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TUCSON, Ariz. — A federal law enforcement official has informed Fox News Digital that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is obstructing the FBI’s efforts to access crucial evidence related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
The evidence in question includes a glove and DNA samples discovered in Guthrie’s residence in Tucson, Arizona, as reported by Reuters.
The FBI has requested these items to be analyzed at their national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. However, Sheriff Nanos prefers to have the evidence tested at a private facility in Florida, according to the source.
“This decision threatens to further delay a case that becomes more pressing with each passing moment,” the official shared with Reuters, referencing unmentioned “earlier setbacks” in the ongoing investigation.
In an image from 2023, Savannah Guthrie and her mother Nancy Guthrie are seen together. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
The unnamed official also reportedly cited “earlier setbacks” in the investigation and criticized Nanos for not requesting FBI assistance in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance sooner.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigative agency in the search for Nancy Guthrie, with the FBI only permitted to take part if requested by local officials.
The official added that Pima County has spent roughly $200,000 on sending evidence to the private lab in Florida, with which the department contracts.
Law enforcement agents check vegetation areas around Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
“It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice,” the official said, according to Reuters.
The revelation comes as signs of strife between the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office are beginning to surface as the search for Nancy Guthrie closes in on the two-week mark.
Earlier this week, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage of a masked suspect approaching Nancy Guthrie’s front door in the moments before her disappearance.
FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 1 and was reported missing later the same day.
The FBI upped the reward to $100,000 for any information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s return or an arrest in the case.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.