Deputies Union Boss Slams 'Big Misstep' in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Probe After Scene Given Back

Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Organisation, has accused investigators of making a 'big misstep' in the Nancy Guthrie case after allegedly returning the scene of her Tucson home to the family soon after she disappeared.

Aaron Cross made the claim in an interview, more than six months after 84-year-old Nancy was reported missing in Arizona. He also questioned the experience of detectives assigned to the investigation, saying many had three years or less in the role.

Nancy, the mother of Today show presenter Savannah Guthrie, has not been found, and no suspect has been identified or charged.

Aaron Cross's remarks have intensified scrutiny of an investigation already facing questions over its handling of evidence, staffing and federal assistance.

'Big Misstep' Claim Over Nancy Guthrie Investigation Scene

Sergeant Cross laid out his concerns in detail, arguing that key decisions in the opening phase of the Nancy Guthrie investigation may have hampered the search for evidence.

He said the main mistake, in his view and that of 'many of the detectives and people in the community', was the quick release of the Guthrie home back to relatives.

'The big misstep, in my opinion, and the opinion of many of the detectives and people in the community, is just giving up the scene so quickly,' Cross said in an interview with TMZ, adding that, as he understood it, the property was returned the very next day.

'I think the next day it was given back to the family, and there was no reason for that,' he added. In practical terms, giving a scene back early can limit opportunities for follow‑up forensic work or secondary searches if new theories emerge. Cross stressed that he was not alleging deliberate sabotage, but he made clear he believes investigators boxed themselves in.

Union Boss Questions Experience Behind Nancy Guthrie Probe

Sergeant Cross also raised alarms over who was picked to lead the Nancy Guthrie investigation. He pointed out that the lead sergeant was only promoted in 2023 and, according to his recollection, had no homicide background before being placed into that unit.

'He was promoted to sergeant only in 2023, if I remember correctly, so he very rapidly went inside, from patrol and then was assigned to homicide,' Cross said.

He claimed the appointment was made by senior command staff, not through a competitive process, and that the sergeant 'had never been in homicide before'.

Cross argued that, in past practice, a homicide team would typically bring in a new detective alongside seasoned investigators who would 'show him the ropes and how to be a homicide detective'. Instead, he alleged that all detectives working on Nancy's case had 'three years or less' of experience.

Cross ultimately placed most of the blame on Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, saying it was 'almost unheard of' before Nanos' election to see someone with so little homicide experience running such a high‑profile file.

The sheriff has previously rejected suggestions that federal agents were shut out of the case, but he has not, in the information available, offered a point‑by‑point response to the union chief's latest critique.

FBI Role and Tension Around the Case

The Nancy Guthrie investigation has been dogged by speculation about how closely the FBI is working with local officers.

Cross credited federal agents with discovering key Ring camera footage from Nancy's home, describing it as crucial evidence in the timeline. He also acknowledged 'tension' between the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the FBI, without spelling out the full nature of those disagreements.

Cross suggested that some within the sheriff's office hoped to solve the case largely 'from behind a desk', implying a heavier reliance on paper review and internal meetings than on active fieldwork. In his view, that approach is unlikely to crack a disappearance that has already stretched past the six‑month mark.

Attorney General Todd Blanche Sticks to Support Role

The United States Attorney General, Todd Blanche, was recently pressed on national television over whether the FBI should take over the Nancy Guthrie investigation outright.

Appearing with interviewer Kristen Welker, Blanche was asked if it was time for federal agents to lead, given that Nancy has been missing for more than six months. Rather than endorsing a takeover, Blanche said the FBI would 'continue to offer all requested support'.

'It is a horrible situation. And I share the grief and the frustration that you and your colleagues and the whole country have in this situation,' he said.

He stressed that President Donald Trump and FBI Director Patel had pledged to provide 'the resources, anything that the investigation needs'.

Blanche added that federal authorities were working 'as hard as we can with the state and local law enforcement in every area', highlighting manpower and forensic assistance.

He also used a telling phrase, saying Washington would keep helping 'whether we come in with sharp elbows and take it over', before adding that seizing control 'is not necessarily the right thing to do for her or for anybody'.

When Welker pressed him for concrete updates, Blanche was blunt. 'I do not have any,' he said, apologising on air. Hope for 'something soon', he admitted, was all he could offer.

Earlier Blanche Comments on the Nancy Guthrie Case

It can be recalled that Blanche had already spoken about the Nancy Guthrie investigation months earlier, when he was still serving as Acting Attorney General. In an interview in early May, he insisted that the FBI and local officers had 'worked closely since the day that this happened'.

Blanche acknowledged 'reports of friction', but said federal authorities were in place 'to help' and that President Trump had authorised them to 'do everything we can to help in that investigation'. Those comments followed statements from the FBI Director indicating the agency was initially kept at arm's length, a suggestion repeatedly refuted by Sheriff Nanos.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of television presenter Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson home on 1 February. She was last seen at the property the previous evening and, despite extensive searches, her whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigators have confirmed that a masked individual was captured on camera at her home around the time she disappeared, though that person has not been publicly identified. It can be recalled that Savannah and her family have also received several ransom notes demanding cash in exchange for Nancy, but none of those demands has been verified.

Cross's comments from inside the deputies' union suggest a more fractured reality on the ground, one where questions over experience, decision‑making and control are still very much live.

Meanwhile, Blanche described the case as 'heartbreaking, especially when it plays out nationally', and promised it would remain 'a priority' for federal leadership.