Former FBI agent breaks down recovery of glove that appears to match subject’s in surveillance video

Retired FBI agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital on Sunday that the recovery of a glove matching the type that the subject is seen wearing in surveillance video outside Nancy Guthrie’s home is “a promising development,” though there are still many hurdles that stand in the way of identifying a suspect.

Pack said that veterans of major crime cases “know how often these leads wash out.”

“Finding one that looks right doesn’t mean it is right,” Pack told Fox News Digital. “Even when a glove appears to match, the DNA inside can be degraded by weather, moisture, or handling. It can come back to someone who had nothing to do with the crime. Or it can yield nothing usable at all.”

“That said, if the DNA does come back to the suspect, you’re talking about powerful physical evidence that places him at or near the scene, and that’s the kind of thing that builds a prosecutable case,” Pack added.

An FBI spokesperson earlier told Fox News Digital that a glove with an unknown male DNA profile that was recovered is “different” from over a dozen other gloves collected near the scene and “appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video.”

Pack questioned what makes investigators believe the recovered glove matches the ones the subject is seen wearing.

“Is it simply the same color and brand found in proximity to the scene, or do they know something we don’t?” Pack asked, noting that investigators often keep certain details out of the public. “Maybe they know the specific brand he purchased, maybe there’s surveillance footage of him wearing a particular type, maybe a receipt or packaging was found during a search warrant.”

Pack said that the apparent match is “worth paying attention to,” adding that rapid DNA testing can deliver a profile in a matter of hours or a day, meaning that answers about the glove could come soon.

“But the right approach is the one good investigators always take: be hopeful, be cautious, and follow the evidence wherever it leads,” the retired FBI agent said. “If it pans out, great. If it doesn’t, they are still working the other leads that are pouring in.”

Fox News Digital’s Jon Street and Kelley Kramer contributed to this report.