Sheriff Investigating Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Says Case Hasn’t Gone Cold

The sheriff investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother disputed that officials are still working through the evidence, in response to claims that it is a cold case.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing in late January from her Tucson, Arizona-area home, while members of her family have repeatedly pleaded for her safe return. No suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made in the case.

Speaking to Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star on March 20, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the Guthrie case is “not even close” to having gone cold.

“The case will get us there. We let the evidence show us the way, and that’s what we base everything on,” Nanos told the newspaper. “Right now, everything is speculative. We don’t have anything in front of us that says ‘this is who did this, and this is why.'”

He said he cannot reveal many more details but there is “some DNA we think is still workable, and we have to work that” in the case, which is “unlike anything we’ve seen in years in Tucson.”

“I hope also that the public and community understand that we are working it hard, and we are working it with some really good, quality teams,” Nanos said.

Facing a recall effort to oust him from office, the sheriff noted that he has faced criticism for how the department has handled the Guthrie case. He said he’s glad the criticism has been targeting him and not his deputies.

“I’m glad they throw rocks at me, not my team. Just do it, that’s okay,” he said. “Part of the problem is, in law enforcement, we know a lot more than you’ll ever know, but it’s for a reason.

“We know we have to get the help from our media and our community in solving some crimes, but that doesn’t mean we just share the whole case with you.”

Nanos suggested that the recall effort against him isn’t necessary because crime is down in Pima County.

“A lot of statements, a lot of negative commentary, but there’s no stats,” he told the Daily Star.

The comments from the sheriff come as members of Nancy Guthrie’s family released a new statement about her disappearance.

In a post on Facebook, the Guthrie family wrote that “someone knows something” about their mother going missing and that the person may be located in the Tucson area. “It’s possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant.” [SOURCE]

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted, or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’s front door on the night she vanished.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother, while the FBI is currently offering a $100,000 reward.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.