FBI reveals new evidence, including backpack details, in Nancy Guthrie disappearance, doubles reward to $100K
TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI announced Thursday it is doubling its reward to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance after releasing new details about a potential suspect.
FBI Phoenix said new "identifying details" about Guthrie's potential abductor have been confirmed after a forensic analysis of the doorbell camera footage by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division.
The suspect is described as a man, roughly 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with an average build.
Officials also specified the brand of backpack the suspect was seen wearing in a video released Tuesday, confirming it was a black, 25-liter "Ozark Trail Hiker Pack" backpack.
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The search for Guthrie has stretched into its 12th day as authorities scramble to locate the 84-year-old mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie.
A U.S. law enforcement source told Fox News Digital Thursday that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is leading the Nancy Guthrie case, is blocking the FBI from key evidence, Reuters first reported.
The source said the FBI asked Nanos for physical evidence in the case, including a glove and DNA from Guthrie's home, to be processed at the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, but Nanos has "insisted instead on using a private lab in Florida."
It is unclear why Nanos may have requested the use of a private lab.
Since Guthrie's disappearance Feb. 1, the FBI said it has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to the case.
Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement, officials said.
Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) and FBI personnel are supporting a 24-hour command post in which dozens of agents and investigators are assigned leads and tips to action each shift.
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.