Dispute Over Evidence in Nancy Guthrie Case

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has pushed back against claims that he obstructed the FBI by hiding crucial evidence related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie.

Nanos emphasized the strong relationship between the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, stating that these allegations are “far from the truth.” This comes after an unnamed law enforcement official suggested to Reuters that Nanos hindered the investigation by refusing to provide gloves and DNA evidence crucial to the case.

Allegedly, during the FBI’s search, gloves were found near Guthrie’s home in Tucson. Nanos mentioned that a private lab in Florida is analyzing DNA collected at the location, and this lab has had a working relationship with the Sheriff’s Office for years.

He asserted that the FBI was kept informed about decisions made regarding the evidence, denying claims that he obstructed the agency’s work in analyzing the evidence. “The reality is that the FBI just wanted to send the one or two people they found at the crime scene to the closest location,” he explained. “I said, ‘No, why would you do that? Let’s send them where all the DNA is…'” The FBI ultimately agreed with his suggestion.

Nanos did not disclose how many gloves were recovered, but reports indicate a “significant number” were found on various roads. “We don’t even know the real value of these gloves,” he added during a media briefing.

In a related development, the FBI has raised the reward for information regarding Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts to $100,000, doubling the previous amount as the search enters its 13th day.

Nanos argued that the focus should remain on finding Guthrie rather than on the strained relationship between local and federal authorities. “When this is all over, criticize it all you want, but for now I have a job to do,” he stated.