Former President Donald Trump has launched a sharp critique of the police investigation handling the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, as national attention remains intensely focused on the kidnapping case. For nearly three full weeks, Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been missing after a masked intruder was captured on surveillance footage at her property in Tucson, Arizona.
Trump Questions Investigative Strategy
Speaking to reporters while travelling on Thursday, Trump expressed confusion over the decision by Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos to inform the media about ongoing police activities. The former president specifically referenced a recent operation where authorities deployed a helicopter equipped with an FBI Bluetooth 'sniffer' device designed to detect the missing woman's pacemaker signal.
'If in fact they could do it that way, the person would say, "Well, I’m not going to let that happen,"' Trump told journalists. 'I can’t imagine why they would have done that, just in terms of strategy.'
Call for Broader Media Focus
Trump further suggested that media attention should shift to other subjects, stating, 'We have to start reporting on other subjects also and see what happens. It’s a very sad situation.' This marks a notable intervention from the former president, who has previously stated he believes the individual responsible for Guthrie's kidnapping should face the death penalty if convicted.
Mounting Criticism of Sheriff's Office
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, led by Sheriff Nanos, has faced increasing scrutiny as the investigation enters its third week without identifying a suspect or locating Guthrie. Critics have highlighted several controversial decisions, including:
- The use of a private laboratory in Florida to test a glove discovered near Guthrie's property containing DNA evidence from an unknown individual
- Potential delays in evidence processing that might have been avoided by using FBI laboratory facilities
- Questions about whether local or federal authorities leaked information about the Bluetooth pacemaker tracking technology
Federal Assistance and Jurisdiction
While the FBI is providing technical support and 'sophisticated FBI technology' to local authorities, the investigation remains under the command of the Pima County Sheriff's Department. Federal agents could only assume control of the case if they could establish that a federal offense may have been committed, according to standard jurisdictional protocols.
The case continues to develop as law enforcement agencies employ advanced technological methods in their search for the elderly woman, whose disappearance has captured national concern and prompted high-profile commentary from political figures.
