.png?width=1200&auto=webp&trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&ssl=1 "FBI to cut back teams in Tucson in search for Nancy Guthrie")
The FBI is scaling back its on-the-ground presence in Tucson, Arizona, and relocating the command post for the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s abduction to Phoenix, ABC News reported Thursday.
Some agents will remain in Tucson to continue working alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, while many others are returning to Phoenix, home to the FBI’s headquarters in Arizona, to continue coordinating the investigation.
The operational shift on day 26 of the search does not signal the case is winding down or that the FBI is backing off the hunt for the 84-year-old mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, a source told ABC News.
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in the Catalina foothills outside of Tucson on February 1, authorities have said. She was reported missing after she unexpectedly missed a church service. Authorities confirmed this week that all family members have been cleared as suspects.
A Pima County Sheriff’s spokesperson directed The Independent to the FBI for comment, who had yet to respond.
Earlier Thursday, two federal law enforcement sources told NBC News that authorities plan to return Guthrie’s home to her family and stop treating it as a sealed crime scene. Investigators said they no longer need to restrict access to the property, though multiple agents were seen Wednesday appearing to examine something on a sliding glass door at the home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also announced plans to limit public parking on Guthrie’s street beginning Thursday as the investigation continues.
Investigators say they have recovered mixed DNA from Guthrie’s property, but the evidence has not yet led to the identification of any suspect. Authorities also released doorbell camera footage showing a man wearing a ski mask and backpack, with what appears to be a holstered gun, standing outside Guthrie’s home shortly before she went missing, which has become central to the case.
However, questions remain about the timing of those images. Two law enforcement sources told NBC News Monday that not all of the photos released by the FBI were taken on the morning of Guthrie’s disappearance. The FBI declined the outlet’s request to comment on when the images were captured, while Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators have no evidence so far that any of the photos were taken earlier. The issue remains under review, he told NBC News.
The FBI says it has received hundreds of additional tips since Savannah Guthrie announced Tuesday that her family is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to her mother’s return. Despite the surge in leads, authorities say no suspect has been identified in Guthrie’s disappearance.
