Nancy Guthrie Update: Sheriff Explains Why Investigators Haven't Made an Arrest

Four months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared, investigators are still working through evidence—and now the sheriff is explaining why no arrests have been made. According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, the delay comes down to one critical factor: lab testing.

“It’s just not a detective goes out there, talks to somebody, and we can make an arrest,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Tucson’s KOLD-TV in an interview published on June 1. “This is a very sensitive case, but what really makes it prolonged is we do rely on labs.”

“If I were to say there’s a positive to this, it is that people are working, doing their best to stay within those rules so that they have that understanding that, look, nobody wants to arrest the wrong person,” Nanos continued. “We wanna make sure that DNA doesn’t just identify a suspect. It also exonerates those who are innocent.”

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Nancy was last seen by her family on Saturday, January 31. After having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s home nearby, her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, drove her home. According to Sheriff Nanos, Cioni waited until Nancy was safely inside before leaving. The next morning, Nancy was supposed to go to a friend’s house to watch a livestream of a church service. When she didn’t show up and she couldn’t be reached, the family was called. After going to Nancy’s home to check on her, the family quickly learned that something wasn’t right and called 911.

Investigators believe that Nancy was abducted from her home in the middle of the night. However, it’s unclear why and by whom.

As the search for answers continues, authorities ask anyone with information to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an anonymous tip to Tucson’s 88-Crime hotline at 1-520-882-7463.

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