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

An Arizona sheriff is pushing back on accusations that his department blocked the FBI from testing key evidence in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation.

Reuters reported, citing a source close to the case, that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos refused to send a glove and DNA evidence to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, and instead insisted the items be analyzed at a private lab in Florida.

In an interview aired Friday, Feb. 13, Nanos told Tucson station KVOA that the report was inaccurate and said the FBI agreed with the approach. He explained that investigators recovered multiple gloves and that he wanted all of them tested at the same facility where existing DNA profiles and markers could be compared.

“Why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist,” Nanos said, according to the station. He added that investigators still do not know how significant the gloves may be.

In a statement issued Thursday, Feb. 13, the Pima County 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 believe Nancy Guthrie—the mother of television host Savannah Guthrie—was kidnapped from her Tucson, Arizona, home in the early hours of Feb. 1. She was last seen the evening of Jan. 31, and her family reported her missing after she failed to meet up with friends for a church livestream.

The case has prompted a large-scale search involving local and federal agencies. Officials have said Nancy has limited mobility and has been without daily medication that she needs to survive. Investigators have also stated they are operating on the belief that she is still alive.

Earlier this week, the FBI released surveillance footage showing a masked, armed person appearing to tamper with a Nest camera at Nancy’s front door around the time of the kidnapping. Two days later, the agency shared additional details based on forensic analysis of the doorbell-camera video, describing the suspect as a male about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 with an average build, wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack.

Savannah Guthrie has publicly appealed for help identifying the person in the video, writing that someone may recognize him and urging that her mother be brought home.

Investigators are also reviewing multiple alleged ransom notes that were sent to local media outlets. Reported deadlines on Feb. 5 and Feb. 9 have passed without any confirmed communication between the family and the suspected kidnappers.

Search activity has included work at the homes of Nancy and her daughter Annie Guthrie. Authorities have asked nearby doorbell-camera users for footage from specific dates, including roughly 20 days before the abduction, and they are investigating a reported lead involving a suspicious vehicle seen in the neighborhood.

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