Arizona Sheriff Chris Nanos warns DNA tech issues in Nancy Guthrie case may take âmonthsâ to resolve
Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie missing persons case are not looking into any new names, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, amid challenges with mixed DNA found at the 84-year-oldâs Arizona home at the lab his agency is using.
âIn terms of leads and working and getting out there, I think thatâs still growing, yeah,â Nanos said of the investigation during an interview with âNBC Nightly Newsâ that aired Saturday.
The sheriffâs remarks ran counter to statements from local businesses about how theyâve been shown a list of names and images by the FBI.
Itâs also unclear whether the DNA recovered inside Guthrieâs has been useful for the investigation.
Nanos said the samples are mixed, meaning they contain DNA from more than one person, making it harder to run through national databases.
âOur lab tells us that there are challenges with it,â Nanos said of the Florida lab his department is using. âThe technology is moving so fast and in such a frenzy that they think some of this stuff will resolve itself just in a matter of weeks, months, or maybe a year.â
The sheriff noted that investigators were still working other avenues of the weeks-long probe into Guthrieâs abduction.
âI think weâre getting a little closer to identifying some of the other articles, not just that backpack. Like the shoes, the pants, the shirt or jacket,â he said.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is leading the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Nancy Guthrie from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Feb. 1, 2026.REUTERS
NBC âTodayâ host Savannah Guthrie with her mother, Nancy.via REUTERS
Itâs also unclear whether the DNA recovered inside Guthrieâs has been useful for the investigation.James Keivom for NY PostGuthrie was last seen on the night of Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, after being dropped off at her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson.
âItâs never fast enough for the Sheriff,â Nanos said of the criticism of his office weeks after Gutherieâs disappearance, with no arrests made. âI want it like you. Come on, guys, letâs go. Letâs go, let us find her. But the reality is, I also know that sometimes things take time.â
âWeâre not quitting,â he added. âWeâll find her.â
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