Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said he is no longer in direct contact with the family of missing Arizona grandmother Nancy Guthrie, confirming in Tucson this week that fresh communication in the case is now being routed through detectives and the FBI, more than 100 days after she disappeared.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on 1 February after authorities said she was believed to have been abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona. The case drew international attention because her daughter is Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, and because of early evidence including apparent tampering with the doorbell camera at Nancy's home.
Since then, the investigation has stretched beyond the 100-day mark, with search teams and analysts still working through surveillance footage, DNA samples and digital records without a confirmed breakthrough.
Sheriff Steps Back From Family Contact
Speaking to People magazine, Nanos confirmed that he had stepped back from personal updates to Savannah Guthrie and her relatives. In the early stages, he had occasionally exchanged texts and calls with Savannah, acting as both a public face and operational lead for the search, but that arrangement has now changed.
'I personally am not,' he said when asked whether he remained in direct touch with the family. He added that detectives and federal agents now handle any contact. 'If they need the family for anything, they get in touch with them and the family. It works both ways.'
The change does not appear to signal a public rupture, but it does reflect a shift from the raw first days of crisis to a slower phase dominated by forensic work and evidence review. Former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer has questioned whether the end of direct contact points to a broader recalibration behind the scenes, although that view has not been confirmed by anyone involved.
Nanos has continued to defend his team's work. 'My team, I've said all along, they're gonna solve this,' he told People. 'I fully 100% believe that.'
DNA And Video Review
Much of the work now rests on painstaking analysis. Authorities previously released surveillance footage that appeared to show a masked man interfering with Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera on the night before she vanished, and that remains one of the few public clues in the case.
According to Nanos, investigators have been reviewing 'thousands and thousands' of surveillance videos. Those are believed to include footage from nearby homes, businesses, road cameras and other systems that could help reconstruct movements around the Guthrie property and across Tucson.
At the same time, forensic teams are examining DNA evidence collected from the scene, which the sheriff believes could still produce a crucial lead. The exact nature of those samples has not been disclosed in this update, and no suspect, matched profile or charge has been announced.
Tips are still coming in, and each one has to be measured against the existing evidence. It is slow, attritional work that offers little comfort to a family still waiting for answers after more than three months.
Savannah Guthrie Keeps Pressure On
While the investigation continues behind closed doors, Savannah Guthrie has remained the most visible voice calling for answers. She has used television and social media to keep attention on her mother's disappearance and to appeal directly for information.
On Mother's Day, she posted: 'We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you,' a message that underscored the personal weight of the case.
The family has also increased the stakes financially, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy's recovery or an arrest. The FBI has added a separate $100,000 reward. Together with the sheriff's insistence that his team will solve the case, the rewards show an investigation that is still active even as frustration builds over the lack of a public breakthrough.
At present, there is no confirmed suspect, no verified account of what happened inside the Tucson home and no court-tested evidence establishing responsibility. Every theory remains unproven until it is backed by formal evidence.
