As the 100-day mark passes since Nancy Guthrie vanished from her home, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is projecting a front of relentless pursuit. Yet, beneath the official updates lies a deepening rift within county leadership and a pointed silence regarding allegations of departmental infighting.
In an interview published Tuesday with KOLD, Nanos insisted that the investigation into the kidnapping of the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie remains a top priority. Despite the milestone, the Sheriff maintained a posture of optimism, even as the trail remains cold and the suspect list remains empty.
“I think every day they get closer,” Nanos told the station, referring to his investigators. “There’s way too much work to be done, that is ongoing, with some of the physical evidence we have. We’re not going to give up on it just because it’s been 100 days.”
The Forensic Waiting Game
The “work” Nanos referenced likely points to the complex DNA profiles recovered from the Guthrie property—evidence that has yet to yield a match. The investigation began under harrowing circumstances: Guthrie was last seen the night of Jan. 31 and is believed to have been abducted in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 1 by a masked intruder. The gravity of the case was quickly elevated by ransom notes sent to local media, cementing the department’s theory of a targeted kidnapping.
However, the 100-day milestone highlights a frustrating lack of momentum. To date, no suspects have been named, and the kidnapper’s identity remains a shadow.
Friction in the Ranks
While Nanos looks outward for leads, he is facing internal heat from Pima County Assessor Suzanne Droubie. In a report published Tuesday by The Arizona Republic, Droubie alleged that Nanos “scolded” her after her office cooperated with the FBI.
According to Droubie, the Sheriff expressed blatant frustration that the Assessor’s Office provided data to federal agents at their request—data that Nanos reportedly claimed created an unnecessary workload for his deputies.
“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,” Droubie told the Republic.
While Droubie stopped short of calling the interaction a shouting match, she described it as a “negative interaction” where it was suggested her office was doing “more harm than good.”
When pressed for a response, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department retreated behind a wall of boilerplate rhetoric. A statement released Tuesday noted the department remains “committed to conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation,” but pointedly added: “We do not have any further information to provide regarding claims made by a county employee.”
Federal Friction and a $1.1 Million Search
The alleged tension with Droubie mirrors a larger, more public spat between local and federal authorities. FBI Director Kash Patel recently leveled a stinging critique against Nanos during a televised interview, accusing the Sheriff of boxing out federal resources during the critical early stages of the search.
Nanos has moved to dismiss those claims, telling KOLD that the FBI has been involved since “day one.”
As the political and procedural drama unfolds, the clock continues to tick for Nancy Guthrie. The financial stakes of the search have reached staggering heights:
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The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to her recovery or an arrest.
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The Guthrie Family has bolstered that amount significantly, bringing the total reward to $1.1 million.
As the community enters the second hundred days of this mystery, the pressure on the Pima County Sheriff’s Department continues to mount—not just to find a suspect, but to prove that internal politics aren’t standing in the way of justice.
CAN YOU HELP? Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is urged to contact:
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FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
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Pima County Sheriff’s Department: 520-351-4900