Sheriff disputes claim that he is blocking FBI from evidence in Nancy Guthrie investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News/Gray News) - Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos responded to media reports that allege his department is blocking the FBI from accessing key evidence in the Nancy Guthrie case.

Nanos told 13 News’ Mary Coleman the claim is not true and that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department intended to have all evidence submitted to the same lab for testing. In this case, the facility is DNA Labs International in Florida.

Nanos said he had a meeting with the FBI on Thursday, and one agent told him, “We do not want the media to divide us.”

13 News reached out to the FBI for a response to the allegations made in the media.

Nanos added that there were still no signs of Nancy Guthrie, but investigators had “good leads.”

Also on Thursday, the FBI released more information about the suspect in her disappearance and increased the reward to $100,000.

The FBI said the suspect is a man, 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and with an average build.

The FBI also said the man seen in the security video released Monday was wearing a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack. The backpack is sold by Walmart and costs less than $11.

The FBI said it has received more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1.

The sheriff’s department confirmed the search for additional security video in the investigation has expanded. The agency said investigators are looking for video from Jan. 1 through Feb. 2. The community alert for video was sent to residents who live in a two-mile radius of Nancy Guthrie’s home.

That announcement came after the FBI asked residents to check their cameras for video from 9 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 11 and from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Jan. 31.

Nancy Guthrie’s home is in the 5800 block of North Camino Escalante, which is in the Catalina Foothills.

On Wednesday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed with 13 News’ Valerie Cavazos that a pair of black gloves was found in the neighborhood. The sheriff’s department said the gloves are being tested for DNA. The armed individual in the security video can be seen wearing gloves, but it is unclear what color they were.

Late Tuesday, Carlos Palazuelos was detained during a traffic stop in Rio Rico.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the traffic stop and initially said it was serving a warrant at a home in the area in connection with the case.

Palazuelos was later released. He claimed that he did not know why he was questioned and just wanted to clear his name.

“I know it’s their job to do what they are doing, but to an innocent man? I think they don’t even have evidence against me, so I don’t even know how they got to me,” Palazuelos said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents were looking for “persons” of interest in the case.

Anyone with information, photos or video can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or go to tips.fbi.gov.