Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is reportedly refusing to grant the FBI access to essential items linked to the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, a move that federal authorities say is limiting their ability to support the investigation, a U.S. law enforcement source told Reuters on Thursday.
According to the source, the FBI requested that Nanos turn over certain materials — including a glove and DNA samples taken from 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s residence — so they could be analyzed at the FBI’s crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Instead of complying, Nanos reportedly chose to have the evidence tested at a private facility in Florida.
That decision, which effectively cuts off the FBI’s direct access to crucial forensic material, has slowed down progress and hindered cooperation between the agencies, the official said. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to an email from Reuters seeking comment.
In a press statement earlier in the day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said investigators had “recovered several items of evidence, including gloves,” and that” all viable evidence is submitted for analysis.” The department did not provide further information.
Since the Pima County Sheriff’s Office holds primary jurisdiction, the FBI cannot participate in the investigation unless the county formally requests its involvement. The official said the county has already spent roughly $200,000 sending evidence to the Florida lab — a choice that they arguye risks slowing down a case that becomes more pressing “by the minute.”
The law enforcement source also criticized the decision not to seek FBI help earlier, saying federal resources could have accelerated results. “It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice,” the official said.
Signs of strain between the sheriff’s office and the FBI have become apparent as the search for Nancy Guthrie reached its 12th day. Investigators are intensifying their efforts, treating the case as a suspected abduction-for-ransom.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31, when her family dropped her off at her Tucson-area home after dinner. She was reported missing the following morning. Because she had significant mobility challenges, investigators quickly concluded she could not have left her home on her own, prompting them to believe she was taken by force.
Blood traces discovered on her porch were confirmed by DNA testing to belong to Guthrie, officials said. Family members and investigators describe her health as fragile and note she requires daily medication to survive. At least two ransom notes have appeared since her disappearance, both delivered to news outlets and containing deadlines that have now passed. No proof of life has been received.
Savannah Guthrie, 54, co-anchor of NBC’s Today show, has released multiple video appeals with her siblings, pleading for their mother’s safe return and urging anyone with information to come forward.
On Wednesday, authorities shared video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera showing an armed individual wearing a ski mask and gloves attempting to disable the camera around the time of her suspected abduction. Additionally, a discarded black latex glove found along a roadside has been retrieved and sent for forensic study.
On Thursday, the FBI announced it has doubled its reward to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance.