Sheriff on Nancy Guthrie case gives update, says investigators are ‘definitely closer'
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos believes investigators are making progress as the search for Nancy Guthrie enters a new month.
Nanos spoke with NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz on March 2 with some updates on the case involving the missing 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
Savannah, her sister, Annie, and Annie’s husband, Tommaso, were also seen March 2 placing flowers and a card at a growing tribute outside their mother’s home near Tucson, Arizona. The family continues to plead for help from anyone with information about her whereabouts and have offered a $1 million reward.
The handwritten message on their card read, “Though we are surrounded by so much darkness and uncertainty, our love burns bright. We love you Mommy. We miss you so much.”
Savannah also shared a photo on Instagram of yellow flowers from the memorial.
“We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country 💛,” she wrote. “Please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. Bring her home.”
Nanos said the sheriff’s department now has a dedicated team from their homicide unit working with the FBI on the case. He added that he and his team are operating under the belief that Guthrie is still alive and are pursuing thousands of leads.
“I think the investigators are definitely closer,” he said.
Here are the latest updates.
Car seen on surveillance video not identified
Kreutz asked Nanos about Ring camera video obtained by Fox News Digital that shows a car driving past a home in Guthrie’s neighborhood about 2.5 miles away from her house at 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1. Guthrie was reported missing by her family hours later that day.
NBC News has not been able to independently verify the footage.
“Look, what I would tell you is this: We’re aware of it, and we’re looking into it, just like any other piece of evidence,” Nanos said.
He said authorities have not been able to identify the car in the footage.
“We’re looking at that vehicle as well as hundreds of thousands of other vehicles that were out driving that time of day,” Nanos said.
The backpack worn by the suspect may not have been bought at Walmart
Investigators have not yet been able to identify the clothes worn by a man seen on doorbell camera video in front of Guthrie’s home wearing a ski mask, backpack and holster on the night she disappeared, according to Nanos.
The backpack the man is seen wearing is exclusively sold by Walmart, but Nanos says it may not have been bought at one.
“We’ve now learned that maybe it wasn’t purchased out of Walmart,” he told Kreutz. “That backpack is new, is exclusive to Walmart, but who’s to say I didn’t buy it and put it on eBay? … That’s what we’re looking at.”
Nanos added that there is still information authorities have not shared with the public.
“There’s so much that everybody wants to know, but I would be very neglectful, irresponsible as a police, law enforcement leader, to share that with everybody,” he said. “We have information on this case that we think is going to hopefully lead us to solving this case. But it takes time.”
No leads from DNA found at the scene
Nanos said authorities are still having challenges trying to process mixed DNA found at Guthrie’s property.
He suggested to Kreutz that the mixture could be from several people. Experts have said that can make it difficult to extract a DNA profile for one individual.
Authorities have put some DNA into the national FBI data bank but received no hits. Nanos told Kreutz he still believes the DNA could be a viable lead but that it will take more time to extract an identification.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
- Vigil Marks 1 Month Since Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance
- Savannah Guthrie and Family Offering $1 Million Reward to Find Mom Nancy Guthrie
- Savannah Guthrie’s Sorority Sisters Rally Around Her Amid Search for Nancy Guthrie
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