U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the FBI is committed to providing help where needed in the Nancy Guthrie case six months after she was reported missing.
“I think whether the FBI takes the lead, we are there to support. And President [Donald] Trump pledged it, [FBI] Director [Kash] Patel pledged it, the resources, anything that that investigation needs,” Blanche, 52, said during a Sunday, August 16, interview on Meet the Press. “We’re going to continue to do that.”
Blanche added, “We are working as hard as we can with the state and local law enforcement in every area, and that means not only providing assistance with manpower, but any sort of forensic assistance.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona has been heading the investigation pertaining to the disappearance of Nancy, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.
Blanche noted the FBI would be supporting Pima County authorities, led by Sheriff Chris Nanos, in their efforts, adding, “Whether we come in with sharp elbows and take it over, that’s not necessarily the right thing to do for her or for anybody, but making sure that it’s done right and making sure that this investigation is being conducted the way that it should be is something that we’re doing.”
Nancy was last seen at her Tucson-area home on January 31. No suspect has been named despite publicized doorbell footage capturing a masked individual at her front door on the night of her disappearance, wearing gloves and a black, 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. The suspect is described as a male, approximately between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 tall, with an average build.
Blanche addressed the public frustration that Nancy’s case has yet to be solved, noting that many questions are still left unanswered.
“I don’t have any update. I don’t. And I’m sorry to say that because I wish I had an update,” he said. “And I know that this type of case is heartbreaking, especially when it plays out nationally, like this one has.”
In June, reports emerged about the contents of two ransom notes sent to the Guthrie family. In one note, alleged kidnappers claimed that Nancy had died and was buried in nature. There was no apology or any request for payment for the return of her body, according to NBC News.
Another ransom note did not include an apology nor acknowledgment that Nancy was dead, per TMZ.
Blanche noted that it’s a “horrible situation,” adding, “And I share the grief and the frustration that you and your colleagues have, and the whole country has, in this situation.”
