More than four months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is defending the pace of the investigation, saying complex forensic testing and legal procedures are contributing to delays in the high-profile case.
Speaking to Tucson-based KOLD-TV, Nanos said the investigation relies heavily on laboratory work and scientific protocols rather than quick arrests.
Guthrie, 84, is the mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect, announced arrests, or disclosed Guthrie’s whereabouts.
DNA evidence sent to private lab before FBI testing
According to Fox News, investigators initially sent hair samples collected from Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills residence to a private genetics laboratory in Florida amid what the outlet described as a public rift between the sheriff’s office and the FBI.
The samples were later transferred to the FBI’s Quantico laboratory around 11 weeks later for more advanced forensic analysis. Fox News Digital also reported that investigators encountered mixed DNA samples, which are often more difficult to isolate and interpret.
Defending the lengthy process, Nanos emphasized that forensic science must follow strict standards.
“When you’re looking at those labs and the work they do, you have a science there, and science has rules that it has to go by,” he said. “Even though it’s not, DNA they’ll tell you isn’t an exact science, it’s 99% plus.”
Nanos added that investigators are attempting to avoid mistakes while ensuring innocent people are not wrongly accused.
“We wanna make sure that DNA doesn’t just identify a suspect,” he said. “It also exonerates those who are innocent.”
FBI may deploy new technology in case
Fox News further reported that federal sources familiar with the investigation said the FBI is discussing deploying additional technological tools to help advance the case.
Morgan Wright, CEO of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, told the outlet that digital evidence could ultimately prove crucial.
“The solution to this case is going to be, I think, something technical,” Wright said, pointing to video forensics, signals analysis and investigative genetic genealogy as possible avenues.
Meanwhile, attorney RJ Dreiling criticized the pace of the investigation, telling Fox News that the public deserves clearer answers from authorities.
