As the search entered its fourth day, the Arizona sheriff leading the investigation into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, struggled to hold back emotion while addressing the press.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos appeared Monday evening on CBS 5 to speak about the urgent effort to find 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. With each passing hour, the stakes have only grown.
Rescue vs. Recovery Questions Surface as Sheriff Gives Emotional Update: See the Video
While describing the uncertainty surrounding Guthrie’s whereabouts, Nanos’ voice cracked, revealing both the pressure on investigators and the race against time to bring Nancy home safely.
During the interview, CBS 5 host Briana Whitney questioned Nanos about whether investigators still believed Guthrie could be alive.
“In terms of rescue versus recovery, I know you are still calling it a search and rescue. I also know your homicide detectives are part of this investigation,” Whitney said as she opened the discussion.
“Do you believe you are still looking for Nancy Guthrie alive at this point, that she could be held somewhere, and if so, do you believe that is local in the Tucson area, or that she’s been taken somewhere much further at this point?” she asked.
Nanos paused before responding, clearly emotional (5:18 Mins). “I don’t… You know, we’re just not gonna give up hope. We hope she’s out there somewhere,” he said.
‘We Hope So’: Sheriff Stands by Active Rescue Effort
Whitney then asked whether investigators still view the case as an active rescue effort.
“So you still believe this is an active rescue mission at this point?” she asked. “We hope so,” Nanos replied.
Despite the troubling evidence uncovered so far and the involvement of homicide detectives, the sheriff has stressed that the search remains focused on locating Guthrie alive.
Whitney also pressed Nanos on the status of forensic testing connected to the case.
“Are you actively DNA testing any items of evidence from the house now, and if you are, how quickly do you expect to get the results from that?” she asked.
“We actually are. So we have our own DNA rapid testing here, and of course, we use a lab. But we’ve been told that the system here in Tucson is down, so we ran that up to Phoenix [Monday],” Nanos said.
He noted that even with those efforts, answers will not come quickly.
“So hopefully here we’ll know something from Phoenix that we can maybe get to our labs and get a rush order done from them, but even then it’s still a few days, and nothing’s fast enough, right?”
As the search continues, officials say time remains a critical factor. Investigators are pursuing every available lead while holding onto hope that Guthrie can still be brought home safely.
Comments
Tearful Sheriff Delivers Emotional Update to Press Amid Nancy Guthrie Disappearance