NEWSDonald Trump Claims Local Authorities Didn’t Want to 'Let Go' of Nancy Guthrie Abduction Case as He Alleges FBI Has Made 'Progress'
President Donald Trump claimed local authorities didn't want to 'let go' of Nancy Guthrie's abduction case and hand it over to the FBI.
Feb. 13 2026, Published 5:07 p.m. ET
Donald Trump had a pointed answer when asked why the FBI hadn't taken over as lead investigator in the case of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.
"Well, they took it over originally. You know it was a local case originally, and they didn't want to let go of it," Trump, 79, said as he addressed reporters outside the White House on Friday, February 13. "Which is fine, it's up to them."
President Donald Trump answered questions while outside the White House on February 13.
Donald Trump Praises FBI's 'Progress' in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Case
Donald Trump claimed local authorities 'didn't want to let go' of Nancy Guthrie's case.
The president agreed the decision was "up to the community," but added, "Ultimately, when the FBI got involved, I think progress has been made."
Multiple outlets reported conflicts between local and federal authorities in the search for the NBC anchor's mother, who was reportedly last seen by her daughter Annie Guthrie on January 31 at around 9:45 p.m.
Pima County Sheriff's Department Blasted Investigation Criticism
The Pima County Sheriff responded to claims of criticism on February 13.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos responded to reports of criticism over the collaboration between local and federal authorities, insisting they were working together.
“Not even close to the truth,” he told NBC Tucson affiliate KVOA on Friday, February 13, emphasizing all decisions in the case were being discussed with the FBI.
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Nancy Guthrie Was Last Seen by Annie Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie was reportedly last seen by her daughter Annie Guthrie.
The 84-year-old was reported missing on February 1 after she failed to show up to her friend's house to watch a church service livestream.
Her disappearance was soon considered a crime after blood was found near the front door of her Tucson, Ariz., home.
Authorities at the time noted that the senior had "no cognitive issues" but struggled with her mobility.
Suspect Footage Was Released Earlier This Week
The FBI released footage of a potential suspect on February 10.
More than a week into her disappearance, the FBI released footage taken from Nancy's doorbell camera after no video was immediately available. The shocking images pushed the theory that the senior was taken by force from her home.
"Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors — including the removal of recording devices," FBI director Kash Patel announced via X.
The federal agent explained the video was recovered from "residual data located in backend systems."
The chilling photos show the suspect, whose identity is hidden by a ski mask, wearing a zip-up jacket, light-colored pants and black gloves. He carried a large backpack and was believed to be armed.
