TRUE CRIME NEWSNancy Guthrie's Kidnapper Should Be 'Very Concerned' as DNA Trail Could Expose Suspect's Identity, Expert Warns: 'I Would Be Extremely Worried'
Nancy Guthrie has been missing since February 1.
Feb. 24 2026, Published 11:19 a.m. ET
Whoever left DNA evidence at the crime scene when they took Today star Savannah Guthrie's mom should be shaking in their boots right now, according to one expert.
"If I was the kidnapper, I would be extremely worried right now, particularly if I knew there was some kind of altercation, or I knew I touched things in there," CeCe Moore, chief genetic genealogist at Parabon Nanolabs, shared in an interview published on Tuesday, February 24.
Speaking about the masked suspect captured on Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera in the wee hours on February 1, CeCe explained that while the intruder took precautions to avoid leaving DNA behind, it's possible he transferred saliva onto his gloves and then touched something.
'It's Very Possible Saliva Could Have Been Left'
Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper may have left saliva behind at the scene.
"It looked like he may have had a bite flashlight in his mouth," she elaborated. "When you see him bending over toward the camera, I think it's very possible saliva could have been left because of that."
"And so he should be very concerned," CeCe added. "I think it would be extremely difficult to be in a location for approximately 40 minutes and not leave your DNA behind, even with the way he was dressed."
The DNA Found at Nancy Guthrie's Home Is 'Mixed'
The DNA evidence reportedly contains genetic material from more than one person.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, however, told NBC News on Friday, February 20, that the DNA evidence discovered inside Nancy's Tucson, Ariz., home is "mixed," meaning it contains genetic material from more than one person.
"We listen to our lab, and our lab tells us that there’s challenges with it,” he said, revealing it could take "weeks, months or maybe a year" to analyze.
- Nancy Guthrie Investigation Uncovers 'Biological Evidence' That Could Be From Kidnap Suspect: Source
- Savannah Guthrie’s Friends Are 'So Worried' About 'Today' Anchor After 'Profoundly Disturbing' Plea to Mom Nancy’s Kidnappers
- Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapper Could Be Identified From 'Critical' DNA Left at Crime Scene, Says Sheriff
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'It's a Very Difficult Sample'
'A complex mixture is much more difficult to work with,' genetic genealogist CeCe Moore explained.
CeCe confirmed "a complex mixture is much more difficult to work with," explaining, "the more people you get in that DNA (sample), particularly unknown people's DNA, the harder it is to just isolate one person's out of that."
She went on to say that the lab the sheriff's office is using to identify the genetic material is "very, very good at what they do, so if they're struggling with it, that tells me it's a very difficult sample."
Savannah Guthrie Admits Mom Nancy May Be Dead
The Guthrie family is now offering a reward of up to $1 million for information that helps them find their mother.
The NBC anchor's 84-year-old mother was last seen on January 31 and is presumed to have been abducted from her upscale Catalina Foothills home in the middle of the night.
Savannah, 54, took to Instagram on February 24, where she admitted Nancy "may already be gone," but she remains desperate for her "recovery."
"Every hour and minute and second, and every long night has been agony since then of worrying about her and fearing for her and aching for her and most of all just missing her," the morning show host said in the heartbreaking video.
The television personality also shared that the family is now offering a reward of up to $1 million for any information that helps find Nancy.
