Two men initially detained and then released in connection to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remain under scrutiny, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. The sheriff clarified that their release does not equate to being cleared of suspicion.
The individuals were stopped in separate traffic incidents: one on February 10, approximately an hour south of Guthrie’s residence, and another on February 13 in her Tucson neighborhood.
Both men were questioned and subsequently released without charges in the case of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, who disappeared on February 1.
Nanos indicated that these men continue to be subjects of interest in an interview with ABC 15, which aired on Thursday. “Just because we didn’t make an arrest or released some people, doesn’t mean they’re cleared. It just means that we don’t have enough to hold you,” Nanos stated regarding the two men.
Authorities questioned delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos in Rio Rico, near the Mexican border, for eight hours on February 10, also searching his home. Another man was stopped, and his gray Range Rover was impounded during an overnight operation on February 13 in Pima County. That same night, officers raided a house and interviewed three individuals present.
Nanos stressed that the evidence that prompted the search warrants still holds value, even if the court ordered the men’s release.
“The evidence we’ve obtained, who knows, maybe a day from now, a month from now, a year from now, somebody might call in and say, ‘Oh you missed this.’ And guess what? We’ll go back,” Nanos explained.
When asked if the investigation into the two men was still active, Nanos refused to comment.
His remarks contradict earlier statements from the sheriff’s office that suggested the men, along with three others questioned during a house raid, were entirely cleared of suspicion.
As Saturday marks six months since Guthrie disappeared, the case remains unsolved with few leads. Despite security footage of a masked man at her door and DNA evidence reportedly found at her home, no official suspects have been named.
On Tuesday, Nanos expressed optimism that the case would be resolved, even after half a year with limited progress.
This statement followed Savannah Guthrie’s emotional appeal to the kidnappers on Monday, urging them to “do the right thing.”
“We have so much DNA to sort through,” Chris Nanos, the Pima County Sheriff, told NBC.
“We have so much in terms of video evidence to look at. So I’m still positive that we’re going to resolve this case.”
