthrie’s home.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department first sent the DNA samples to a private lab in Florida. In April, those samples were sent from that lab to the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., for advanced DNA analysis.
Guthrie case in Arizona
Guthrie was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31 when she was dropped off at her home in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson, Ariz. She was reported missing around noon the next day after she did not show up at a friend’s house to watch an online church service.
Pima County sheriff investigators and the FBI have not publicly identified any suspects or a motive, and authorities had detained at least three people for questioning. For readers following the case, the work now centers on how quickly investigators can turn the tip volume, video, and mixed DNA into a case that can support charges.
