Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the mixed DNA found in a lab his department was using at Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona presented challenges, and investigators did not consider a new name.
“As far as leads are concerned, it’s about work and going out. I think it continues to increase, yes,” Nanos said in an interview with NBC’s “Nightly News” on Saturday, referring to the investigation.
The sheriff’s statement contradicts statements from local businesses regarding their listings and FBI photos.
A retired FBI agent calls for rapid DNA testing in the Guthrie case: “You won’t have to wait for FedEx on Monday morning.”
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson home early on February 1, and investigators are treating the case as a clear kidnapping. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that no new names will be considered in the case, hinting at the technical challenges related to DNA testing.
It remains unclear whether the DNA collected from Guthrie will be useful for the investigation. Nanos said the samples were mixed, meaning they contained DNA from multiple individuals. This makes running the national database more difficult.
“Our labs told us there are challenges,” Nanos said of the Florida lab his agent was using. “Technology is developing so fast, so crazy, that they think some of these problems will solve themselves in weeks, months, or even years.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos spoke to the media in Catalina, Arizona, answering questions about the search for Nancy Guthrie. (Jan Sonnammir/Getty Images)
The sheriff noted that investigators are still exploring other avenues for investigating Guthrie’s kidnapping, an investigation that has been ongoing for several weeks.
“I think we’re getting close to recognizing other items. More and more than just backpacks, there are shoes, pants, shirts, or jackets,” he said.
Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night, January 31, 2026, when she was taken to her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson.