Pima County Sheriff Discusses DNA Evidence in Missing Persons Case
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos addressed challenges regarding DNA evidence linked to Nancy Guthrie’s home, indicating that it might take up to a year to sort out at a private lab in Florida.
The local police had collected DNA from the residence of the missing 84-year-old grandmother. Unfortunately, although the DNA didn’t match Nancy, her family, or anyone associated with the household, it was mixed with her DNA, which made the sample incomplete, he shared in a recent NBC News interview.
“Our lab has indicated that there are various challenges, and we’re aware of them,” he stated.
However, he mentioned that advances in technology could potentially resolve some of these issues in a shorter timeframe—possibly in weeks or months, but perhaps it could extend to a year. They’re optimistic about achieving clearer results from mixed samples.
Nanos pointed out that the DNA might belong to the man involved in the kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, although, as of now, there haven’t been any matches to known criminals or suspects from the FBI’s CODIS database.
It’s a bit puzzling, though; it’s unclear why a private lab in Florida is involved instead of utilizing an FBI facility or the Arizona Office of Forensic Sciences.
While the FBI continues to sift through cell phone data, security footage, and interviews, the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother enters its fourth week.
Despite releasing suspect photos over a week ago, Sheriff Nanos has stated that there currently aren’t any names or a list of suspects, which is surprising given that several local businesses report having been shown such information by the FBI.
“It’s never fast enough for us,” Nanos said, reflecting on the investigation’s timeline. He shares in the community’s frustration, adding, “Come on guys, let’s find her.” Yet, he did acknowledge that some investigations inevitably take time.
Even with his frustrations, Nanos assured that progress is being made, despite a lack of significant updates lately.
“I would say we’re seeing an uptick in leads and activity,” he remarked.
In addition to this, footage captured by a Nest security camera at Nancy’s Tucson home shows a masked individual with a backpack and a gun holster—items that appear to have been sourced from Walmart.
“We’re getting closer to identifying other aspects—shoes, shirts, jackets, and so forth,” Nanos noted.
However, a recent setback occurred when DNA from a glove discovered a couple of miles from Nancy’s location did not yield a match in the FBI database.
Despite the mounting obstacles and criticism of his management of the investigation, Sheriff Nanos conveyed a hopeful message to Nancy’s family: “We’re not giving up. We will find her.”
