Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed he’s no longer directly communicating with Nancy Guthrie’s family.
The sheriff told PEOPLE magazine that the FBI is now leading communications with “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie and her siblings regarding the case.
While Nanos may no longer be in direct contact with Nancy’s family, he’s still in charge of the investigation.
The sheriff maintains that investigators remain focused on solving the case, acknowledging the frustration surrounding it.
“The public is frustrated. Even the Guthrie family,” Nanos told the outlet. “Every passing second must feel like 100 days because they don’t know. What matters is moving forward carefully so we don’t make mistakes or falsely accuse somebody or make a bad arrest.”
Nancy Guthrie Update: Sheriff Chris Nanos Says Investigators Focus on Digital Evidence
Sheriff Chris Nanos also revealed in the interview that investigators are focused on analyzing tips, DNA, and digital evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case.
“Right now, I think our focus is on the tips, the leads and the evidence we have in front of us,” Nanos added. “Digitally â the camera footages as well as biological, the DNA and those types of things.”
PEOPLE reported that the investigation now has an “enormous catalog” of surveillance footage from intersections, neighborhoods, businesses, and home security systems across the area.
“There’s thousands and thousands of videos out there from intersections and Ring cameras that we have to catalog,” the sheriff explained. “Maybe it’s all the white trucks are over here, all the red sedans are over here; you’ve gotta have it so that when you do find a suspect ⦠‘Hey, the suspect is John Doe, we got him,’ now we go and say, ‘Well, what else do we know about John Doe?’”
DNA Could Still Be Key to Solving the Case
Aside from digital evidence, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators are also awaiting DNA analysis, which could prove critical to the Nancy Guthrie case.
Nanos believes they’re getting closer to identifying the perpetrator through DNA, adding that he has “confidence in our labs.”
“When the labs tell us, ‘Hey, there’s nothing else we can do,’ well, then maybe we’ve got a problem⦠we’ve got a cold case⦠but right now, the labs aren’t telling us that,” he added.
Nanos also revealed that multiple laboratories across the country are working behind the scenes on the investigation, further boosting his confidence that the Nancy Guthrie case will be solved.
“When you have the best minds of the country working on problems, I think theyâre gonna solve them,” Nanos added. “It just takes a while.”
Nancy Guthrie Case: Sheriff Reacts to FBI Director Kash Patel’s Remarks
Meanwhile, Sheriff Chris Nanos responded to remarks from FBI Director Kash Patel claiming the bureau had been kept out of the Nancy Guthrie case during its early days.
“Director Patel has his rights to his opinions,” Nanos told PEOPLE, noting that some of the remarks were “factually inaccurate.”
“The FBI was with us day one,” he added. “We’ve always had a working relationship.”
Nanos also denied claims that the investigators mishandled the scene or delayed search efforts after Nancy disappeared.
“The plane was started immediately,” the sheriff maintained. “They found blood. Search and rescue looked at the scene and realized it seemed suspicious. They did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
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