Nancy Guthrie Update: Sheriff Warns There Could Be a 'Problem' as Investigation Continues
The search for Nancy Guthrie is in its fourth month and there seem to be more questions than answers. Investigators are working diligently, sorting through tips, data, and other evidence to try to piece together what happened during the overnight hours of Feb. 1.
In a new interview with People magazine, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos warned that there's a chance the case could go cold.
"There's thousands and thousands of video out there from intersections and Ring cameras that we have to catalog," Nanos told the outlet. "Maybe it's all the white trucks are over here, all the red sedans are over here; you've gotta have it so that when you do find a suspect … ‘Hey, the suspect is John Doe, we got him,' now we go and say, ‘Well, what else do we know about John Doe?'"
Nanos went on to discuss the DNA evidence that was recently sent to the FBI. He believes that authorities are "getting closer to finding out" who that DNA belongs to. Despite having "confidence" in the labs, Nanos says it's possible that the DNA won't yield a result.
"When the labs tell us, 'Hey, there's nothing else we can do,' well, then maybe we've got a problem… we've got a cold case… but right now, the labs aren't telling us that," Nanos said.
Still, the sheriff remains optimistic.
"When you have the best minds of the country working on problems, I think they're gonna solve them. It just takes a while," he said.
Authorities say that Guthrie, 84, was abducted from her Arizona home. Further details about who may have been behind her disappearance or a possible motive are still unknown.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 8:04 AM.