Sheriff Addresses Claims He Blocked FBI from Key Evidence in Nancy Guthrie Case: Report

An Arizona sheriff is pushing back on claims that his department blocked the FBI from testing key evidence in the high-profile kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie.

A Reuters report, citing a source close to the investigation, said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos insisted that a private laboratory in Florida — rather than the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia — handle testing on a glove and DNA tied to the case.

But in an interview published Friday, Feb. 13, Nanos told Tucson station KVOA that the accusations are “not even close to the truth,” and said the FBI supported the approach.

“Actually the FBI just wanted to send the one or two they found by the crime scene, closest to it — mile, mile and a half … I said ‘No, why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist.’ They agreed, makes sense,” Nanos said.

He added that investigators still don’t know how significant the gloves may be. In a statement issued Thursday, Feb. 13, the sheriff’s department said investigators recovered “several items of evidence, including gloves,” and that the items were “submitted for analysis.” Nanos has also said that blood found on the exterior porch of Nancy’s home matches her DNA.

Authorities continue to operate under the belief that Nancy is alive. The FBI issued a similar statement.

Investigators believe the mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. She was last seen the evening of Jan. 31, and her family reported her missing after she did not meet up with friends for a church livestream.

The case has prompted an intense search involving local and federal authorities. Nanos has said Nancy has limited mobility and has been without the daily medication she needs to survive.

Earlier in the week, the FBI released surveillance footage showing a masked, armed person appearing to tamper with a Nest camera at Nancy’s front door on the morning of the kidnapping.

Two days later, the FBI shared additional details about the suspect, based on forensic analysis of the doorbell camera footage by the bureau’s Operational Technology Division. The suspect is described as a male, about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build. In the video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, the FBI’s Phoenix office said in a post on X.

Savannah also posted about the footage on Instagram, writing that someone out there would recognize the person and urging that her mother be brought home.

Since Nancy’s disappearance, multiple alleged ransom notes have been sent to local media outlets. Officials have said reported deadlines — including one set for Feb. 9 — passed without any confirmed communication between the family and the suspected kidnappers.

Investigators have also conducted searches at the homes of Nancy and her other daughter, Annie Guthrie. Authorities have requested footage from nearby Ring doorbell camera users for specific dates, including a period about 20 days before the abduction. They are also investigating a lead involving a suspicious vehicle reported in the area.

The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to Nancy’s recovery or an arrest.