Why are investigators proceeding with caution in Nancy Guthrie case? Sheriff Chris Nanos explains as pressure mounts after 100 days of investigation

Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Case: The search for Nancy Guthrie continues more than 100 days after she disappeared from her home in Catalina Foothills, Tucson, Arizona. Despite extensive search efforts and hundreds of leads, investigators have not yet been able to identify or arrest any suspects. From the outset, authorities have maintained that Nancy, the 84‑year‑old mother of NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie, was taken from her home against her will and that the case is being treated as an abduction.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has been handling the case from the beginning, later joined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Sheriff Chris Nanos has been at the center of the investigation, facing criticism from federal authorities and former agents for allegedly mishandling both the case and the crime scene.

Nancy Guthrie Case: Nanos explains why investigators are moving with caution

Speaking to PEOPLE, Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators are deliberately proceeding with caution, even as public pressure for answers continues to mount. “Nobody wants to make a false arrest. Nobody wants to falsely accuse somebody,” the sheriff told the news outlet. “At some point in time, someday we may have somebody in a courtroom that deserves his or her right to have a fair and impartial trial. The way you get that is through a fair and impartial investigation,” he added.

The case of Nancy Guthrie, who disappeared from her home on January 31, 2026, and was reported missing by her family the following day, has captured widespread public and social media attention. It has also drawn intensified scrutiny over the pace of the investigation.

Yet Chris Nanos emphasized that detectives remain focused on evidence rather than deadlines. “There’s frustration because people want to know,” he said. “But this is just like any other case. Sometimes you solve them within hours or days. Sometimes it takes a long time.”

FBI vs. Chris Nanos

The development follows an apparent rift between the local and the federal probe agency investigating Guthrie’s disappearance, which surfaced publicly when FBI Director Kash Patel accused Sheriff Nanos’ department of failing to cooperate with the bureau during the early stages of the case.

“What we, the FBI, do is say, 'Hey, we’re here to help. What do you need? What can we do?’” Patel said on the Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast on May 6, 2026, further stating that earlier involvement could have allowed the FBI to recover more evidence more quickly. “And for four days, we were kept out of the investigation.”

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Nanos denied the allegation, stating that coordination between his officers and the FBI began soon after Nancy’s disappearance. “Director Patel has the right to his opinions,” he said, adding that he believed some of the remarks were “factually inaccurate.” “The FBI was with us from day one,” Nanos emphasized. “We’ve always had a working relationship.”

He also dismissed claims that investigators mishandled the crime scene or delayed search efforts during the critical early hours after Guthrie vanished. “The plane was started immediately,” Nanos says, referring to aerial search operations. “They found blood. Search and rescue looked at the scene and realized it seemed suspicious. They did exactly what they were supposed to do.”