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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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An expert on genetic genealogy explained how new technology could help solve the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said DNA collected from Guthrie's home near Tucson, Arizona, was “mixed,” meaning it contains genetic material from more than one person. He said the lab that received the sample reported challenges and it could be months or even longer before it gets to a point where the evidence can be submitted for investigative genetic genealogy or IGG.
CeCe Moore, the chief genetic genealogist at Parabon Nanolabs, discussed the possibility a company could soon release technology that could help with the challenges during an interview with NewsNation’s Brian Entin on Brian Entin Investigates on Thursday.
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“I suspect there are a number of people that are working as fast as they can trying to figure out a way to work with these more complex mixtures," she said. “Nancy's case is certainly the one that is making this a top priority, but it's something that we really need in the field anyway.”
Moore said there have been “a lot of efforts” to improve the ability to deconvolute DNA samples.
“As the technology becomes more sensitive with transfer DNA, the ability to detect the tiniest amount of DNA that someone leaves behind really increases the likelihood you’re going to get a mixture, right?” she added. "But many of the companies that are working with law enforcement to create these SNP profiles are using sequencing, whole genome sequencing and right now there's really no good techniques to deconvolute on those."
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The Context
The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC's Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, is now in its third month. She was last seen at her home on January 31 and reported missing on February 1 by her family. Authorities believe she was kidnapped and said drops of her blood were found on the front porch.
In February, the FBI released surveillance footage from a doorbell camera, showing a masked man, whom they called a suspect, outside her front door on the night she disappeared. Since then, investigators have not identified a suspect or provided details about any significant breakthroughs in the case.
What To Know
Moore said she couldn't say if new technology would definitely be able to help investigators crack the case.
“I don’t know the proportions in that mixture. It depends how many people are in it and what the percentages of those profiles are and which one is the perpetrator or which ones," she said.
"There could be five people in that and the person they're trying to identify, if they're even in that mixture, might only be 10 percent. And the chances of identifying somebody with that small of a contribution, I think, is unlikely, even with advancements."
She also said she is hopeful investigators may discover a second crime scene that could provide an opportunity to collect the suspect's DNA.
"I think that if they have collected all of the potential DNA at the residence and all they've ended up with is this complex DNA mixture, then my hope is that they will discover a second crime scene, somewhere where Nancy was held or perhaps the car that she was transported in because that gives a whole other opportunity for finding the DNA of the perpetrator. If they have not been successful in finding a good source of his DNA at Nancy’s home, my hope is they’ll get another chance."
She added: "The really sad part of that is if they find her body, if she’s deceased, that gives them another opportunity."
What People Are Saying
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in an interview with NBC News in late February: “Our lab tells us that there’s challenges with it, and we understand those challenges, but our lab also knows that the technology is moving so fast and in such a frenzy that they think some of this stuff will resolve itself just in a matter of weeks, months or maybe a year, to allow them to do better with, say, a mixture of that kind of thing."
Savannah Guthrie said on air on Monday on Today: "I received so many letters, so much kindness to me and my whole family. We feel it. We feel your prayers, so thank you so much."
What Happens Next
Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), 520-351-4900 or 88-CRIME or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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