Nancy Guthrie update: Retired K9 officer says decision not to use cadaver dogs ‘defies logic’

A retired K9 serviceman is raising questions astir the nationalist handling of the Nancy Guthrie case, arguing that the determination not to deploy cadaver dogs "defies logic" arsenic the probe stretches into its seventh week with fewer answers.

"We're conscionable chasing shadows," said Michael Gould, a erstwhile K9 researcher with the NYPD and Nassau County Police Department.

Still, helium told Fox News Digital that it's precise apt investigators are pursuing up connected leads down closed doors and whitethorn beryllium farther on than observers think.

"Cadaver dogs, [or] quality remains detection dogs, they are the superior exertion disposable to humans to observe odor of radical missing," helium said Tuesday. "They're considered successful tribunal a technological instrument. So wherefore the sheriff chose not to usage them, I don't understand."

NANCY GUTHRIE NEIGHBORS' RING CAMERA CAPTURES VEHICLES ON POSSIBLE ROUTE FROM CRIME SCENE

Pima County deputies analyse a flyer taped to the mailbox astatine Nancy Guthrie's location successful Tucson, Arizona, connected Feb. 23, 2026. Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to person been abducted from her location successful the aboriginal hours of Feb. 1. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of "Today" big Savannah Guthrie, is believed to person been abducted from her location successful Tucson's Catalina Foothills vicinity against her volition successful the aboriginal hours of Feb. 1, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department, similar galore section instrumentality enforcement agencies astir the country, does not person its ain cadaver dogs. They borrowed K9s from the section Border Patrol bureau earlier successful the lawsuit but are nary longer deploying them arsenic portion of the investigation.

"There's lone 2 assumptions, 2 implications there, that A, she's inactive alive, that's 1 implication, oregon B, they've fixed up searching for her," Gould said.

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An undated photograph of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie provided by NBC successful effect to the disappearance of the 84-year-old parent of the Today Show host. (Courtesy of NBC)

He called connected the sheriff to either deploy them successful a signifier hunt oregon explicate wherefore that's not happening.

"I agelong my caput to think, without him guiding us, giving america answers to this, I can't deliberation of immoderate different rationale wherefore you would accidental we're putting cadaver dogs connected hold," Gould said. "It defies logic."

Nanos, for his part, told Fox News Digital earlier that if helium deemed they were needed, he'd nonstop them backmost out. He declined to sermon circumstantial leads oregon evidence.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE'S MOTHER NANCY MISSING OVER A MONTH, $1M REWARD REMAINS UNCLAIMED

Law enforcement agents cheque vegetation areas astir Nancy Guthrie’s location successful Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)

"Anything is possible," helium said erstwhile asked if helium believed Guthrie is inactive alive.

However, with the probe dragging connected for much than 40 days, Gould said the lawsuit does not acceptable the illustration of an abduction.

"After six weeks, without impervious of life, without thing else, the household has travel to presumption with the fact, I think, that this is simply a homicide investigation, and it's got to beryllium treated similar that," helium said.

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An researcher looks wrong a culvert successful the vicinity wherever Annie Guthrie, whose parent Nancy Guthrie has been missing for much than a week, lives conscionable extracurricular Tucson, Ariz., connected Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)

In a heartbreaking Instagram video posted past month, Savannah Guthrie thanked millions of supporters for their prayers and acknowledged that her parent whitethorn nary longer beryllium alive.

The elder Guthrie's pacemaker past synced with her Apple devices astir 2:30 a.m. connected Feb. 1. There was a airy way of humor extracurricular of her beforehand door, which authorities aboriginal said belonged to her. And thing important had been stolen.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks to the media successful Catalina, Arizona, connected Feb. 3, portion answering questions astir the hunt for Nancy Guthrie. ( Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)

Authorities issued a metallic alert, describing Guthrie arsenic a susceptible big whose beingness depends connected medicine medicine and who has mobility issues that could person prevented her from traveling acold connected foot.

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WATCH: Nancy Guthrie's Nest doorbell cam records masked suspect

Her Nest doorbell camera was missing, but the FBI and Google were capable to retrieve video of a masked fishy astatine her doorstep. He visited her location astatine slightest erstwhile prior, according to national instrumentality enforcement sources — connected Jan. 11.

He is described arsenic lasting astir 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches gangly with a mean build. He remained unidentified arsenic of Tuesday morning.

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Two men were concisely detained arsenic abstracted warrants were being served successful transportation with the case. Both were released without charges. The astir caller was connected Feb. 13 aft the FBI towed his Range Rover from a Culver's parking batch and raided his mother's home, which is astir 2 miles from Guthrie's.

Pima County Sheriffs progressive successful a instrumentality enforcement cognition astatine the intersection of Camino de Michael and East Orange Grove Road successful Tucson, Arizona connected Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. The determination is astir 2 miles from Nancy Guthrie's home. (DWS for Fox News Digital)  (DWS for Fox News Digital)

"It was considered a kidnapping truthful they were investigating arsenic a beingness and decease concern — that's wherefore they executed a batch of hunt warrants that radical questioned the legitimacy of the hunt warrant," Gould said. "But if you're reasoning of the information that idiosyncratic mightiness inactive beryllium live and being held hostage, it's antithetic than a homicide investigation."

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Since then, updates person slowed to a trickle. But a task unit of Pima County homicide detectives and FBI agents remains connected the investigation.

"If there's tips coming in, it's not a acold case," Gould said. "I consciousness assured that this is gonna beryllium a solve, but not connected our timeline."

A Pima County Sheriff's lawman inspects a Range Rover pursuing a postulation halt wherever 1 antheral was detained successful Tucson, Arizona, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Sources archer Fox News Digital that the halt is connected to a hunt warrant served astatine a location adjacent Nancy Guthrie’s house. The 84-year-old is believed to person been abducted connected Feb. 1, but nary suspects person been publically identified. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital) (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

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Tips could travel successful from idiosyncratic successful jail, from a comparative of the suspect, a romanticist spouse oregon adjacent an accomplice, helium said.

"Very seldom is determination lone 1 idiosyncratic that knows what happened," helium told Fox News Digital.

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Savannah Guthrie visits the Today amusement astatine Rockefeller Plaza successful New York connected Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

And though a mixed DNA illustration is inactive undergoing investigation successful a backstage laboratory successful Florida, helium predicts that genetics volition play a cardinal relation successful cracking the case.

"It's gonna beryllium resolved," helium said. "And radical are going to beryllium amazed by the result of it."

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There is simply a combined reward of much than $1.2 cardinal for accusation that leads to Guthrie's recovery.

The household is asking anyone with accusation to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.