TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is pushing back on claims that he is withholding crucial evidence from the FBI in the Nancy Guthrie case.

Nanos denies the allegations, describing the report as “not even close to the truth.” He emphasized the long-standing partnership between the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

This comes as gloves were discovered, amid the FBI’s expanding search efforts. 

A private lab in Florida, which has worked with the sheriff’s department for years, is analyzing the DNA profiles from the crime scene and those given voluntarily pro bono, Nanos told News 4 Tucson.

Nanos mentioned discussions with the FBI Thursday morning about possibly sending the recently discovered gloves to the Bureau’s lab.

“Actually the FBI just wanted to send the one or two they found by the crime scene, closest to it – mile, mile and a half . . . I said ‘No, why do that? Let’s just send them all to where all the DNA exist, all the profiles and the markers exist.’ They agreed, makes sense.” Nanos said.

While Nanos did not specify the number of gloves recovered during the search efforts, he noted there were “quite a number of them,” adding gloves were discovered as far west as Oracle Road to as far east as Craycroft Road.

“We don’t even know the true value of these gloves,” he said Thursday night. 

Nanos emphasized that all decisions in the Guthrie case are being discussed with the FBI.

Nanos stressed the current focus remains on finding Nancy Guthrie, saying “When this is all done with, offer your critiques all you want, but right now we have work to do.”   

News 4 Tucson reached out to the FBI for comment Thursday night but has not heard back.Â