As the search entered its fourth day, the Arizona sheriff leading the investigation into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, struggled to hold back emotion while addressing the press.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos appeared Monday evening on CBS 5 to speak about the urgent effort to find 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. With each passing hour, the stakes have only grown.
Rescue vs. Recovery Questions Surface as Sheriff Gives Emotional Update: See the Video
While describing the uncertainty surrounding Guthrie’s whereabouts, Nanos’ voice cracked, revealing both the pressure on investigators and the race against time to bring Nancy home safely.
During the interview, CBS 5 host Briana Whitney questioned Nanos about whether investigators still believed Guthrie could be alive.
“In terms of rescue versus recovery, I know you are still calling it a search and rescue. I also know your homicide detectives are part of this investigation,” Whitney said as she opened the discussion.
“Do you believe you are still looking for Nancy Guthrie alive at this point, that she could be held somewhere, and if so, do you believe that is local in the Tucson area, or that she’s been taken somewhere much further at this point?” she asked.
Nanos paused before responding, clearly emotional (5:18 Mins). “I don’t… You know, we’re just not gonna give up hope. We hope she’s out there somewhere,” he said.
‘We Hope So’: Sheriff Stands by Active Rescue Effort
Whitney then asked whether investigators still view the case as an active rescue effort.
“So you still believe this is an active rescue mission at this point?” she asked. “We hope so,” Nanos replied.
Despite the troubling evidence uncovered so far and the involvement of homicide detectives, the sheriff has stressed that the search remains focused on locating Guthrie alive.
Whitney also pressed Nanos on the status of forensic testing connected to the case.
“Are you actively DNA testing any items of evidence from the house now, and if you are, how quickly do you expect to get the results from that?” she asked.
“We actually are. So we have our own DNA rapid testing here, and of course, we use a lab. But we’ve been told that the system here in Tucson is down, so we ran that up to Phoenix [Monday],” Nanos said.
He noted that even with those efforts, answers will not come quickly.
“So hopefully here we’ll know something from Phoenix that we can maybe get to our labs and get a rush order done from them, but even then it’s still a few days, and nothing’s fast enough, right?”
As the search continues, officials say time remains a critical factor. Investigators are pursuing every available lead while holding onto hope that Guthrie can still be brought home safely.
Prayers for the family and that they find her in good health and f for those responsible bring the full power of the law down on them
OMG so sorry this happened to your mom. I’m sick to my stomach thinking of you and your family
Good luck and prayers
We hear sad news of missing love ones a lot. A missing senior who is relatively healthy and doing all the right things living their best life, and now missing, is unreal, shameful, and extraordinarily heartbreaking. I still have hope she will return safely
I continue to pray for the Guthrie family as they continue to search for their much beloved mothet Nancy.
This is absolutely horrifying to hear this. Praying this remains a rescue operation and she is found alive and well.🙏
I’m also hoping your mom is found safely and brought home Savannah and family! Something about that sheriff though.