A white forensic evidence tent was briefly placed at the entrance of a Tucson, Arizona, home on Thursday morning, marking a new development in the ongoing search for an 84-year-old woman who vanished nearly two weeks ago.
The structure was assembled by investigators at the front door of the residence, the same location where potential blood evidence was discovered shortly after the woman was reported missing on February 1st. The tent, often used to protect sensitive scenes from view or environmental contamination, was removed approximately one hour after it was installed.
The investigation into the woman’s disappearance, which authorities have stated is being treated as a criminal matter, has drawn criticism from within the local sheriff’s department. An unnamed source characterized the handling of the scene as “amateur hour,” noting that the area around the front door had been heavily traversed and that initial evidence had been compromised by exposure.
In a separate development, federal investigators are examining new surveillance footage captured roughly five miles from the woman’s home. The video, recorded around the time she is believed to have been taken, shows an individual carrying a backpack with reflective shoulder straps. This description matches a backpack seen in previously released images of a person of interest, identified as carrying a specific brand of hiking pack before tampering with the home’s doorbell camera in the early hours of February 1st.
Authorities have emphasized that the missing woman, while having limited physical mobility, does not suffer from cognitive impairments, leading them to believe she did not leave her home voluntarily.
Family members continue to appeal to the public for information and express hope for her safe return.