Retired FBI Agent Urges Rapid DNA Testing in Nancy Guthrie Case

Stresses race against the clock: 'Every hour matters'

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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A retired FBI agent is calling for urgent action in the case of the missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, including fast-tracking critical DNA evidence and canvassing neighborhoods around the Tucson-area home that was searched on Friday. Authorities have detained several people and collected new evidence, but the retired agent warns that delays in processing the evidence could prove costly in the race to find Guthrie.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, a vulnerable 84-year-old woman who is without her heart medication, has become a high-profile case that has garnered national attention. The retired FBI agent's calls for rapid DNA testing and a full neighborhood canvas highlight the urgency of the situation and the need for authorities to act quickly to gather and process all available evidence.

The details

On Friday, the Pima County SWAT team and the FBI executed a federal search warrant at a Tucson-area home roughly 2 miles from Guthrie's home, detaining three people. A fourth person was also detained after a traffic stop. Authorities also searched and towed a gray Range Rover from a nearby parking lot. The retired FBI agent, Jason Pack, says the developments have the 'hallmarks of agents acting on specific, actionable intelligence.' However, Pack notes that the real investigative work is just beginning, as authorities will need to canvas the neighborhood, identify patterns of life for the detained individuals, and process the new evidence collected, including DNA and gloves.

  • On Friday, February 13, 2026, the Pima County SWAT team and the FBI executed a federal search warrant at a Tucson-area home and detained three people.
  • Also on Friday, February 13, 2026, a fourth person was detained after a traffic stop at a Culver's restaurant parking lot in Tucson.

The players

Jason Pack

A retired FBI supervisory special agent with more than two decades of service who is providing expert analysis on the case.

Nancy Guthrie

An 84-year-old woman who has gone missing in Tucson, Arizona, and is the focus of the ongoing investigation.

Chris Nanos

The Pima County Sheriff who has defended his department's use of a private Florida lab to process evidence in the case.

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What they’re saying

“They'll be going door to door, looking to talk face to face with neighbors. They want to identify patterns of life for each of the people detained. … It will help corroborate or dispute whatever those who were detained are telling agents right now. If someone says 'I wasn't home that night,' a neighbor's Ring camera might tell a different story. Investigators are building the box.”

— Jason Pack, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent

“Here's the question. Do they wait until Monday to commercially ship it to a private lab? In past high-profile cases, I've seen FBI aircraft used to immediately shuttle evidence to the FBI Laboratory at Quantico. That eliminates days of waiting. In a case involving a vulnerable 84-year-old woman who is without her heart medication, where every hour matters, you don't wait for FedEx on Monday morning.”

— Jason Pack, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the detained individuals out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical importance of rapid evidence processing and a comprehensive neighborhood canvas in time-sensitive missing persons investigations, especially when the victim's health and safety are at risk.