An Arizona sheriff is blocking FBI access to key evidence in the investigation into the abduction of U.S. television journalist Savannah Guthrie’s mother, hampering the bureau’s ability to assist in the case, a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
The FBI asked Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos for physical evidence, including a glove and DNA collected from the home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, to be processed at the FBI’s national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Nanos instead insisted on using a private lab in Florida, the official said.
Wearing a mask and gloves and carrying a gun, the suspect in Nancy Guthrie’s abduction was captured on video disconnecting a camera at the home
(Video: FBI)
Outsourcing the forensic analysis to a Florida contractor has effectively denied the FBI access to crucial evidence and is delaying its ability to assist in the investigation, according to the official.
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The sheriff’s office has primary jurisdiction over the case, and FBI assistance must be formally requested by the county. Without such a request, the FBI is legally barred from participating in the investigation. The official said the county has spent about $200,000 so far to send evidence in the Guthrie case to the Florida lab it contracts with.
“It risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute,” the official said, citing unspecified “earlier setbacks” in the investigation.
The official also criticized the sheriff for not seeking FBI assistance sooner.
“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 official said.
Signs of friction between the FBI and the sheriff’s department have emerged as the search for Nancy Guthrie entered its 12th day, with investigators intensifying efforts in what authorities believe is a kidnapping for ransom.