Tensions have erupted between the local authorities and the FBI amid the ongoing Nancy Guthrie case, after the 84-year-old mother of Today show star Savannah Guthrie went missing on February 1. Nancy was believed to have been taken by force from her home in Tucson, Arizona, and police have yet to make any arrests three months in.
In May, FBI director Kash Patel alleged that the local police chief, Sheriff Chris Nanos, waited four days after Nancy’s disappearance before letting the bureau in on the investigation. Nanos refuted this claim on Tuesday, claiming that the FBI were involved in the case from “Day one”.
“And they continue to be involved in this case. Every single day,” he told KOLD. “We continue to work with our labs. Whether it’s on the digital end or the biological end, DNA.”
He then addressed the lengthy nature of the case, which was opened 100 days ago. “It moves at a snail’s pace, I guess, for some. But for my investigative team, and for me, we look at this as, no, this is doing exactly what we need it to do.”
“There’s way too much work to be done, that is ongoing, with some of the physical evidence we have,” he added. “And we’re not going to give up on it just because it’s been 100 days.”
Nanos was then asked if his team were withholding any key information about the case. “Yes, absolutely [we] are. But it’s not done because we got to keep it secret. It’s done because we got to protect our case,” he clarified.
© Getty ImagesThe sheriff’s update comes after a local Arizona county assessor claimed that Nanos berated her after she sent tips to the FBI upon their request. Suzanne Droubie told The Arizona Republic that in February, the bureau asked for information from her office, which identifies, lists and values taxable property in Pima County, where Nancy went missing.
Learn more about the ongoing investigation below…
She then received a phone call from Nanos. “We’re sensitive to the fact that the sheriff is under a lot of stress with all of this, but yes, there was a little bit of a negative interaction,” she told the outlet.
“It was inferred that we were creating a lot of additional work for the sheriff’s department, due to us providing this information to the FBI, and then them having the responsibility to follow up on all of those leads that were provided.”
© Getty Images“It seemed like he was very stressed, very frustrated,” she said of Nanos’ phone call. “I wouldn’t categorize it as yelling, per se, as much as kind of scolding and expressing frustration with all of the leads he was receiving, their obligation to follow up on them, and that my office was actually being more harm than good by providing more leads that they just had to follow up with.”
© Getty ImagesSuzanne added that Nanos made her feel at fault for cooperating with the FBI – an explosive claim considering Kash Patel alleged that the sheriff waited four days before allowing the bureau in on the investigation. He also claimed that local authorities chose not to use the FBI’s Quantico lab for DNA testing despite there being a plane ready to take samples, and instead sent the DNA to a lab in Florida.
© Hang Out with Sean Hannity/YouTubeAs the investigation reaches its 100th day, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack explained why authorities were yet to make any arrests. “The public often mistakes silence for inactivity. That is not how major investigations work,” he told Parade. “The cameras may move on. The investigators usually do not.”
“[They are] reviewing digital evidence. Rebuilding timelines. Reinterviewing witnesses. Sorting through tips again with fresh eyes. Looking for the one detail that did not fit the first time around,” he added. “A hundred days feels like forever to a family. In investigative terms, it can still be early.”
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