Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie case says search efforts are 'getting closer'

The sheriff overseeing the missing person's investigation for Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, is sharing new insights on the case.

In an interview with People magazine published Wednesday, May 13, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reflected on authorities' progress in the high-profile search operation, which commenced in early February after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in Arizona. The search reached its 100th day on Tuesday, May 12.

The "Today" show anchor's elderly mother was last seen Jan. 31 before an apparent kidnapping in her Catalina Foothills neighborhood directly north of Tucson, Arizona. In February, the FBI released images showing an armed person at Nancy Guthrie's front door tampering with the camera prior to her disappearance, but the suspect in the images has not been identified.

Nanos recalled police's early investigative efforts in his interview with People. Although the status of Nancy Guthrie's condition was not known at the time, the sheriff said the homicide division was notified after a preliminary evaluation of the crime scene didn't "look right."

"The reason that homicide was called is because they are the investigative unit in charge of missing person," Nanos told the outlet. "Search-and-rescue is their operational team that helps assist with these issues."

The Pima County Sheriff's Department is continuing to investigate Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. The Guthrie family has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her recovery.

There have been no significant developments or breakthroughs in the Guthrie investigation in recent weeks. The Tucson Police Department recently confirmed a human bone was found 7 miles from Nancy Guthrie's house on May 7, but the bone was "prehistoric" in nature and unrelated to the case.

Law enforcement previously confirmed that blood found on Nancy Guthrie's porch belonged to the woman and that authorities also found DNA evidence in the home that did not belong to her or those close to her.

"Every day, our DNA labs are working with our investigators, and they're coming up with different ideas and different thoughts of how to help them make this DNA work for us," Nanos told People. "How can we do more with what we have? And so that's why I say it is – I think we're getting closer."

After stepping back from the "Today" show in February, Savannah Guthrie returned to the show in April and has remained on the air ever since. The news personality affirmed her family's commitment to the search for their mother in a Mother's Day tribute shared on Instagram May 10.

Guthrie shared the message along with a touching video compilation showing various family photos and clips of Nancy Guthrie, including several where the "Today" anchor and her mom pose together.

"Mother, daughter, sister, Nonie — we miss you with every breath," Guthrie wrote. "We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you."

Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY