The sheriff of Savannah Guthrie’s mother is accused of lying on the application
The FBI is entering key dates in the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance amid an effort to recall the sheriff
The FBI is making significant progress in the case of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, entering two crucial days before the 84-year-old disappeared in Arizona on January 31. The development comes as Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos faces a recall effort, with critics highlighting his inconsistent communication and eroding public trust in the ongoing investigation. Retired NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro discusses the impact of these missteps on a missing persons case.
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Pima County Sheriff’s Attorney Chris Nanos, who is helping with the months-long manhunt for Nancy Guthrie, responded to a list of complaints from local leaders about senior police leadership.
Nanos admitted through his attorney that he resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982 to avoid a three-day suspension for contempt, while defending apparent inconsistencies in his sworn testimony about his disciplinary history.
On April 7, the Pima County Board of Supervisors demanded that the sheriff answer questions after allegations of perjury surfaced following his deposition in a First Amendment lawsuit filed by the president of the Pima County Deputies Association, Sgt. Aaron Cross.
Nanos has sworn under oath that he has never been suspended from work due to disciplinary action while working as a police officer.
POSSIBLE TATTOO SEEN IN NANCY GUTHRIE’S VIDEO COULD HELP SUBJECT ID, FORMER PROFILER SAYS
A separate photo shows Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaking to reporters about the alleged kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, alongside a photo of Guthrie sitting in the middle of a mahjong game. (Rebecca Noble/Reuters, NBC)
According to an April 21 letter from his attorney, James Cool, he misunderstood the question.
Nanos has never been appointed to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in a job that began in 1984. Cool acknowledged that he was repeatedly suspended from his former role at the El Paso Police Department in Texas, a job he left in 1982 to avoid further disciplinary action.
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“It is 100% true that Sheriff Nanos has never been suspended during his four decades of decorated and loyal service with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (‘PCSD’),” Cool wrote in a 12-page letter to the board. “However, Sheriff Nanos was suspended more than forty years ago while employed by the El Paso Police Department. In the context of his live deposition, Sheriff Nanos did not understand the question related to disciplinary action by a separate agency not governed by the Arizona Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos updates the media on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 5, 2026. (Sejal Govindarao/AP Photo)
Nanos’ attorneys accused Cross and former PCSD Lt. Heather Lappin, Nanos’ latest election challenge, “for the continued consequences of misconduct.”
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“Chock full of lies,” Cross said of Cool’s letter. “But did you see that it was not an affidavit, as required?”
The board voted on April 7 to have Nanos answer questions “under oath.”
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County board members questioned whether Nanos used his position to interfere with the election and improperly targeted Lappin for investigation during the campaign.
Law enforcement and news reporters are stationed outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 10, 2026, as the search continues for reporter Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother. The potential kidnappers have set a ransom deadline of 5 pm on Feb. 9 of the $6 million settlement after going missing on Feb. 1. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Attached to the letter, Cool also included a copy of a March 11 letter from the Department of Justice that informed District Attorney Jan Lesher that the former US Attorney for Arizona under the Biden administration received “no federal indication” of a criminal investigation into the election allegations.
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“We have no other response than what has been discussed in December 2024,” wrote current US Attorney for the State of Arizona Timothy Courchaine.
Cool defended Nanos’ handling of the sheriff’s department budget, said the sheriff should not answer all of the board’s questions in a public forum, and downplayed concerns of retaliation against Cross and Lappin. Both have pending charges.
A member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department stands in front of the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 10, 2026. (Ty ONeil/AP)
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Cool also included a copy of Nanos’ 1984 resume, in which he lists his hobbies as “boxing, fishing, pool, crosswords and gymnastics.”
After leaving the El Paso Police Department, Nanos worked briefly in sales and then became a security guard before joining the PCSD in 1984 as a corrections officer.
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Savannah Guthrie attends the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from his home in the Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1. A masked burglar appears on video from a doorbell camera. His back door was found open the next morning. His whereabouts are unknown.
She is the mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, who has put up $1 million in a joint reward to find her.
