A dispute between the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department over access to key evidence has surfaced in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, as investigators pressed on Friday with neighborhood canvasses, lab testing and a widening hunt for a suspect seen in recovered video.
The disagreement centers on where critical items should be processed and who should hold them while testing is underway, according to a U.S. law enforcement official who described friction behind the scenes. The conflict matters because the most time-sensitive leads in abduction cases often hinge on fast lab results, clear chain-of-custody records and quick comparisons against databases that can help identify a suspect or link a person to a location.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen late Jan. 31, after family members dropped her off at her home in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson. Authorities believe she was taken in the early hours of Feb. 1, after security systems and neighborhood camera data showed unusual activity around her home overnight. Investigators have said the case is being handled as a criminal investigation and that Guthrie’s home was processed as a crime scene. Over the past two weeks, search teams have worked desert washes, roadsides and brushy lots, while detectives went door-to-door asking for camera footage and any sightings of unfamiliar people or vehicles.
The public face of the investigation shifted Thursday, when federal agents raised the reward to $100,000 and released additional suspect details tied to recovered doorbell-camera footage. Investigators described the person in the video as a masked, armed figure and asked the public to watch for a distinctive item: a black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, the type the suspect appeared to be wearing. Officials said the focus on the backpack and the updated description followed forensic review of the video. The FBI said it has taken in more than 13,000 tips, a volume that has required analysts to sort credible leads from rumors and hoaxes.
Behind that public push, federal officials said they sought access to physical evidence that could be rapidly analyzed at the FBI’s national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. According to the U.S. law enforcement official, the requested materials included a glove connected to the case and DNA evidence collected from Guthrie’s home. The official said the sheriff’s office declined to send the items to Quantico and instead chose a private laboratory in Florida, a move the official said has complicated the FBI’s ability to assist. The official also said the choice has come with a high price tag for the county and has created delays at a moment when time is central to the search.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos disputed accounts that his agency is blocking federal assistance. In statements carried by local outlets, Nanos said the sheriff’s department wants all viable evidence tested and indicated his agency preferred sending items to the same lab to keep results consistent. The sheriff has also emphasized the need for careful handling of evidence in a case that could later hinge on minute forensic details. A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department did not announce any new arrests Friday, and officials have not publicly said they have located Guthrie or confirmed her condition.
Investigators have described several pieces of evidence that drove the case forward, including blood found on the front porch that officials said was confirmed through DNA testing to belong to Guthrie. Authorities have also said Guthrie had limited mobility and required daily medication, adding urgency to the search. In addition to the glove, investigators have said other items recovered in the search area, including gloves mentioned in briefings this week, were being analyzed for possible links to the suspect captured on camera or to any vehicle that may have been used to take Guthrie from the home.
The recovered doorbell footage has become one of the most important public clues because it offers a narrow window into activity near the home around the time investigators believe Guthrie was taken. Authorities have said the video shows a masked person near the door and an apparent attempt to interfere with the camera. The case has also drawn attention because of early uncertainty about whether video existed at all. In prior briefings, officials said the doorbell system had disconnected and that its data may have been overwritten, before investigators later said they were able to recover usable footage. The FBI has not publicly explained in detail how the recovery was accomplished, but investigators have said the images are now being used to refine a timeline and to identify the suspect’s clothing and gear.
That video and the flood of tips have also produced false leads and side cases. Authorities and news outlets have reported that at least two messages claiming to be ransom notes surfaced after Guthrie disappeared, with deadlines that passed. Investigators have said they were evaluating the authenticity of the messages and have not publicly described evidence of proof of life. In one separate court case linked to the broader saga, an Arizona man was accused of sending a fake ransom note to the family, according to reports of court proceedings. Investigators have treated such messages as potential crimes in their own right, while trying to prevent hoaxes from draining resources from the main search.
The investigation has put a spotlight on the relationship between local sheriffs’ offices and federal agencies, a partnership that can be essential in high-profile cases that cross jurisdictions or demand specialized resources. The FBI can provide national lab capabilities, specialized analysts and extra agents, while the sheriff’s department typically controls the crime scene, manages local searches and handles the bulk of early evidence collection. In the Guthrie case, the questions raised by the reported dispute have focused on whether forensic work is moving as fast as it could and whether investigators are able to compare items against federal databases as quickly as possible.
For the Guthrie family, the procedural fight has played out alongside a more personal public campaign. Savannah Guthrie and other relatives have posted messages asking for help and sharing family images as the search continued. The family’s statements have conveyed urgency and hope, while steering the public back to official tip lines and away from online speculation. Neighbors in the Catalina Foothills have described a steady law enforcement presence, with agents combing desert vegetation, marking areas of interest and requesting footage from residents whose cameras cover streets, driveways and trailheads.
Investigators have said the backpack remains a key piece of the public description, along with the suspect’s height range and build, and they have urged anyone who recognizes the gear or saw it in the area around Feb. 1 to report it. Officials have also continued to ask for camera footage spanning the late-night and early-morning hours around the disappearance, saying even a brief clip of a passing pedestrian or vehicle could help tighten the timeline and route. As testing proceeds, investigators are expected to compare results from the lab work to known samples and to review whether any of the evidence supports a suspect identification or points to a specific area for renewed searches.
On Friday, Feb. 13, authorities said the case remained active and that leads were still being evaluated, but no arrest had been announced and Guthrie had not been publicly located. The next expected milestones include additional lab results and possible updates from investigators as they continue to press for video, tips and any trace of the suspect’s backpack and clothing.
Author note: Last updated Friday, February 13, 2026.