Wrapping up day 19 in the search for Nancy Guthrie in Arizona

Описание: A growing memorial can be seen outside the missing 84-year-old's home as investigators have yet to rule out a possible accomplice.

Authorities trying to solve the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie say they might tap DNA genealogy databases, the same step that police took to unravel a decades-old series of murders in California and the fatal stabbings of four college students in Idaho.

The strategy could be fruitful: If unidentified DNA evidence can be connected to someone — even a distant relative — in a common genealogical database, it would give investigators more information and possibly lead to a suspect in Guthrie’s kidnapping in Arizona.

“It’s a fantastic tool,” said Ruth Ballard, a geneticist in California who specializes in DNA and has testified in hundreds of court cases. “If it’s a good quality sample and they’re able to get a profile, they could find a hit on that fairly quickly.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday the only item positively identified as being involved in the crime is the Ozark backpack. Investigators said they’re still working to figure out where the other items seen in the porch camera video may have been purchased.

Austin Walker reports.

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