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The investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie intensified Friday night with a large-scale operation, marking a pivotal moment in the Arizona case. Investigators are now urgently canvassing neighborhoods and expediting key DNA evidence, according to insights from a retired FBI agent.
Prompted by a promising lead, the Pima County SWAT team joined forces with the FBI to execute a federal search warrant at a residence near Tucson, located approximately two miles from Guthrie’s home. This operation resulted in the detention of three individuals.
A fourth individual was apprehended following a traffic stop in the parking lot of a Culver’s restaurant in Tucson. During this stop, authorities searched and subsequently towed a gray Range Rover from the scene.
Jason Pack, who spent over 20 years as a supervisory special agent with the FBI, shared with Fox News Digital that these actions bear the “hallmarks of agents acting on specific, actionable intelligence.”
A Pima County Sheriff’s deputy is seen inspecting a Range Rover after a traffic stop in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday. This stop was part of the ongoing investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. (Photo by Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
However, Pack noted the real investigative work is just getting started.
While the searches and interviews were ongoing Friday night, Pack said other teams of agents and analysts were likely already planning a full neighborhood canvas around the location that was searched.
“They’ll be going door to door, looking to talk face to face with neighbors,” Pack said. “They want to identify patterns of life for each of the people detained. … It will help corroborate or dispute whatever those who were detained are telling agents right now. If someone says ‘I wasn’t home that night,’ a neighbor’s Ring camera might tell a different story. Investigators are building the box.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducts a law enforcement operation at the intersection of Camino de Michael and East Orange Grove Road in Tucson, Ariz. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
Aside from canvassing the area, Pack said the most pressing concern is likely processing new evidence collected from at least two scenes Friday night.
“DNA that doesn’t belong to Nancy Guthrie or anyone close to her has already been identified at her property. Gloves have been recovered. Now you’ve got whatever was inside that Range Rover that warranted agents draping it with a tarp before the cameras could see,” he said. “All of that evidence needs to get to a lab.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos recently defended his department’s use of a private Florida lab to process evidence in the case, telling Fox News earlier this week the FBI agreed it was best to continue with the contracted business rather than transfer the evidence to the FBI’s comprehensive crime lab in Quantico, Virginia.
A man is detained following a traffic stop in Tucson, Ariz., Friday, in relation to the Nancy Guthrie disappearance case. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)
However, Pack stressed the situation is a race against the clock.
“Here’s the question. Do they wait until Monday to commercially ship it to a private lab? In past high-profile cases, I’ve seen FBI aircraft used to immediately shuttle evidence to the FBI Laboratory at Quantico,” he said. “That eliminates days of waiting. In a case involving a vulnerable 84-year-old woman who is without her heart medication, where every hour matters, you don’t wait for FedEx on Monday morning.”
Pack reiterated that in a time-sensitive case, authorities cannot afford to lose a weekend debating how to process evidence.
“That decision should have been made days ago. Which lab, which courier, what’s the turnaround,” he said. “If the FBI has the lead, Quantico is the logical answer, and I’d expect evidence to be wheels-up before the sun sets today.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed if the newly obtained evidence will be flown to the private lab or Quantico, or when it will take flight.