Sheriff Admits Locating Missing Nancy Guthrie Could Take 'Months Or Years' As Search Enters Second Week

As the search for Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, enters its 14th day, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos offered a sobering update regarding her whereabouts.

Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has sent a wave of panic across the Tucson community as the investigation enters its second week without a clear lead.

Nanos informed the New York Times on Friday, February 13, that recovering Nancy—who vanished on February 1—could take longer than the public anticipates.

"Maybe it’s an hour from now," he said. "Maybe it’s weeks or months or years from now. But we won’t quit. We’re going to find Nancy. We’re going to find this guy."

Nanos' comment comes days after Arizona law enforcement officers detained a man they believed might've been involved in Nancy's disappearance before letting him go.

Little information has been shared with the public about the specifics of the case. However, Nanos has shared whenever he believes his team might have a lead.

Occasionally, however, potential breakthroughs lead Nanos and his team to dead ends, fueling visible frustration within the sheriff's department.

"This has to to be it, the evidence, everything’s there," Nanos said. "Then you talk to people, you learn, you do your search, and you think, ‘Maybe not.'"

Nanos called the reality of the case "exhausting" before vowing to "keep moving forward."

Authorities have recently recovered DNA from Nancy's home; however, it doesn't belong to anyone who was in close contact with her.

"DNA other than Nancy Guthrie’s and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property. Investigators are working to identify who it belongs to," said in an update, according to Page Six.

Also, during their Friday, February 13, update, a PCSD spokesperson said authorities had located "several" gloves during their investigation.

"The closest gloves were found approximately two miles from the home. Reports that a glove was found inside the residence or on the property are inaccurate," the statement read.

The gloves have been sent to an out-of-state lab that has been processing evidence in this case since the beginning, the sheriff's department said.

But they aren't stopping there. The spokesperson said law enforcement would "continue to follow up on all leads" as they showed up.

The spokesperson also added that authorities weren't ruling out anyone in the investigation. "No suspect vehicles have been identified. We ask the public to continue submitting actionable tips. All submitted videos are being reviewed," they said.

Nancy's Tucson community members adorned the area in front of her home with candles and yellow roses over the last few days, according to CNN.

A local flower shop, Casa Adobes, is providing most of the flowers, says the shop's president, Matt Biggs, who is hoping to offer support during a critical time.

"People want to send a message of hope to the Guthrie family, and this is one way that they can do it without physically being here or physically going over there," he said.

Biggs added that while people in the community are "scared" about the case, many are also finding it "hard to believe" what actually happened.

"We’re all hoping that Nancy comes home and that they find her soon," he said.

Earlier this week, "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie posted an emotional video on Instagram, pleading with the public for help finding her mother.

"We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place," she said. "We believe our mom is still out there."

"I'm coming on just to ask you, not just for your prayers, but no matter where you are, even if you're far from Tucson, if you see anything, you hear anything, if there's anything at all that seems strange to you, that you report to law enforcement," she said.

Savannah finished with a saddening statement: "We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help."