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Gun Shops, Genetic Genealogy, Videos Could Yield New Clues; House Oversight to Depose Ex-Victoria's Secret Owner Over Epstein Ties; Search Continues for Nine Missing Skiers Trapped in California Avalanche. Aired 7-7:30a ET
Aired February 18, 2026 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new focus today to try and crack the case of Nancy Guthrie's mystery, investigators now hoping genealogy testing of DNA evidence will help lead them to a suspect, plus, how Google is now trying to help even more to recover more surveillance video in the case.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Mark Zuckerberg set to take the stand today in a landmark social media addiction trial. Parents accusing Facebook and other platforms of getting kids hooked and harming their mental health.
And happening now, a frantic search for at least nine skiers trapped by an avalanche. Time is of the essence, and there is the danger of even more slides.
Sara is out today. I'm John Berman with Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.
BOLDUAN: This morning, the gun, the glove, and the genetics. Investigators are chasing new leads when it comes to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The sheriff now says that they're going into gun shops trying to identify what he describes as kind of the unique holster that the suspect was seen carrying in that surveillance video outside of her home, one shop, gun shop owner, indicating that the FBI brought a list of names to ask about. Law enforcement back -- was also back out in the neighborhood, appearing to check -- physically check the surveillance cameras on a nearby home. The sheriff telling NBC that Google is now using a technique he described as scratching to try and recover more footage from the cameras at Nancy Guthrie's home.
And there may be a new clue from that doorbell video, the sheriff saying that authorities are looking into whether the suspect was wearing some kind of ring highlighted with the circle there underneath the glove. One of the gloves, searchers did discover a glove that looks like the one in that video we focus so much on about two miles from Guthrie's home, but they also tell CNN that the glove will now have to undergo genetic genealogy analysis using publicly available databases because the sheriff says the DNA found on that glove did not match anything in the FBI's database and also did not match the DNA found inside Nancy Guthrie's home. CNN's Leigh Waldman is live on the scene. What more are you hearing about the direction now that this investigation is heading?
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, we know that the FBI investigators have visited gun shops here in Tucson. Really, the biggest piece of the puzzle we have so far is that surveillance camera video, the doorbell camera video showing this armed and masked man, the sheriff saying that the holster that he was carrying is unique. And so we know investigators are going to these different gun shops.
Our CNN team has visited about a half dozen in the area asking questions about what investigators are looking for exactly. They say investigators have showed pictures of individuals seeing that that sparks any kind of memory. Take a listen to what one gun shop owner had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP MARTIN, GUN SHOP OWNER: I was able to look at the photos that he was showing me and I told the FBI agent, I was like I'm no investigator, but my intuition is telling me based on how these people's facial hair looks like, it looks like the guy that was on camera at that house doing the kidnapping, he was like, yes, that's why I'm here. He was like, we're going to be going to different gun shops, checking to see if any of these names that I'm showing you here, any of these people have purchased a gun in the last year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALDMAN: And so we know that that's part of this investigation. Another part is focusing on that DNA element. Unfortunately, the gloves did not have any kind of match in CODIS, the FBI's database with previous offenders, DNA there. It also doesn't match the DNA found at Nancy Guthrie's property here.
But that's not the only avenue investigators have. They're going to go through genetic genealogy testing as well, but that's not necessarily as straightforward as the CODIS database there. One of the nation's leading genetic genealogists saying that this database could take anywhere from 20 minutes to 7.5 years to test and try and get a match.
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So, it's an excruciatingly painstaking long effort to try and find a match here.
Another element they're looking at, our team had seen investigators back out in this -- in the neighborhood just yesterday, looking at nearby homes, surveillance cameras. They're going through what has been described as scratching from the sheriff when he was speaking with NBC, trying to peel back layer by layer to see if there's any lingering video that maybe has been videotaped over to try and help them in this investigation. Kate?
BOLDUAN: Leigh, thanks so much for the update, a lot more to follow today. Thank you. John? BERMAN: All right. Happening today, members of the House Oversight Committee will be in Ohio to depose 88-year-old billionaire founder of Victoria's Secret, Les Wexner, over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. A CNN review of the Justice Department's file release, the Epstein files, found that Wexner's name was initially redacted in a co-conspirator document. His name also appears in hundreds of other records that show federal authorities have closely scrutinized Wexner and repeatedly sought information from him. Wexner previously employed Epstein as a money manager and said he severed ties with him in 2007.
With us now as former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Tom Dupree, great to see you. I like the mood lighting there, Tom. Thank you. I appreciate you being with us.
Les Wexner is in the Epstein files a lot, a well-known relationship over a long period of time with him. What is it you think that these members of Congress will want to learn from him today?
TOM DUPREE, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: There is a lot they want to learn. As you note, his name has been all over the Epstein files. He's been close to Epstein for many years, very, very close, financially connected. And I think the Congressional investigators are going to be interested in knowing what Wexner knew, what aware of what Epstein was doing. They're going to want to get a better understanding of the financial ties between the two. In other words, Epstein had very strong connections to all sorts of wealthy individuals. This guy is a perfect example of that.
And so I think Congress is going to want to understand the nature of the relationship, what Wexner knew, and how he developed such a close relationship to Epstein over all these years without apparently having any inkling, maybe he did, that something more nefarious was going on.
BERMAN: As I mentioned, this guy's 88 years old. Why wouldn't he just assert his Fifth Amendment rights the minute that these members of Congress walk in the door?
DUPREE: Well, it's possible he would. On the other hand, if he believes that he did nothing wrong, if he believes that the relationship was totally innocent and is purely financial and he had no idea of the illicit activities Epstein was engaged in, he may view this as an opportunity to tell his story.
For better or for worse, when people take the Fifth, I think it connotes a kind of a consciousness of guilt. People don't like doing it. And so for that reason, he may think, look, I'm almost 90 years old. I've got a story to tell. This is going to be recorded for history, so I'm just going to say exactly what I knew and let the chips fall where they may.
BERMAN: Now, Wexner's never been charged with any crime in connection to Jeffrey Epstein at all, but as we said in the files, his name is in this document, which lists possible co-conspirators. What's the significance of that?
DUPREE: Well, the significance of that is that he is someone who has been looked at by the Justice Department. As you note, the Justice Department ultimately declined to bring charges, but they knew that this is a guy who was close to Epstein. They place proximity with these other alleged co-conspirators people who knew something was going on.
And so for that reason, he is going to know a lot both about his role in all of this and also the other people that he has been linked to in this whole sordid affair. So, there's certainly a lot of fertile territory, I think, for the investigators to ask him about today, not just about Jeffrey Epstein, but about other individuals who are close to Epstein and are mentioned in the files.
BERMAN: And I imagine this will be a bipartisan effort too. We're so used to the parties fighting amongst themselves. I actually think members of both parties here are very interested in getting some answers from Lex Wexner today. I don't know that he'll get any relief across the party aisles.
Tom Dupree, great to see you this morning, thank you very much for your help on this.
Happening now, the frantic race to find skiers trapped by an avalanche, we've got new audio from crews at the scene.
And details this morning after a man rushed the Capitol with a loaded shotgun, what we're learning this morning about the suspect.
And a fast-growing wildfire burning thousands of acres with conditions so windy and so dangerous, you can sort of see one right there, it's sparking these fire tornadoes.
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BOLDUAN: This morning, there is an urgent search happening as we speak for at least nine backcountry skiers. They are still missing after getting caught in an avalanche in Northern California. We're going to pull up for you a live trail camera from Castle Peak. That's not it. Here's the live trail camera from Castle Peak, which is where search and rescue crews were dispatched to six skiers were rescued yesterday.
And this morning. We also have new dispatch audio for you. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Medical for an avalanche in the area of Castle Peak. Reported as nine to ten people buried. Three others attempting to dig them out.
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BOLDUAN: Let's go over to CNN Meteorologist Chris Warren for more on this. Chris, what are and were the conditions that they're all facing? [07:15:02]
CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Kate, the same conditions, the same extreme conditions that led to the high danger for avalanche is also making it very difficult yesterday for rescue crews to get into the back country.
This is a look at the near, whiteout conditions, if not whiteout conditions at times from the California Highway Patrol. And when we talk about the back country, this is a rescue happening well away from designated ski areas. And it's where avalanches are more likely to happen. It's more of an uncontrolled environment.
And now this morning -- this was yesterday, now this morning in the predawn hours, as we look live here, Interstate 80, which several stretches of it do remain closed at this hour. Again, so much snow falling, creating the extreme avalanche conditions and also making the search and recovery efforts very difficult. The search and rescue efforts, I should say, is still very difficult.
This is the snow over the past couple of days with about three feet of snow falling and 48 hours and a couple feet, two feet falling in just a day, in a 24-hour period. This is a lot of snow not only leading to the avalanche conditions, but also making it very difficult just to get through, to move through and to navigate through.
Here's Lake Tahoe right there. There's Reno. Just for a kind of reference in that live camera in Truckee or near Truckee, Interstate 80. Now the area where they went missing is up in here, so, again, well away from the ski resorts. This is in the backcountry, very difficult a and even at times for the rescuers dangerous conditions through this morning, early on. Still avalanche alerts are in effect here, Kate, with more snow on the way with a little bit of a break today in terms of the heaviest snow, but another round will be coming. So, time, absolutely, Kate is of the essence.
BOLDUAN: Chris, thanks so much for that. I appreciate it.
Today, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify. He'll take the stand in a trial that accuses his social platforms of being, well, not only addictive, but also very harmful to children. What's he going to say? And another American shocker in Olympic figure skating leading to also a shocking question, will any of the women on the U.S. team be able to make the podium?
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BERMAN: All right. A big day at the Olympics today, a big day for the Americans, nine golds up for grabs. Mikaela Shiffrin and her last event in these Olympics, the U.S. men's hockey team in the quarterfinals, I got to say, hoping for a big day for the U.S. team where it has not been easy recently.
Let's get right to CNN's Coy Wire who is there. Good morning, sir. COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, John. Norway's kind of running away with things it seems right now. We have women's figure skating. The crown jewel of the Winter Games kicking off with the short program last night, and American Alysa Liu put herself in prime position for medal contention, John. After the last winter games, she retired, she traveled a bit, enrolled in college at UCLA. She told me ahead of these games, I love fashion, I love dancing, so I realized I missed figure skating, hence the comeback.
She put up her season best routine currently in third place, saying she has a totally different mindset this time around. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALYSA LIU, AMERICAN IN THIRD AFTER FIGURE SKATING SHORT PROGRAM: I'm really confident in myself. And, I mean, even if I mess up and fall, like that's totally okay too. I've -- I don't know. I'm fine with any outcome as long as I'm out there, and I am, so nothing -- there's nothing to lose.
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WIRE: And we saw some absolute heartbreak job for another American hopeful in women's figure skating. Amber Glenn missing one of her jumps finishing 13th in the short program. She had tears streaming down her face afterwards. She did post afterwards a very inspiring message on Instagram saying she's going to be okay.
All right, Japan's 17-year-old Ami Nakai is in the lead. Kaori Sakamoto, the three-time world champ, also of Japan in second. Only one Japanese woman has one Olympic figure skating gold. That was 20 years ago, right here in Italy.
Now, in what is being called the greatest big air freestyle skiing finals ever, with 18 inches of snow falling throughout the day, Team USA's Mac Forehand pulled off a move, John, that had never been done before. He nailed it. His own jaw dropped in disbelief afterwards. He said he'd never even practiced it. But Norway's Tormod Frostad one- upped four and scored barely on his final run. Epic performances from both, both deserve the gold, but it's American Foreman taking home the silver.
Now, John, finally, imagine the pressure if you're the winningest alpine skier of all time, like team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin, but Olympics medals have eluded you for six years -- times at the Beijing games (INAUDIBLE).
BERMAN: All right. THE sheer beauty of Coy Wire's live shot, the sheer beauty of that shot getting in the way of the actual audio there. But what Coy was saying was, he's having a great time in Italy. He can't believe he gets to be there, and that the view is wonderful.
All right, new developments in the search for Nancy Guthrie, gunshot owners say they're being shown photos and names. The question is of whom.
And a loaded shotgun and a tactical vest, what we're learning about the man arrested after charging the U.S. Capitol.
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BERMAN: All right. Investigators are chasing new leads this morning in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance. They are going to gun shops trying to identify maybe the unique holster the suspect was seen wearing. The gun shop owner or one gun shop owner, I want you to listen to what he said when he spoke to Fox News because he seemed to indicate that he's shown some photos and some names. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: I was able to look at the photos that he was showing me and I told the FBI agent, I was like, I'm no investigator, but my intuition is telling me based on how these people's facial.
