The FBI is moving its command post in the Nancy Guthrie investigation from Tucson, Arizona, to Phoenix, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CBS News on Thursday.
The transition is being done because the large Phoenix command post will be able to operate more efficiently for the long term and most of the agents who have been working on the investigation in Tucson are based in Phoenix, the source said.
The investigative squads, evidence recovery teams and SWAT teams will all remain in Tucson as they are assigned to the FBI’s Tucson office, which is a large satellite office.
Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1, sparking a massive search effort.
The investigation is still running at full speed, the source said. Leads are still being worked, and video footage is still being reviewed. Digital evidence, including cellphones, is being analyzed. Tips are still being followed.
The source said a lot of the work going forward does not require boots on the ground in Tucson and can be done from Phoenix or offices anywhere in the country.
A second law enforcement source briefed on the investigation said when a major case breaks, the FBI surges resources fast. It brings in extra agents, stands up a command post and throws everything at the time-sensitive work that has to happen in those initial critical days.
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That work includes neighborhood canvasses, evidence collection and running down every lead as soon as it comes in, the source said. That work in the Guthrie case is now done.
The source familiar with the investigation noted those specialized resources, including the hostage rescue team from Quantico, Virginia, are always readily available. They can be back on the ground in Tucson quickly if something breaks in the case.
The FBI has received over 23,600 tips since Guthrie’s disappearance, which was reported to authorities Feb. 1. More than 1,500 of those tips have come in since the family offered a reward of up to $1 million this week, according to a law enforcement source.
Meanwile, the house where authorities believe Guthrie was abducted in the middle of the night will soon be returned to her family, a law enforcement source said.
