Pima County Sheriff Reports Progress in Nancy Guthrie Abduction Probe Near 100-Day Mark

TUCSON, Ariz. — Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who leads the investigation into the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, told Fox News Digital on Friday that the task force is making progress nearly 100 days after she vanished from her home in the Catalina Foothills.

Asked if investigators are closer to solving the case after nearly 100 days, Nanos replied, "We are."

He nodded and called the developments "really great" as he climbed into his white Corvette. He offered no further details.

Guthrie, 84, is the mother of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Nanos declined to answer a question about Mother's Day, which falls on Sunday.

Late last month, a private forensic lab in Florida sent a hair sample to the FBI for advanced analysis.

Experts told Fox News Digital the hair could support investigative or forensic genetic genealogy if it does not match anyone known to have been in Guthrie's home. That work could direct the task force of county detectives and FBI agents toward a suspect.

Relatives and workers with reason to visit Guthrie's home have provided voluntary DNA samples. The hair could thus identify a suspect if it fails to match any of them.

"Building DNA profiles from hair or other forensic evidence does not necessarily take long," said Dr. David Mittelman, co-founder of Othram, a private forensics laboratory. "In the 'Idaho Four' murders, for example, the DNA profile was developed within days. The challenge in forensic genetic genealogy is not simply generating a DNA profile, but generating a high-quality profile. Poor-quality or incomplete DNA profiles can make genetic genealogy difficult, ambiguous, or even impossible."

An incomplete profile can cause researchers to miss potential familial connections that might help locate a suspect.

"If you don't have a good profile, you may not see all the genetic relatives," Mittelman added. "It can be harder to resolve how people are related or not."

Nanos has said investigators believe Guthrie was taken from her home around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1. Deputies arrived around noon that day after her daughter and son-in-law called 911 to report her missing.

The FBI obtained Nest doorbell footage with Google's help. It shows a masked man of average height and build carrying a holstered pistol at Guthrie's front steps around the time of the abduction.

A man in similar clothing approached her door about three weeks earlier.

Authorities have not publicly identified him. Retired FBI profiler Jim Clemente told Fox News Digital this week that the suspect made several mistakes that could aid investigators in identifying him, unless someone in his inner circle comes forward first.

A combined reward of more than $1.2 million stands for information leading to a resolution. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Tucson's 88-Crime tip line at 520-882-7463. The Guthrie family urges anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.