Sheriff Doubles Down on Progress Claims Despite Ongoing Scrutiny
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos returned to the airwaves on Tuesday — Day 31 of the Nancy Guthrie disappearance — insisting that his investigators are closing in on whoever abducted the 84-year-old mother of TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie from her Tucson, Arizona home on February 1.
"I think the investigators are definitely closer," Nanos told NBC News in a follow-up interview. "We got a lot of intel, a lot of leads, but now it's time to just go to work." The remarks mirror his statement just one day earlier, on the case's 30-day mark, when he declared publicly that he believes Nancy Guthrie is alive. Despite the optimistic tone, no suspect has been identified and no arrest has been made as the investigation stretches into its fifth week.
The sheriff continues to face persistent scrutiny and criticism over his handling of the high-profile probe, according to the New York Post. Critics have questioned the pace of the investigation and the lack of concrete developments more than a month after the abduction.
Detained Man Luke Daley Speaks Out in Extended Interview
One of the most significant new developments on Day 31 came from Luke Daley, 37, who gave an extended on-record interview to True Crime Arizona host Briana Whitney, providing new details about the February 13 SWAT operation that temporarily made him a focal point of intense public speculation.
Daley, who broke his initial silence on March 2, revealed that his February 13 detention was far more extensive than previously known. He said he was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car for "four or five hours" while authorities searched his vehicle and home. He maintains that his phone's location data would exonerate him entirely.
"All you have to do is look at my phone and see my location. It was nowhere near anywhere or have any connection to this," Daley told True Crime Arizona.
Daley said he cannot understand why he was targeted by investigators and stated that authorities gave him no reason for the detention. He described the toll the public attention has taken on his daily life since the SWAT operation thrust him into the national spotlight.
"I can't go anywhere. Everyone gives me dirty looks. I'd like to be able to go about my life and not have this shadow of doubt casted over me," Daley said, according to reporting from E! News.
He also reiterated that it is "absolutely not" him in the doorbell camera footage released by investigators — footage that shows an armed man appearing to tamper with Nancy Guthrie's security camera on the morning she vanished. Daley added that despite everything, his thoughts remain with the victim: "I just want to say again that I hope that [Nancy is] safe. I hope they find her."
The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed to E! News that a federal search warrant was obtained and served to Daley, and that the investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed against him.
Backpack Lead Expands Beyond Walmart
Sheriff Nanos also revealed a notable shift in one of the investigation's key evidence threads. Previously, investigators had focused their efforts on tracing the distinctive Ozark Trail backpack worn by the suspect through Walmart in-store and online purchase records. Nanos confirmed Tuesday that investigators are now considering whether the backpack may have been purchased through a resale website rather than directly from Walmart.
"What I'm saying is, there's all kinds of angles," Nanos told reporters, according to the AOL News report. The expanded search could significantly complicate efforts to trace the item's buyer, as resale platforms typically offer greater anonymity than retail transactions.
Federal Involvement Looms Larger
The question of federal jurisdiction has become increasingly prominent in recent days. Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer publicly stated on March 2 that the presence of federal prosecutors at Nancy's home is "great news," writing on social media that she believes the FBI is moving to "oversee Nancy's case in a Task Force setting." Coffindaffer called the U.S. Attorney's Office presence "a pretty darn good indication" of an impending federal case takeover and cited 18 USC 1201 — the federal kidnapping statute's 24-hour presumption — as the "clear federal nexus."
Coffindaffer also suggested a possible tension between local and federal authorities. "I think there is a certain amount of incongruency with what has gone on between the sheriff's office, perhaps, and federal authorities," she said. "It might be time for a change in command."
What to Watch For Next
With Sheriff Nanos repeatedly signaling that investigators are "closer" without providing specific details, public pressure on the Pima County Sheriff's Department is unlikely to ease in the coming days. Key threads to follow include: whether federal authorities formally assume lead jurisdiction over the case; any new developments from the expanded Ozark Trail backpack investigation through resale platforms; and whether the volume of leads Nanos described translates into a named suspect or an arrest. The combined reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery stands at approximately $1,202,500.