Nancy Guthrie: Expert says 'DNA confetti' could identify possible suspect
Nancy Guthrie: Forensic genealogist shares insight into DNA testing process as FBI awaits results from recovered glove
As the FBI awaits the DNA results from the glove recovered nearly two miles form Nancy Guthrie's home, a forensic genealogist shares more about the process to finalize a DNA profile. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
TUCSON, Ariz. - DNA testing is underway on a glove found in the search for Nancy Guthrie, but what does that look like behind the scenes?
What we know:
Experts say that if the DNA on that glove becomes the key to solving the case, it will likely come from either a database of previously convicted criminals or a genealogical link to the person who took the 84-year-old.
Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, the president and founder of Identifinders Forensic Genealogy, has worked on several high-profile cases, including the Phoenix Canal Murders from the 1990s. She said investigators are likely waiting to see if they get a hit in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
What they're saying:
"They're waiting to see if they have a CODIS hit and if do not. If they do, okay, that way, if they don't, then my guess is they're gonna do the genealogy," Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick noted that "touch DNA" is typically what would be found on a glove like the one found in the Guthrie case. She said advancements in detection technology are on the side of law enforcement.
"Our ability to sense DNA, detect DNA, is getting better and better," Fitzpatrick said. "So it could be quite a tiny bit of DNA, or you know, it could be a lot if somebody held it for a long time."
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Nancy Guthrie: FBI awaits confirmation of DNA results from glove found in search
Sheriff Chris Nanos cleared Nancy Guthrie’s family as suspects Monday, calling them victims. Investigators now await DNA results from a glove found near the 84-year-old's home to check the national CODIS database for matches.
Dig deeper:
Even if the DNA on the glove has degraded after sitting in the desert climate for days, Fitzpatrick said it does not necessarily mean a match is less likely.
"At least with genealogy, we've been very successful at very highly degraded DNA," Fitzpatrick said. "I call it 'DNA confetti' — little tiny pieces. That doesn't bother us because the markers we use are very small, so we can use little small pieces of DNA."
That DNA is being sent through CODIS— the database that could link the DNA to a convicted offender in a past crime. Dr. Fitzpatrick says then the next likely step is focusing on genes and the matches potentially found through ancestry databases.
"It's not just one person — do you match or not? You have a whole network of people that you can kind of put together in a big Sudoku puzzle," Fitzpatrick explained. "If they're related to you, they're related to each other through marriage or blood. So you start building the trees, connecting them."
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Nancy Guthrie: Glove found with DNA appears to match suspect's gloves in surveillance
An FBI spokesperson told Fox News on Sunday that out of several gloves recovered during the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, one glove appears to match the gloves of the suspect seen on surveillance footage, and it's testing to confirm a DNA match.
What's next:
Fitzpatrick said she is familiar with the private Florida lab where the DNA is currently being processed.
While she could not say exactly why it was sent there, she commended the genealogists at the facility, noting they can immediately begin genealogical testing if no hit is found in the national database.
Full statement from the FBI on the gloves
"The gloves found approximately 2 miles from the Guthrie residence in a field near the side of the road were packaged up by PCOS and sent overnight on 2/12 and they arrived at their private lab in Florida on 2/13. The FBI received preliminary results yesterday on 2/14 and are awaiting quality control and official confirmation today before putting unknown male profile into CoDIS, the national database unique to the bureau. This process typically takes 24 hours from when the bureau receives DNA. Investigators collected approximately 16 gloves in various areas near the house. Most of them were searchers’ gloves that they discarded in various areas when they searched the vicinity. The one with the DNA profile recovered is different and appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video. The FBI has and will continue to provide assistance on whatever timeline is provided to us."
What you can do:
The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie’s location or an arrest in the case. The FBI continues to urge anyone with information to contact its hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has also set up a tipline where the community can submit information. A new online form is available for tips.
The Source: This information was gathered from the president and founder of Identifinders Forensic Genealogy and previous FOX 10 reports.