Forensic Friction: AZ Sheriff Blasts ‘FBI Blockade’ Claims as Hunt for Nancy Guthrie Turns Toxic|RIME ALERT HOURLY UPDATE SAT
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Guaranteed human. Crime alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. A high stakes power struggle between local and federal authorities has erupted as the search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie enters its third agonizing week. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is under fire following bombshell reports that he is actively blocking the FBI from accessing critical physical evidence in the abduction of the Today Show co-host's mom. The clash centers on a pair of black gloves and DNA samples recovered from the Guthrie home, evidence the FBI demanded be flown to their elite national crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. In a defiant move that has stunned many, Nanos snubbed the feds, instead shelling out $200,000 in taxpayer money to ship the samples to a private lab in Florida.
An anonymous law enforcement source blasted that decision, claiming the move, quote, risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute, end quote.
What is the current status of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance?
Sheriff Nanos, though, fired back, telling TV station KVOA, branding the allegations of a blockade as, quote, not even close to the truth, end quote. Nanos argued that the Florida lab has worked with his department for years and is handling some aspects pro bono, claiming the FBI eventually agreed that sending all samples to a single site for marker comparison made sense. Former Secret Service agent Charles Marino spoke to Fox News.
And hopefully he wasn't wearing a double layer of gloves. And we're going to get some solid DNA evidence here, either directly from the hands or from another part of the body.
The tension comes as the FBI doubles its reward to $100,000 and releases a chilling new profile of the suspect caught on doorbell camera at 2.12 a.m. on February 1st. The masked predator is described as a male, 5'9 to 5'10 with a medium build, carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker pack and a semi-automatic handgun. Experts note the suspect's outfit appeared cobbled together, utilizing a holster designed for a revolver rather than the semi-automatic weapon seen in the footage showing he's most likely an amateur. While federal agents frantically trace retail records at local Tucson Walmarts for the backpack and other gear, Nanos downplayed the importance of the roadside gloves, noting, quote, quite a number of them were found, end quote, and that their, quote, true value remains unproven.
More crime and justice news after this. Authorities are now urgently requesting that all residents within a two-mile radius of the East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue intersection scour their security camera footage for any signs of vehicles, pedestrians, or suspicious activity.
Why is there a conflict between local authorities and the FBI?
The request covers an expansive window from January 1st through February 2nd. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffendaffer spoke to Inside Edition.
They want to see if there were any dry runs, any site surveys done of Nancy's property before this strike.
This follows the release of a man in Rio Rico who was questioned after his car and home were searched. He was cleared after no links to Nancy were found. Adding to the urgency, a new lead has emerged involving a man with a goatee lurking near a home six and a half miles away just one week before Nancy vanished. This was back on January 23rd. His features mirror the beard visible beneath the suspect's mask in doorbell clips. Detectives are also grappling with ransom notes sent to media outlets including TMZ with one reportedly snarling, quote, I am not being taken seriously, end quote. Nancy, of course, has been missing since February 1st and was last seen by family on the evening of January 31st.
No suspects are in custody. No persons of interest have been identified and Guthrie's whereabouts remain unknown, though her family believes she is still alive. DNA confirmed blood on her porch as hers and her pacemaker lost cell phone contact. Her vital heart medications have also long since run out. Amid the ordeal, Savannah Guthrie shared a heartbreaking Instagram montage of old home videos on Thursday showing a young Nancy with her three children captioning it, quote, we will never give up on her.
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