Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has admitted the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mum Nancy, 84, who vanished from her Tucson home, could continue for years as the investigation faces ongoing challenges
The chief investigator handling Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has spoke of the toll the case is taking and warned the search could drag on for years. On February 13, an overnight operation unfolded roughly two miles from Nancy’s Arizona home, as officers executed a search warrant following what was described as a tip.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has vowed that authorities won’t give up efforts to locate Guthrie, 84, who vanished two weeks ago from her Tucson residence. It comes after an ex-FBI agent disclosed the concealed codeword that Savannah employed in her communication to the abductors.
Speaking to The New York Times on Friday, February 13, Nanos was asked about the potential timeframe for finding Savannah Guthrie’s mother. “Maybe it’s an hour from now, maybe it’s weeks or months or years from now,” he declared.
“But we won’t quit. It’s exhausting, these ups and downs, but we will keep moving forward. We’re going to find Nancy. We’re going to find this guy,” he stressed.
Nanos’ comments come after a series of developments that have complicated the probe. The sheriff had attracted criticism previously for attending a college basketball match just days after the search commenced.
The latest blow came on Saturday morning following reports that three people were detained during a SWAT raid at a site near Guthrie’s home.
Officials confirmed one person was brought in for questioning but later released. FBI officers were seen examining a Range Rover in a Tucson restaurant car park situated several blocks from Guthrie’s home. Nevertheless, a law enforcement source later told CNN on Saturday that the operation yielded no arrests.
On Saturday morning, February 14, Nanos told Arizona’s Family sister station, KOLD News 13, that the searches amounted to “Nothing more than a lead tracked down that led to a search warrant.”
This development occurred amid fresh scrutiny of the investigation. Just hours earlier, Nanos faced accusations of blocking the FBI from examining vital physical evidence, whilst the sheriff’s department came under fire regarding what were described as “earlier setbacks.”
Nanos dismissed these claims during an interview with NBC affiliate KVOA, saying they are “not even close to the truth.”
Earlier in the week, investigators arrested a delivery driver connected to Guthrie’s disappearance but freed and cleared him within hours.
Authorities have previously admitted having no suspects and no credible leads. The only person they remain actively hunting is a masked intruder captured in doorbell camera footage from the night Guthrie vanished.
Another man caught on CCTV throwing a rucksack over a brick wall five miles from her home has been ruled out as a suspect. At present, the probe is focused on identifying the masked burglar seen on the evening Guthrie disappeared.
Police have also confirmed that the unknown DNA found at her house does not belong to anyone “close” to her.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location and the arrest and conviction of those involved in her disappearance.