In the latest twist in the ever-mysterious Nancy Guthrie investigation, Puma County Sheriff Chris Nanos offered little comfort or clarity with the recent updates—or lack thereof, more like. It appears the much-celebrated glove found a couple of miles from Guthrie’s home, which had everyone speculating about its potential breakthrough value, has turned out to be little more than a wild goose chase. The sheriff broke the news that the DNA found on the glove didn’t match anything in the CODIS database, and it wasn’t even a match with any DNA found at Guthrie’s home. Imagine that — a glove that might not even belong to anyone on their radar. At this point, even Cinderella’s glass slipper would be more promising.
The DNA debacle doesn’t stop there. The investigation’s next move seemed poised on turning what should have been a significant piece of evidence into a head-scratcher. Not only does the DNA on the glove not match Guthrie’s home, but it also doesn’t ring any bells in the national database. If they were hoping to identify some underworld mastermind using this little snippet, it seems we’ll have to wait longer than the wait for a Hollywood action sequel. The best minds in crime-solving are still back at the drawing board, staring at the dry markers instead of drawing vital lines to connect the dots.
Moreover, gossip around town hinted that the FBI was parading around gun stores with a list of 40 individuals to interrogate. Quiet the conspiracy theory, isn’t it? However, this rumor was efficiently squashed by Sheriff Nanos, who unapologetically denied any such narrowing down of suspects. If anything, he might win the award for Most Confused Detective of the Year. With no pool of suspects to speak of, he’s essentially invited the entire population of Tucson to a “Who Dunnit?” costume party, and the murderer didn’t even RSVP.
The family of the missing Guthrie must be riding a roller coaster of emotions with every small nibble of news that leads to inevitable disappointment. As Sheriff Nanos poetically put it, they’re working tirelessly and might find her “an hour from now” or perhaps even “years from now.” Comforting, indeed. It’s as if he confidently reassures everyone that this game of hide-and-seek will end precisely somewhere between ‘hopefully soon’ and ‘don’t hold your breath.’
Lastly, there are markedly peculiar aspects at play in this baffling situation; secrecy seems to be a word of the day for the Puma County Sheriff’s office. When asked about basic details regarding forced entry or signs of struggle, blank stares seemed to be the only answer on offer. One almost wonders if, in a cartoonish twist, this is a case where the supposed kidnapper was politely invited in for tea. But given the non-answers and general air of confusion surrounding this case, it’s entirely possible no one will ever know unless, of course, they stumble upon the script of this Columbo-like episode where Nanos plays both the detective and the befuddled bystander. Until then, all we can do is hope, speculate, and maybe even chuckle at the Keystone Cop routine unfolding before our eyes.
