TUCSON, Ariz. — According to a federal law enforcement source, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is hindering the FBI’s efforts to access critical evidence related to the case of Nancy Guthrie, as reported by Fox News Digital.
Among the items the FBI is seeking are a glove and DNA samples discovered in Guthrie’s Tucson home, a fact initially brought to light by Reuters.
Federal authorities have appealed to Sheriff Nanos to release these materials for analysis at the FBI’s national laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. However, Nanos has opted to send the evidence to a private laboratory in Florida instead, the source indicated.
“This decision could further delay a case that is becoming increasingly urgent,” the official remarked to Reuters, referring to unspecified “prior setbacks” that have already hampered the investigation.
In 2023, Savannah Guthrie and her mother Nancy Guthrie were captured in a photograph. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
The same unnamed official also pointed out previous delays in the investigation and expressed concern that Nanos had not sought FBI involvement earlier in the search for Nancy Guthrie.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigative agency in the search for Nancy Guthrie, with the FBI only permitted to take part if requested by local officials.
The official added that Pima County has spent roughly $200,000 on sending evidence to the private lab in Florida, with which the department contracts.
Law enforcement agents check vegetation areas around Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
“It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice,” the official said, according to Reuters.
The revelation comes as signs of strife between the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office are beginning to surface as the search for Nancy Guthrie closes in on the two-week mark.
Earlier this week, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage of a masked suspect approaching Nancy Guthrie’s front door in the moments before her disappearance.
FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 1 and was reported missing later the same day.
The FBI upped the reward to $100,000 for any information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s return or an arrest in the case.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
