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The sheriff overseeing the inquiry into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has admitted to errors made at the onset of the investigation. These include prematurely removing the crime scene tape and delaying the involvement of other law enforcement agencies.
In a report by The Arizona Republic, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confessed that his team released Guthrie’s home as a crime scene too early. They later had to revisit the location to collect further evidence. Nanos conceded that, with the benefit of hindsight, the site should have remained secured for a longer period and that additional agencies should have been engaged sooner.
According to information obtained by Fox News Digital, a county aircraft pilot faced disciplinary action following a disagreement with Nanos, resulting in a reassignment to street patrol. This conflict reportedly caused a delay of several hours in deploying the aircraft after Guthrie was reported missing around midday on Sunday, as per local law enforcement sources.
“A delay of three hours in the search for a vulnerable adult is significant,” a source familiar with the case informed Fox News Digital.
During a press conference held at the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Chris Nanos, alongside FBI special agents, discussed the case. The briefing took place on January 27, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona, as captured by Kelly Presnell of the Arizona Daily Star via AP.
The Pima County Deputies Organization criticized the decision to reassign the pilot, telling Fox News Digital that it opposed the move at the time because it left a critical law enforcement asset understaffed.
According to the deputy organization, the pilot personally appealed the decision to Sheriff Chris Nanos but was reassigned to patrol anyway. The group said the move reflected what it described as a broader pattern of leadership decisions, citing another instance in which the department’s most experienced Search and Rescue deputy was transferred to patrol late last year without a replacement.
The deputy organization said those staffing decisions left key units short-handed during what became one of the highest-profile searches in the sheriff’s department’s history and during one of the busiest times of year for Search and Rescue operations.
Nanos said investigators believed they had completed processing the scene at the time, but later determined that conclusion was premature.
Authorities believe Guthrie — the mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie — was forcibly taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona, though no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified. Nanos said Thursday that investigators are continuing to pursue all leads.
“Everybody is still a suspect in our eyes,” Nanos said.
Investigators outlined a timeline of events during a news conference Thursday, saying Guthrie was dropped off at her home around 9:48 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, after having dinner with family.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, has been missing from her Arizona home since Jan. 31, 2026. (Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images)
Authorities said the home’s doorbell camera disconnected from the security system at 1:47 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. About 25 minutes later, software detected movement near the home, but no video footage was captured. At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker application disconnected from her phone, which was later found inside the residence.
Nanos confirmed that blood discovered on the front porch was tested and that DNA analysis showed it belonged to Guthrie.
The FBI has since joined the investigation and is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery. Federal authorities said they are vetting ransom notes connected to the case and confirmed that at least one person has been arrested in connection with what investigators described as an “impostor ransom demand.”
The front of Nancy Guthrie’s house after the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 4, 2026. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters)
Nanos said the case has evolved into a possible kidnapping and that multiple agencies are now sharing information and resources. He added that it does not matter which agency is leading the investigation, saying the priority remains locating Guthrie.
Guthrie’s son, Camron Guthrie, made a new video appeal Thursday directed at whoever may be holding his mother, urging them to contact the family.
“We haven’t heard anything directly,” he said. “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you.”
Authorities have not released additional details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.