Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is overseeing the missing person investigation into Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, who was reported missing in February.
Sheriff defends handling of evidence in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos defended his decision to send newly discovered evidence in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case to a private lab.
The sheriff overseeing the missing person investigation into Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, is sharing new insight into the case.
In an interview with People magazine on Wednesday, May 13, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reflected on authorities’ progress in the high-profile search effort that began in early February after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Arizona home. The search operation reached its 100th day on Tuesday, May 12th.
The Today anchor’s elderly mother was last seen on January 31 in an apparent kidnapping in the Catalina Foothills area just north of Tucson, Arizona. In February, the FBI released an image showing an armed man fiddling with a camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door before her disappearance, but the suspect in the image has not been identified.
In an interview with People magazine, Nanos reflected on the police’s early investigation efforts. Nancy Guthrie’s condition was unknown at the time, but the sheriff said the homicide unit was notified because a preliminary assessment of the crime scene was “not adequate.”
“The reason it was called a murder case is because they are the missing persons investigation unit,” Nanos told the outlet. “Search and Rescue is an operational team that helps resolve these issues.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Guthrie’s family has announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery.
There have been no significant developments or developments in the Guthrie investigation in recent weeks. Tucson police recently confirmed that human bones were found 11 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home on May 7, but the bones were “prehistoric” in nature and unrelated to the case.
Law enforcement previously confirmed that blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s front door belonged to the woman, and authorities also announced they had found DNA evidence inside the home that did not belong to her or anyone close to her.
“Our DNA lab is collaborating with researchers every day to brainstorm different ideas and ideas about how to make this DNA work for us,” Nanos told People. “How can we do more with what we have? That’s why I say that. I think we’re getting closer to it.”
After leaving the Today show in February, Savannah Guthrie returned to the show in April and has been on the air ever since. The news personality acknowledged her family’s efforts to find her mother in a Mother’s Day tribute she shared on Instagram on May 10.
Guthrie shared his message alongside a touching video compilation showing various family photos and clips of Nancy Guthrie, including one in which the Today anchor and her mother posed together.
“Mom, daughter, sister, Nonnie, I miss you with every breath,” Guthrie wrote. “We will never stop searching for you. We will never be at peace until we find you.”
Contributed by Anthony Robredo and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
