In The Know

Arizona county sheriff affirms progress in Nancy Guthrie case months after disappearance

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/09/26 6:53 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/09/26 6:53 PM ET

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Pima County, Ariz., Sheriff Chris Nanos on Saturday affirmed that there has been progress in the search for Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC’s “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Fox News reporters approached Nanos while he was outside his department. Nanos did not answer questions about an update to the case, but when asked if they were close to solving the case, Nanos replied, “We are,” as he entered his car.

The Hill has reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for comment.

Nanos also faces potential removal from his position as the Pima County Board of Supervisors will vote on May 12 to decide on disciplining him for his work conduct and history, the Tucson-based news outlet 13 News reported.

“There are significant deficiencies in his response that I believe are so problematic that they put him at risk for removal,” Supervisor Matt Heinz told Arizona Luminaria about a report Nanos filed to the board, which Heinz said did not meet statutory requirements

Nanos has overseen the department’s search for Guthrie, 84, who disappeared from her Tucson home on Feb. 1. Investigators with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI have made use of DNA analysis to grab a hint of where Guthrie is and who likely abducted her.

Genetic genealogist Cece Moore told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network, late last month that because the Guthrie case is not yet cold, DNA found by investigators will be worked on immediately with the aim of fast-tracking any results.

Nanos has defended his department’s work, particularly when working in tandem with federal authorities. FBI Director Kash Patel told Sean Hannity in a podcast interview on Tuesday that his bureau was “kept out” in the first four days of the investigation.

Hannity asked Patel why Nanos’ office sent DNA collected from Guthrie’s home to a private lab in Florida instead of the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Va. Patel replied that it was a “state and local matter, so it’s their call.”

“And what we can do is continue to offer support,” Patel said. “We would’ve analyzed it within days and maybe gotten better information or more information. Our lab’s just better than any other private lab out there, and we didn’t get the chance to do that. So I understand everybody’s frustrations.”

Nanos defended his department’s actions, saying in a statement responding to Patel’s interview that the FBI “was promptly notified by both our department and the Guthrie family.”

“While the FBI Director was not on scene, coordination with the Bureau began without delay,” he said. “Decisions regarding evidence processing were made on scene based on operational needs. The laboratory utilized by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Laboratory in Quantico have worked in close partnership from the outset and continue to collaborate in the analysis of evidence.”

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