Democrat Sheriff Reportedly Not Giving FBI Access To Key Evidence In Guthrie Case

Democratic Pima County, Ariz. Sheriff Chris Nanos is refusing to hand over important evidence related to the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie to the FBI, Reuters reported Thursday.

Guthrie, 84, a Pima County resident and the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Nanos, who told CBS News that he believed the elder Guthrie was abducted, is denying the FBI’s request to access a glove and DNA evidence, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous law enforcement source familiar with the case.

The sheriff instead has opted to outsource the analysis of the forensic evidence to a Florida-based contractor, in lieu of sending it to the FBI’s lab in Virginia, the outlet reported, citing the law enforcement official.

The sheriff’s office reportedly not granting the FBI’s request to obtain the evidence “risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute,” the official told Reuters.

“It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice,” the anonymous source added.

Nanos, a Democrat, was first elected