A newly recovered item may hold the key to solving Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but a turf war between federal and local authorities is threatening to derail the investigation.The evidence in question was pulled from desert brush near the 84-year-old woman’s Tucson home. On its own, it could represent a major breakthrough.Instead, it has become the center of a jurisdictional standoff that is costing investigators valuable time.As tensions simmer behind the scenes, federal investigators made a public move.On February 13, the FBI announced they’re increasing the reward to $100,000 for information leading to Nancy’s location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her kidnapping. The dramatic boost signals mounting urgency nearly two weeks after she vanished from her Tucson home on the night of January 31, 2026.

More than 13,000 tips have flooded in since early February. Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center work around-the-clock reviewing every submission for credibility and actionable intelligence.Dozens of agents and investigators staff a 24-hour command post, processing leads every shift.The reward increase coincides with refined identifying details about the perpetrator following forensic analysis by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division. Investigators now describe the suspect as a male standing approximately 5’9″ to 5’10” tall with an average build.