Nancy Guthrie Update: A Major Theory Just Collapsed
Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has turned a good portion of the internet into investigators. For weeks, one theory had taken on a life of its own online. The black gloves. The ones that seemed to match the pair worn by the masked figure captured on Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera the night she disappeared. Found roughly two miles from her home, they felt like the break the case had been waiting for.
The Pima County Sheriff just put that theory to rest.
"At that time, we believed wholeheartedly that those gloves belonged to a restaurant," Sheriff Chris Nanos told local NBC affiliate KVOA in an interview published March 2. "The owner of the glove, we found working at a restaurant across the street. It has nothing to do with the case."
The Sheriff's Department confirmed on X on March 4 that the owner of the gloves is "not part of this investigation." Nanos also pushed back on a separate theory that had been circulating — that police officers in the field had simply discarded the gloves themselves. "That is so far from the truth," he said.
Black gloves found about 2 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home were traced through DNA to a local restaurant employee. That individual is not part of this investigation.
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) March 4, 2026
Lab analysis on other DNA evidence remains ongoing.
Where the Investigation Goes From Here
With the glove theory officially off the table, Nanos was direct about what his team is now focused on. "My team can now focus on what's really the meat and potatoes of this case," he said, "and that is who it is that was in that video and who took Nancy Guthrie."
The sheriff acknowledged that investigators have "information on this case that we think is going to hopefully lead us to solving this case" — but said sharing it publicly at this stage would be "very neglectful and irresponsible." He added simply: "There is an investigation, there is a protocol to that effort. It takes time."
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing since February 1. The FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department continue to search for her. A $1 million family reward remains active.
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can be submitted anonymously.