Savannah Guthrie and Nancy Guthrie
Facebook/Savannah Guthrie

Nancy Guthrie has not yet been found. The 84-year-old resident of Tucson, Arizona, was abducted from her home earlier this year. Her three children and those who have been following her case have been pleading with authorities to help locate her.

The case remains open more than 100 days after her disappearance. Nancy has some health issues and has been on medication for quite some time, a factor her family has cited in urging investigators to act with urgency.

Digital and Scientific Evidence Being Processed

Authorities have been working to make progress in the case. However, despite all the evidence gathered, including blood found outside her home and a strand of hair located inside the house, her abduction case still could not be closed.

During a recent interview, forensic expert Robert Fried said that it would most likely take up to an entire year to resolve the case. What examiners need to find when processing evidence is any type of uniqueness that can help authorities identify the suspects.

'You have to have unique identifiers within those videos, those facial expressions, those unique characteristics that can help you positively or without a doubt say that that is that person,' he said.

Fried also noted that processing mixed DNA samples found at the scene can take anywhere from a few weeks to a full year due to technical challenges. Investigators have additionally recovered an unidentified rootless strand of hair from Nancy's bedroom, which has been sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico for advanced testing.

Since the processing of digital and scientific evidence requires a meticulous process, Fried said that technical challenges are also to be expected, which could lengthen the entire process.

Nancy Guthrie's Friend Reveals Fear Her Case Could Be Forgotten

Before Fried tried to manage the public's expectations as to when Nancy's case could be resolved, those close to the victim had already been urging authorities to do a much better job in trying to locate her. On the 100th day of her disappearance, Nancy's close friend Lauren Serpa said she was worried that the public would stop thinking about the missing person's case.

'Even in Tucson, where it happened, it's starting to fizzle out, and I don't want that to happen. It's been 100 days, and people are starting not to forget, but not to think about it as much... That's what happens when it doesn't affect their lives,' she said.

Not a Cold Case

However, Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that he has not been in communication with the Guthrie family in the past couple of weeks, but remains confident that answers will become available soon. 'I believe, at some point in time, we will make an arrest on this case. And whoever that individual is, that individual will have a right to a fair and impartial trial,' he said.

Nanos also said that the blood evidence found in Nancy's home will soon be identified. He also insisted that Nancy's abduction is far from being a cold case, contrary to what critics have been saying.

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