Investigators searching for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie are zeroing in on retail purchases and new forensic findings, as authorities say items worn by the suspect seen on home surveillance footage were bought at Walmart. The developments mark some of the most significant progress in the case since Guthrie vanished earlier this month.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed to CBS News that the clothing and face covering visible in the doorbell video outside Guthrie’s Tucson residence were purchased from the retail chain. Detectives are now attempting to determine the exact brands involved and whether the merchandise was acquired online or at a physical Walmart location in Arizona or another state.

CBS News previously disclosed that the backpack carried by the suspect — described as a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack — is sold exclusively through Walmart. That detail has emerged as a crucial investigative lead.

“It’s one of the most promising leads we have,” Nanos told CBS News, adding that Walmart has supplied purchase records for Ozark Trail Hiker backpacks sold in recent months, including transactions completed both online and in stores, even beyond the Tucson region.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was taken from her home during the overnight hours. Now in its third week, the investigation is being handled as a possible kidnapping.

According to CBS News, law enforcement personnel have spent days reviewing surveillance footage from area Walmart stores in an effort to identify the individual who bought the backpack, mask, and clothing shown in the Nest doorbell recording.

The sheriff’s office stated that the suspect’s face mask is black, though it appears lighter in the infrared footage captured by the doorbell camera.

Walmart has not issued a public statement regarding the case. CBS News reported that the company declined to comment when asked about the items believed to have been purchased there.

Meanwhile, federal investigators have announced additional forensic developments tied to the case.

A black glove recovered near Guthrie’s home “appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video,” the bureau said in a statement.

Initial DNA analysis detected what the FBI characterized as an “unknown male profile.” Once testing is finalized, that profile will be uploaded into the national Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, in hopes of finding a match.

Authorities have described the suspect as a man of medium build, estimated to stand between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10.

The probe expanded Friday when several law enforcement agencies carried out a search warrant at a house located less than two miles from Guthrie’s residence.

Nanos told CBS affiliate KOLD that the warrant stemmed from “a lead that led to a search warrant and no arrest.” Officials have not said whether any evidence was seized during the search.

International outlet WION reported that investigators also spotted a holster in the surveillance footage, believed to retail for approximately $10 at Walmart.

Observers following the case have noted that certain Ozark Trail backpack models are available only at specific store locations, including branches near Guthrie’s home — a detail authorities hope could help narrow down potential suspects.

The FBI has raised the reward to $100,000 for reliable information that leads to Guthrie’s location or results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

As detectives pursue purchase records and analyze DNA evidence, Savannah Guthrie made another public appeal Sunday, calling on anyone connected to the case to “do the right thing.”

{Matzav.com}