FBI Veteran Sounds Alarm Over Critical Delays in Nancy Guthrie Investigation
A retired FBI supervisory special agent with over two decades of experience has issued a stark warning about the investigation into missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, stating that authorities are risking the loss of precious time as crucial forensic evidence is being transported nearly 2,000 miles away for analysis.
'Every Hour Matters' in Race Against the Clock
Jason Pack, who spent more than twenty years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has described the case as one where 'every hour matters' and expressed significant frustration at what he perceives as unnecessary delays in processing evidence. Law enforcement has been working frantically to examine forensic materials collected during dramatic raids, traffic stops, and searches connected to the disappearance of the mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie.
'That decision should have been made days ago. Which lab, which courier, what's the turnaround?' Pack told Fox News, emphasizing the urgent nature of the investigation. He stressed that authorities cannot afford to hesitate, particularly given that Guthrie, who has serious medical needs including heart medication, remains missing after vanishing from her $1 million Tucson home in the early hours of February 1.
'In a case involving a vulnerable 84-year-old woman who is without her heart medication, where every hour matters, you don't wait for FedEx on Monday morning,' Pack stated bluntly.
Controversial Decision to Use Distant Private Lab
Pack's comments come amid growing scrutiny over the Pima County Sheriff's Department's decision to utilize a private forensic laboratory in Florida, approximately 2,000 miles from Tucson, Arizona, instead of the FBI's own world-class crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. The retired agent argued that using the FBI facility would have been far more efficient in this time-sensitive situation.
'That eliminates days of waiting,' he explained, referring to cases where FBI aircraft are deployed to immediately transport evidence. 'If the FBI has the lead, Quantico is the logical answer, and I'd expect evidence to be wheels-up before the sun sets today.'
Pack reiterated that in urgent investigations, even minor delays can have devastating consequences. 'Authorities cannot afford to lose a weekend debating how to process evidence,' he warned.
Sheriff Defends Laboratory Choice as Search Intensifies
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has defended the decision to send evidence across the country, stating that the FBI agreed it was best to continue using the same contracted laboratory already working on the case. Authorities have not confirmed when the newly obtained evidence will arrive at the Florida lab or how long results might take to process.
The warnings about potential delays come as investigators dramatically escalated their search late on Friday night, sealing off roads and deploying heavily armed SWAT teams and FBI agents to a home approximately two miles from Guthrie's upscale Catalina Foothills residence. Pack described this operation as a 'significant escalation' that suggests investigators may be acting on specific intelligence rather than pursuing blind leads.
'This has the hallmarks of agents acting on specific, actionable intelligence,' Pack observed.
Forensic Evidence Points to Unknown Intruder
During the recent operation, agents detained multiple individuals and stopped a gray Range Rover in a nearby Culver's parking lot. The SUV's contents were examined under a tarp to conceal them from public view, and the vehicle was ultimately towed away for further forensic analysis. However, Pack cautioned that these dramatic searches represent only the beginning of the real investigative work.
'They'll be going door to door, looking to talk face to face with neighbors,' he explained. 'They want to identify patterns of life for each of the people detained. If someone says, "I wasn't home that night," a neighbor's Ring camera might tell a different story. Investigators are building the box.'
Such urgency stems from chilling forensic evidence already recovered from Guthrie's home. Authorities have confirmed that DNA belonging to an unidentified individual—someone not known to Guthrie or her family—was found at her property. Gloves were also recovered nearby, raising the possibility that the perpetrator left behind critical trace evidence.
'DNA that doesn't belong to Nancy Guthrie or anyone close to her has already been identified at her property. Gloves have been recovered,' Pack confirmed. 'All of that evidence needs to get to a lab.'
Family Appeals as Investigation Enters Third Week
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home more than two weeks ago on January 31. Authorities have revealed that blood was found on her front porch, and surveillance footage captured a masked individual wearing gloves and a backpack outside her door on the night she disappeared. Multiple ransom notes have been sent demanding up to $6 million for her release.
Her family, including daughter Savannah Guthrie, have issued several emotional public appeals for her safe return. Savannah described her mother as a 'loving woman of goodness and light.' Investigators have received tens of thousands of tips and deployed hundreds of agents in the massive search effort, but no arrests have been announced as the investigation enters its critical third week.
