Hair Found at Nancy Guthrie’s Home Not Connected to Suspect in Her Disappearance: Sheriff

“We can confirm that all hair has been resolved and it does not point to a suspect in this investigation,” a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told PEOPLE on Friday, July 31.

The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, which is assisting with the investigation, made a similar statement to NBC News.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said hair evidence rarely yields usable DNA. “To find DNA on hair is extremely rare,” he told NBC News. “Hair doesn’t produce DNA like touch DNA or bodily fluids.”

The update comes one day before the six-month anniversary of Nancy’s disappearance. The 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1, after last being seen the night before.

Authorities believe she was kidnapped from her Tucson, Ariz., home in the early morning hours by a masked man seen in surveillance footage who appeared to be tampering with her doorbell camera. Nancy’s whereabouts remain unknown.

“The analysis of DNA and digital evidence has been underway for the past six months,” Nanos said in a July 30 statement shared to X. “This work is complex and time-intensive, but investigators continue to pursue every credible lead.”

Days after Nancy disappeared, several ransom notes were sent to local news outlets, with the first asking for millions of dollars in exchange for her safe return. However, questions have since circulated about whether Nancy is still alive after details of two ransom notes were made public as recently as July.

Crime journalist Briana Whitney, appearing on Ashley Flowers’ Crime Junkie podcast on July 22, reported that the first note read: “Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom, and once payment is received, she will be released unharmed. We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days.”

Whitney added that the note specified the amount of bitcoin demanded and warned that if payment was not received by the deadlines, Nancy “will be killed.” It also stated, “Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands,” and included additional details about Nancy’s home.

The details of the second note were revealed in late June, with sources familiar with the case telling CNN and NBC News that the sender claimed Nancy died shortly after being kidnapped and expressed regret over her death. It also reportedly did not mention any demand for money.

The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office said in a statement on July 1 that while some of the notes “have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” other ransom demands “may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”

Nancy’s case “continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” according to the statement.

Savannah, 54, returned to Today in early April after taking an extended leave of absence amid the investigation. Ahead of the six-month anniversary of her mother’s disappearance, the journalist shared a video to Instagram, acknowledging how much time has passed without any suspects identified.

“Our family is in agony,” she said. “We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed.”

She added: “We have done our part and we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts.”

A $100,000 reward has been offered by the FBI for any information leading to Nancy’s recovery or an arrest in the case. Savannah and her family have since offered a $1 million reward.