Nancy Guthrie case gets messier as law-enforcement friction enters the spotlight

TUCSON, Ariz. — The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has grown more complicated as tension between federal and local investigators has spilled into public view, raising questions about evidence handling even as authorities plead for new leads in a case that has already drawn thousands of tips nationwide.

A U.S. law enforcement source told Reuters that the FBI sought to send key physical evidence — including a glove and DNA-related material — to the bureau’s national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, but that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos instead directed the items to a private lab in Florida that has worked with his department for years.

Nanos has disputed the claim that his agency is blocking federal investigators, saying the decision was made to keep testing consistent because the Florida lab already maintains the case’s existing DNA work. The sheriff has characterized the dispute as an issue of process rather than cooperation, while federal officials, according to the Reuters source, have expressed concern that the approach could slow time-sensitive analysis.

The friction is unfolding as investigators continue to chase a fast-moving stream of public leads. The FBI has said it has received more than 13,000 tips and has increased the reward to as much as $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing Feb. 1 from her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson, after she was last seen Jan. 31, authorities have said. Investigators have described her as a vulnerable adult because of her age and medical needs.

Authorities have also released doorbell-camera imagery showing a masked person on or near Guthrie’s property around the time investigators believe she was taken. The FBI has said forensic analysis of that footage helped refine a partial suspect description, including an estimated height of about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches and an average build, and highlighted a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack as a potential identifying detail.

In public appeals, investigators have urged residents and businesses to review surveillance footage and submit anything that might help establish a timeline or identify vehicles or people moving through the area during the requested date range. Officials have repeatedly asked that tips be routed through official channels, emphasizing that even small, time-stamped details can help corroborate or rule out leads.

The evidence dispute has added an additional layer of scrutiny to a case already marked by intense attention and high stakes. Both the FBI and the sheriff’s office have said they remain focused on locating Nancy Guthrie and identifying whoever is responsible, while investigators continue to process tips and pursue forensic results.