The Megyn Kelly Show — Ep. 1253

What Authorities REALLY Believe Happened to Nancy Guthrie, DNA Updates, and Savannah's Latest Heart-Wrenching Plea
Aired: Feb 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Megyn Kelly provides an in-depth update on the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The show dissects media reports, law enforcement perspectives, DNA evidence developments, and family reactions. Special attention is given to the accuracy of circulating theories, the challenges of the investigation, and Savannah Guthrie's emotional public plea. The tone is direct, investigative, and at times personal, with sharp commentary on media dynamics and law enforcement communications.

Main Topics and Key Insights

1. Media Reports vs. Law Enforcement Realities

• Alleged "Burglary Gone Wrong" Theory Debunked

  • Local reporter Brianna Whitney (Arizona Family) reported via an "inside source" that Nancy Guthrie’s abduction was an intended burglary gone awry and that DNA from a towed Range Rover was being tested ([05:30]).
  • Megyn cites multiple pushbacks from Fox reporters Michael Ruiz and Matt Finn, who quote law enforcement sources firmly denying this as a working theory.
  • Sheriff Nanos:

    “That did not come from us. No idea… We would never speculate such a thing. We will let the evidence take us to motive.” ([07:15])

  • The FBI, per Fox News and Megyn’s sources, also disavows the burglary theory.

• "Leaning Away" from Suspects and Family?

  • NBC’s Tom Winter reported authorities are moving away from a "Friday night guy" and Guthrie relatives as suspects.
  • Megyn counters that her sources confirm no one has been cleared.
  • “Everyone is still under scrutiny until someone is in handcuffs. And that includes members of the Guthrie family. Sorry, but that’s the truth.” ([11:40])

2. The Range Rover Search and DNA Evidence

• Range Rover Details

  • The vehicle was stopped, driver detained then released, and the car sealed for forensic analysis. DNA evidence is being tested from this vehicle ([14:00]).

• DNA Developments: The Glove(s)

  • Multiple gloves recovered around the Guthrie residence; two are of particular interest due to their match in appearance with those shown on surveillance video.
  • DNA from one glove pair (found ~2 miles from the house) confirmed to be from a male, does not match Nancy or known associates ([22:25]).
  • Analysis is being done not at Quantico (the FBI’s gold standard), but at a private Florida lab, causing some frustration in the FBI. Quality control pending before uploading results to CODIS ([25:55]).
  • Sheriff: DNA was also found in Nancy’s home that does not match any known contacts; this is a key investigative lead.

• Limitations in DNA Database Searches

  • CeCe Moore, well-known genetic genealogist, explains:

    “We are limited to two or three of the smallest databases—less than 2 million people… Ancestry, 23andMe, and MyHeritage have barred law enforcement’s use. So unless they can get a warrant, the bigger databases are off-limits.” ([29:00])

  • If the perpetrator is Hispanic or recent immigrant ancestry, identification via genealogy may be much slower ([31:21]).

3. Investigation Status and Tactical Updates

• Two weeks since Nancy was discovered missing ([18:34]):
  • Over 400 law enforcement agents (!) involved.
  • Over 40,000 tips received to date ([39:00]).
• Some investigative technologies include helicopters equipped with “signal sniffers” to detect Nancy’s pacemaker signal ([41:15]).
  • “We are told the pacemaker signal will go on even post mortem… So hopefully that’ll provide some help.” ([41:35])
• Authorities continue to analyze video, hoping experts at Google can extract more Nest Cam images, especially of vehicles or movement beyond the porch ([19:06]).

4. Suspect and Family Dynamics

• Sheriff Nanos (Daily Mail interview):
  • “Nobody has been cleared, including the workers at Guthrie’s home, the people who were the subject of the two separate SWAT raids, and presumably, family members.” ([37:00])
  • Discusses sensitivity around naming Tommaso Cione, Nancy’s son-in-law, as last to see her, but refuses to publicly clarify details to avoid unfairly implicating family before evidence supports it.
• Megyn:
  • “Until you guys tell us he’s ruled out, he’s on the table. And that’s what we’re being told by other law enforcement as well.” ([38:25])

5. Public and Media Influence

• Savannah Guthrie’s emotional Instagram plea ([42:20]):

  "We still have hope and we still believe… to whoever has her or knows where she is, it's never too late, and you're not lost or alone. It is never too late to do the right thing."

• Megyn offers an empathetic take:

  “You can see the tears in her eyes… not an iota in there of joy or happiness… how could there be when you don’t know what’s happened to your mom?” ([43:36])

  • Discusses tactics of appealing to the abductor’s potential human decency.
• Critique of mainstream media dismissing “influencers” and independent podcasters:

  “It’s thanks to them that we have half the interest in this case. They’re the ones who are following around law enforcement… Rather than dumping all over them… listen to them.” ([54:05])

  • Takes aim at MSNBC’s Alex Tabit’s critique of the “dystopian” dynamic among influencers, defending the role of crowdsourced investigation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Megyn Kelly, on media narratives:

  “So I would take that with a hefty grain of salt that they're now looking at this as some sort of burglary gone bad.” ([10:25])

• Sheriff Nanos quoting regarding family scrutiny:

  “If he, Tommaso Cione, is guilty...then at that time, jump on it. But don’t come out of nowhere with this... You’re putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he’s family.” ([37:00])

• CeCe Moore, on DNA and ancestry:

  “If the ancestry is from Latin America and they have recent immigrant ancestors, it'll be much more difficult to identify… These cases tend to take weeks, months or years compared to someone with deep U.S., Northwest European ancestry.” ([31:23])

• Savannah Guthrie’s plea:

  “…It’s never too late, and you’re not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing.” ([42:41])

• Megyn Kelly, on media elitism:

  “Thank God that in a case of a missing person, you’ve got all these people… Young people are almost exclusively following social media and podcasters. They’re not watching Ms. Now. You literally have to be over 75.” ([56:33])

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|------------| | Update on burglary theory, pushback | 05:30–11:40| | NBC “leaning away” report and Megyn’s rebuttal | 11:40–13:30| | Range Rover evidence, search details | 14:00–19:00| | Sheriff Nanos interview, scope of search | 18:34–20:10| | Law enforcement & Google working on video | 19:06–21:20| | DNA from gloves, FBI and database process | 22:25–30:13| | CeCe Moore’s insights on ancestry, databases | 28:51–32:08| | Family, suspects, and 40,000 tips | 33:47–41:15| | Pacemaker search tech | 41:15–41:50| | Savannah Guthrie’s Instagram plea | 42:20–43:36| | Megyn’s analysis of Savannah’s message | 43:36–44:44| | Role of podcasters, influencers | 52:24–56:33|

Episode Summary

This episode provides a meticulous, skeptical, and emotionally engaged look at the Nancy Guthrie disappearance investigation. Megyn Kelly scrutinizes media reports against law enforcement realities, tracks the developments in forensic analysis (notably the DNA work on recovered gloves and evidence in the house), and explores how genetic genealogy could—and may not—yield a breakthrough.

She leaves listeners with a strong impression of the exhausting complexity of the search, the emotional cost on the Guthrie family (highlighted by Savannah’s desperate appeal), and the essential role of public and alternative media attention in keeping the case active. The show ends with a strident defense of non-traditional journalism and a call for relentless public pressure and interest until there is resolution for Nancy and her family.