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Feb. 23, 2026 (Day 23): FOX 10 Phoenix reported the case had entered its fourth week, with investigators still saying Nancy Guthrie was believed taken against her will. Authorities continued canvassing, and FOX 10 reiterated that a mixed-DNA testing snag at a Florida lab remained a key obstacle. FOX 10 also noted over $200,000 in rewards was being offered.
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Feb. 22, 2026 (Day 22): FOX 10 reported growing public frustration and volunteer search activity, including reports that a volunteer group found a black glove and backpack a few miles from Guthrie’s home. PCSD publicly asked volunteer groups to give investigators space and said the work was best left to professionals. FOX 10 also reported the FBI had received more than 21,000 tips and that rewards remained above $200,000.
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Feb. 21, 2026 (Day 21): FOX 10 reported that a glove DNA sample found about two miles from Guthrie’s home did not trigger a CODIS match, while biological evidence from Guthrie’s home continued to be analyzed. It also reported temporary road changes/barricades near the home and said the FBI had received more than 20,000 tips.
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As of Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, the investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie remained active and unresolved, with law enforcement continuing neighborhood canvassing, evidence processing, and tip triage while publicly urging people to submit only credible, useful information. FOX 10’s Day 23 update described the case as entering its fourth week and repeated investigators’ position that Guthrie was believed taken against her will.
A central issue in the investigation remains forensic processing of biological evidence, especially mixed DNA. FOX 10 reported that Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC News there was a snag involving mixed DNA sent to a private lab in Florida, and FOX 10’s coverage repeatedly described the difficulty as a scientific delay rather than a closed lead. FOX 10 also quoted the sheriff’s office saying all crime-scene and search-warrant scene evidence had been submitted for analysis, while noting that biological evidence can be difficult to separate.
On the ground, authorities signaled that investigative activity was still ongoing even if visible updates appeared limited. FOX 10 reported that detectives and agents were back in the Guthrie neighborhood canvassing, and the sheriff’s office said multiple gloves had been collected from the area and were being analyzed. The same statement emphasized that specific evidence details would not be disclosed publicly because the case remains active.
The sheriff’s office also stressed that daily visible activity may fluctuate depending on leads, while saying that several hundred law enforcement personnel remained dedicated to the case. FOX 10 included that language in multiple updates, alongside the department’s statement that the investigation would remain active until Nancy Guthrie is found or all leads are exhausted.
What changed from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23
The biggest shift over these three days was not a major public breakthrough, but rather a clearer picture of the investigation’s bottlenecks and scope:
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Feb. 21 coverage emphasized the CODIS non-match on glove DNA and the continuing analysis of biological evidence from Guthrie’s home. FOX 10 also reported the tip volume had crossed 20,000 and that road access near the home was being managed with barricades and a temporary one-way setup.
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Feb. 22 coverage highlighted the rise in independent volunteer search efforts, including volunteer-reported discoveries near the area, and PCSD’s warning asking volunteers to avoid interfering with the official investigation. FOX 10 also reported the FBI tip count had risen to more than 21,000.
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Feb. 23 coverage largely reinforced the same themes: ongoing canvassing, continued evidence processing, unresolved DNA issues, and continuing public appeals. FOX 10’s Day 23 update again pointed to the mixed-DNA lab challenge and the reward total exceeding $200,000.
DNA and evidence processing remain the key pressure points
FOX 10’s reporting across Feb. 21–23 consistently framed the case as a race between a large, active field investigation and the slower pace of forensic lab work. By Feb. 23, the public-facing message had not changed: detectives were still canvassing, evidence was still being analyzed, and the mixed-DNA issue was still unresolved.
Additional national reporting on Feb. 23 (The National News Desk / Sinclair affiliate publication) said investigators were also considering investigative genetic genealogy options after the glove DNA reportedly did not match CODIS. That report said PCSD described CODIS as one of several database routes and outlined the possibility that genealogy-based matching could produce leads, while also warning such work can still take time depending on DNA quality.
That same Feb. 23 national report also said investigators were working other technical avenues, including efforts related to Nancy Guthrie’s pacemaker signal, and that officials were still sorting through tens of thousands of tips while reviewing crime-scene evidence.
Community search efforts draw warnings from authorities
By Feb. 22, FOX 10 reported that some volunteer groups had started searching on their own, including a group that said it found a black glove and a backpack a few miles from Guthrie’s home. FOX 10 also reported that deputies took possession of the backpack from volunteers and later addressed concerns about people approaching private property and the crime-scene area.
PCSD’s public response, as quoted by FOX 10, was clear: volunteer groups were asked to give investigators space, and the department said the search work was best left to professionals. The sheriff’s office also pointed to formal volunteer opportunities through the department and reminded the public that private-property laws still apply.
This became an important part of the Feb. 22–23 story because it showed how public interest and urgency were colliding with the need to preserve an active investigation. FOX 10’s coverage tied these warnings directly to ongoing evidence analysis and canvassing activity in the neighborhood.
Tip volume keeps rising, but investigators want quality over noise
Across the Feb. 21–23 reporting window, tip volume continued to climb. FOX 10 reported more than 20,000 tips on Feb. 21 and more than 21,000 by Feb. 22 in its community-search story. FOX 10 also noted call-center triage processes and warnings from dispatchers to keep emergency lines open.
ABC News’ live updates page also reported on Feb. 21 that investigators conducted another sweep of the neighborhood and noted the sheriff’s office statement about collecting multiple gloves while not ruling out ongoing lines of inquiry.
Taken together, the reporting suggests investigators were still heavily engaged on multiple fronts: field sweeps, neighborhood canvassing, lab submissions, video review, and tip review. What remained missing as of Feb. 23 was a publicly announced suspect identification, arrest, or confirmed breakthrough.
Rewards and public appeals remain in place
FOX 10 repeatedly reported that more than $200,000 in rewards was available in connection with the case, including FBI and non-FBI reward funds. FOX 10 also continued to publish tip-submission guidance, including the FBI hotline and PCSD’s tipline/form options.
As of the end of Feb. 23, the public message from authorities and media updates remained consistent: the case is active, resource-heavy, and still dependent on both forensic progress and credible tips. There was visible law enforcement activity and significant evidence processing underway, but no public resolution yet.
