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TUCSON, Ariz. – Just one Pima County Sheriff’s Department homicide detective tasked with investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has more than two years of experience in that position, sources tell Fox News Digital.
Investigators say Nancy Guthrie, 84, was forcibly taken from her Tucson, Arizona, residence in the early morning hours of February 1 and did not leave on her own, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
Fox News Digital has learned from sources that only one detective on the homicide squad has been in that position for over two years. None of the investigators are rookies in the department, the sources in Pima County said. It’s not immediately clear what roles they held previously.
It’s also not immediately clear how much more involved the FBI will be heading forward. Notably, they returned to Guthrie’s home and physically took cameras over the weekend.
NANCY GUTHRIE CASE: WHY CRIMINALS ARE TURNING TO CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR RANSOMS
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the press room past a missing persons poster after giving an update on the investigation after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona. (REUTERS/Rebecca Noble)
Law enforcement sources also described a delay in local cooperation with federal investigators in the beginning stages of the investigation, with days going by before federal investigators were let into the fold.
Former FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital that the lack of experience of people leading the investigation stems from the sheriff himself.
“If the bulk of detectives that are placed on a high-profile case like this are inexperienced, it points to massive control issues by the sheriff himself,” Gilliam said. “As is apparent from what I’ve seen of this sheriff, he himself should not be in the position he is in, let alone leading a team of investigators in a high pressure, fast moving scenario.”
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT NANCY GUTHRIE’S POSSIBLE RANSOM NOTE AS SHERIFF SAYS SHE WAS A
An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the “Today” show host. (Courtesy of NBC)
“It’s a disaster for details when details matter the most,” he added.
Notably, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was spotted at a University of Arizona basketball game on Saturday night, as NBC “Today” host Savanna Guthrie and her two siblings released a plea on Instagram for their mother’s safe return.
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The home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, is seen from above, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (Caitlin O’Hara/AP Photo)
The alleged ransom’s final deadline in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance was Monday at 5 p.m., which has since passed. An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they were not aware of “any continued communication” between the Guthrie family and the suspected kidnappers.
“For more than a week, FBI agents, analysts, and professional staff have worked around the clock to reunite Nancy Guthrie with her family. The FBI is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers, nor have we identified a suspect or person of interest in this case at this time. Additional personnel from FBI field offices across the nation continue to deploy to Tucson,” the spokesperson said. “We are currently operating a 24-hour command post that includes crisis management experts, analytic support, and investigative teams. But we still need the public’s help. Someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home. We need that person to share what they know. Please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for comment, but didn’t receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.