Arizona Sheriff Chris Nanos on Friday (February 13) defended his decision to send newly discovered evidence in the Nancy Guthrie abduction case to a private lab. Speaking to Reuters, Nanos said, “It made sense to keep that in one place” rather than use the FBI’s Quantico lab. The sheriff dismissed criticism from federal officials that his handling of evidence, including DNA and a glove recovered near the scene, has delayed the investigation into 84-year-old Guthrie, mother of U.S. journalist Savannah Guthrie. Nanos said his office has consistently relied on the Florida lab for biological evidence, asserting it “made no sense” to split evidence across labs. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, and investigators suspect kidnapping due to her limited mobility. Nanos said his 400-officer team remains optimistic. “The family believes she’s alive. I believe she’s alive,” he said. However, federal officials argue the sheriff’s reluctance to involve the FBI sooner and use the national crime lab in Quantico increases delays and costs for the case, which has reportedly already exceeded $200,000 in outsourced analysis. Law enforcement has received over 30,000 tips regarding the case, and Nanos pointed to a video of a person of interest as “the strongest evidence” yet, urging the public to help identify the individual.
