Investigators hunting for the person who abducted Nancy Guthrie believe a key clue may have come off a big-box store shelf.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says the mask and clothing worn by the suspect in the now-viral doorbell footage appear to have been purchased at Walmart. Detectives are still working to identify specific brands. But one item has already drawn intense scrutiny: a black Ozark Trail Hiker backpack.
“That backpack is one of the most promising leads we have,” Nanos told reporters.
The bag, a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker pack, is sold exclusively at Walmart. Authorities have confirmed the retail giant turned over purchase records for both online and in-store sales over the past several months — not just in Tucson, but beyond Arizona as well.
It is still unclear where or how the items were purchased. Investigators have spent days combing through surveillance footage at area Walmart locations, hoping to spot the buyer.
Walmart declined to comment publicly on the investigation.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished on February 1. Authorities believe she was taken from her Tucson home in the middle of the night.
She is the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has used her national platform to keep attention on the case.
The chilling Nest doorbell footage shows a masked individual approaching the property. Investigators believe the suspect is a man of average build, approximately 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10.
Officials say the mask worn by the suspect appears lighter in the footage due to the infrared effect of the camera’s night-vision technology. In reality, they believe it is black.
Another potential turning point involves a black glove discovered near Guthrie’s home.
The FBI confirmed that DNA testing has been conducted on the glove, which “appears to match the gloves of the subject seen in surveillance video.”
Preliminary results revealed what authorities describe as an unknown male DNA profile. Once confirmed, that profile will be entered into CODIS, the FBI’s national DNA database, which stores profiles linked to prior arrests and criminal cases.
If there is a match, investigators could have a name.
But so far, no suspect has been publicly identified.
Sheriff Nanos acknowledged that additional DNA evidence has been collected from the property. None of it has yet led to an arrest.
On Friday night, multiple law enforcement agencies searched a residence less than two miles from Guthrie’s home.
The search followed a lead strong enough to secure a warrant. But it ended without an arrest.
“That was a lead that led to a search warrant and no arrest,” Nanos told a local CBS affiliate. Officials have not disclosed what prompted the search or whether any evidence was recovered.
Two weeks after her mother disappeared, Savannah Guthrie delivered an emotional message on Instagram.
“It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken,” she said. “We still have hope. We still believe.”
Her voice trembled as she addressed whoever may be responsible.
“It is never too late to do the right thing.”
The case has gripped viewers across the country. It has also raised deeper concerns about home security, vulnerable seniors, and how a suspect may have carefully prepared for a targeted crime.
Investigators say the retail trail — from backpack to mask — could be what finally cracks this case wide open.
For now, the family waits. And law enforcement keeps digging.
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Still suspecting the family…