Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos stated that he remains optimistic about resolving the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, despite the extensive wait for investigators to process a large volume of evidence. More than 25 weeks have passed since the 84-year-old mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home.
"We have so much DNA to sort through," Nanos said in a recent interview. "We have so much, in terms of video evidence, to look at. So I'm still positive that we're here to resolve this case."
His remarks coincided with a new video plea from Savannah Guthrie, posted to Instagram on July 27, 2026, urging her mother's abductors to "make the right choice" and reveal her whereabouts. A federal source indicated that Guthrie consulted with law enforcement prior to releasing the video.
Nanos mentioned that investigators are continuing to meticulously examine the evidence, which includes substantial amounts of DNA and video footage. The sheriff's department has been actively searching for any video evidence that might capture a suspect or suspect vehicle, including canvassing neighborhoods surrounding both Nancy Guthrie's home and her daughter Annie's nearby residence earlier in the investigation.
Retired FBI supervisory agent Jason Pack, who has been following the case, commented on the investigative process. "There would be thousands...running down every device on the phone tower and their Wi-Fi router etc.," he said regarding the potential leads investigators must pursue. Pack indicated that the case would not yet be considered cold, given the ongoing efforts to analyze the evidence. "If the sheriff says they have that much DNA and all of that video, then I don’t think you can call it cold until they’ve rectified those leads one way or the other," he added.
Experts suggest that the amount of digital evidence in the case could amount to terabytes. The Pima County Sheriff's Department is working with federal agencies, including the FBI, which has offered a reward for information leading to an arrest. Information can be relayed by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or anonymously through 520-88-CRIME. The FBI previously released recovered cached recordings from Guthrie's Nest doorbell camera that were facing imminent deletion.
Pack also noted the pressure on those involved in such a high-profile crime. "It’s a lot of pressure on criminals to keep such a hard secret, especially something so high profile," he stated. "You have the pressure from others involved of potentially being killed for talking or ratting them out. And the pressure of the over million-dollar reward on the other side."