Backpack discovered as search for Nancy Guthrie reaches Day 22

TUCSON — The search for the missing 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie entered its 22nd day, as the strong afternoon sun beat down on a handful of reporters, true crime streamers and volunteer searchers on Nancy Guthrie’s street in the Catalina Foothills.

Searches started nearly a week after the news anchor posted on social media, pleading with anyone who knew her mother’s whereabouts that it was “never too late.”

Investigators were getting closer to identifying articles of clothing the masked man on Nancy Guthrie’s porch was wearing, including the pants, shoes and shirt or jacket, the Pima County sheriff said.

No suspect had yet been named, and complex DNA evidence was still undergoing lab analysis, Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview with NBC.

Authorities had no updates on the investigation as of the morning of Feb. 22, according to Angelica Carrillo, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department.

DNA found on Guthrie’s property was mixed, meaning it came from more than one person, making it harder to run through national databases, Nanos said in an interview broadcast Feb. 21.

The FBI has also been analyzing DNA found on a glove discovered about two miles from Guthrie’s home, but no results have been released.

Guthrie has been missing since Jan. 31. Detectives were pushing to identify a masked individual captured on doorbell video the night she disappeared and have said they are not ruling out the possibility that more than one person may be involved.

Several passersby from out of town meandered by Guthrie’s one-story brick house.

Some came from as far as Phoenix to see the home of the missing woman who has captured the world’s attention. Two members of Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, a volunteer search group from Mexico, were also in front of the house exploring the area ahead of a search they are planning later in the week for Guthrie.

On Feb. 22, some volunteers gathered in the parking lot of a nearby Hobby Lobby for an informal search-and-rescue effort, which later recovered a backpack. It was handed over to deputies.

Tips were flowing to the Sheriff’s Department and FBI lines. Authorities have urged the public to submit actionable tips only, not well-wishes or similar comments.

Investigators still reviewing evidence

A significant development in the Guthrie case came Feb. 10, when investigators recovered footage of a masked person captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera on the night she went missing. Authorities were still looking for the person who was wearing gloves in the footage.

Investigators continued reviewing surveillance footage tied to key pieces of evidence, including a backpack possibly purchased from Walmart.

The Sheriff’s Department has said it was working with the retailer to help identify the purchaser. Legal experts note that stores routinely share transaction records and video footage with law enforcement during active investigations.

Carrillo said several hundred law enforcement personnel remain assigned to the case, with staffing levels changing based on investigative leads. The investigation will remain active until Guthrie is found or all leads are exhausted, she said.

Intense media presence causes traffic reroute

The narrow asphalt street with no sidewalks was once a two-way street crowded with cameras, lights and reporters from around the world. Large SUVs carrying journalists from national outlets struggled to get around each other and at times got into skirmishes.

On Feb. 22, that chaos was a distant memory, as cars calmly drove one way down the street after law enforcement prohibited parking and installed signs telling drivers where to go.

Despite the calm, residents remained wary of the media frenzy the neighborhood had seen for several weeks, illustrated by a sign posted on a pole down the street from Guthrie’s house.

“Dear media, this neighborhood needs space to process, heal and gather in,” the sign read.

On Feb. 21, the Sheriff’s Department asked media crews to move unattended vehicles from near Guthrie’s home as deputies converted the roadway to one-way traffic.

Since Feb. 1, media vehicles and onlookers have crowded the narrow roadway, at times limiting access for residents, trash collection and emergency responders, county officials said.

What to know: Did they find Nancy Guthrie? Lab experts continue DNA analysis

Sheriff does not plan any media availability

Carrillo said no news conferences were planned, and the sheriff did not expect to have any media availability for the week of Feb. 23.

The sheriff’s last news conference was Feb. 5.

Law enforcement has asked anyone with information about the case to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI, 520-351-4900, 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Scouring tips: Hundreds of investigators reviewing thousands of Guthrie tips

Reach reporter Helen Rummel at [email protected] and reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at [email protected].

(This story has been updated to add more information.)

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Backpack found as Nancy Guthrie search enters 22nd day