The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered another difficult stretch, and Sheriff Chris Nanos is speaking directly to both the public and whoever may be responsible.
In a new interview with FOX 10 Phoenix, the Pima County sheriff addressed mounting speculation, forensic setbacks, and online rumors. He also delivered an emotional appeal, highlighting how personal this case has become.
“Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy, was last seen on January 31 at her Tucson home. More than two weeks later, investigators continue to work the case around the clock.
‘Just Let Her Go’: Sheriff’s Direct Plea to Abductor
NBCUniversalAs the case moves deeper into its third week, many have asked whether investigators still believe Nancy is alive.
Nanos answered that question with one of the most striking lines of the interview. “They ask me, do I have proof of life? I ask them, ” Is there proof of death?”
He acknowledged the emotional weight behind those words but made clear that hope remains central to the search. “I’m going to have that faith, and sometimes that faith, that hope, is all we have.”
He pointed to the scale of the ongoing effort. “My team, 400 people out there in the field today, woke up this morning and went out there with the hope and the belief that they’re going to find Nancy, and she’s going to be okay.”
Then he turned his attention to whoever may be holding her. “We’re going to continue working this case every minute of every day, and we will find her, and we will find you.”
He closed with a direct appeal. “The individual doing this, let her go. Just let her go. It will work out better for you in the long run, trust me. Just let her go. Take her to a park, take her to a hospital, just let her go.”
Sheriff Reaffirms Belief Nancy Was Kidnapped
GettyFrom the beginning, Nanos has maintained that Nancy was taken against her will. That belief, he said, has not changed.
“I believe, just as I had initially, that Nancy was removed from that home against her will. She was kidnapped, and we still believe that.”
Pressed about whether there was forced entry or whether Nancy may have known the individual involved, Nanos declined to reveal details about the home. “So I’m not going to get into the entry of the home or forced entry or any of that.”
He emphasized that investigators are relying on evidence, not theory. “You don’t want the sheriff’s theories, you want the investigators because they’re the ones who actually physically know the evidence.”
DNA From Glove Produces No CODIS Match
One of the most closely watched developments involved a black glove found roughly two miles from Nancy’s home. Authorities had hoped DNA from the glove might provide a breakthrough.
Nanos confirmed that the DNA profile was submitted to CODIS, the national criminal database. “It was submitted to CODIS, and we have no hits in CODIS.”
While the result disappointed many following the case, the sheriff cautioned against viewing it as the end of a lead.
“We have other DNA evidence from the scene that is more critical to me than something found two miles away.”
He explained that forensic analysis is rarely simple. “You take a fingerprint, and you hope to match it right away. But that’s not that easy.”
Investigators are also working through mixed DNA samples recovered from the home, which must be separated carefully before comparisons can be made. “All of those things are considered; it is truly a complex process.”
The next step for certain samples will be investigative genetic genealogy. “Absolutely, you do that.”
Sheriff Defends FBI Partnership Amid Rumors
GettyOnline speculation has suggested friction between the sheriff’s office and the FBI. Nanos rejected that outright. “To suggest that the sheriff blocked evidence, that’s just crazy.”
He said federal authorities were involved immediately and have remained integral throughout the investigation. “They were never not a part of this investigation. They were always a part of it.”
Nanos explained that evidence was distributed based on expertise. Biological evidence went to the department’s longtime lab. Technical items such as cameras and devices were shared with the FBI. “We’ve always had a great working relationship.”
For Nancy’s family and the Tucson community, the waiting continues. The investigation remains active. And according to the sheriff, hope remains.
