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Even more troubling, her cellphone, Apple Watch and critical medication were left behind inside the home. That detail alone suggests she did not leave voluntarily.
The FBI has since offered a 50,000 dollar reward for information leading to her recovery.
The Evidence Dispute
According to a federal law enforcement source who spoke to Fox News Digital, the FBI asked to process select pieces of evidence, including a glove and certain DNA samples, at its national crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. The issue was first reported by Reuters.
Instead, Nanos opted to send the materials to a long standing private forensic lab in Florida that has handled cases for the sheriff’s department in the past.
Critics immediately questioned why local authorities would not rely on the FBI’s premier forensic facilities.
But Nanos insists there was no obstruction.
“Actually the FBI just wanted to send the one or two they found by the crime scene, closest to it – mile, mile and a half . . . I said ‘No, why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist.’ They agreed, makes sense,” Nanos told KVOA.
He further revealed that conversations were underway about possibly sending gloves to the FBI lab as well.
Mounting Questions About the Investigation
The friction over lab testing comes at a time when scrutiny of the investigation is intensifying.
Observers have raised eyebrows over reports that the department’s high tech Cessna aircraft equipped with thermal imaging was not launched until hours after Guthrie was reported missing. Others have voiced concern about multiple entries and releases of the home between searches, arguing that chain of custody could become an issue in court.
Meanwhile, the FBI’s footprint in the case has grown significantly.
Federal agents managed to retrieve previously inaccessible doorbell footage from backend systems. Images released by the bureau show a masked and armed individual tampering with the front camera the morning Guthrie vanished.
Search warrants have been executed south of Tucson. A man was detained and later released without charges. Authorities have also examined a Bitcoin wallet allegedly linked to ransom messages demanding millions, though no proof of life has been made public.
More than 100 investigators across agencies are reportedly working around the clock.
A Family’s Plea
As law enforcement agencies navigate jurisdictional tension, the Guthrie family continues to plead for her safe return.
In one emotional appeal, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings said, “We received your message and we understand.” In a later statement, they added, “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her.”
Nearly two weeks after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, no arrests have been announced.
Sheriff Nanos maintains that cooperation with federal authorities remains strong and that reports of conflict are overstated.
But as the investigation stretches on, the question of who controls key forensic evidence has become yet another flashpoint in a case that has captured national attention.
The public is watching. The family is waiting. And with each passing day, the pressure on investigators grows heavier.
