Nancy Guthrie Case Crisis: Sheriff Chris Nanos Refuses Oath as Fraud Claims Jeopardise 87-Day Search for Savannah Guthrie's Mother

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has refused to submit sworn testimony to county supervisors investigating his disciplinary record, escalating a credibility crisis that local officials say has now jeopardised the 87-day search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie.

A 22-Page Response Without an Oath

Nanos's attorney, James Cool, filed a 22-page response with the Pima County Board of Supervisors on 21 April 2026, addressing the sheriff's employment history, disciplinary record, immigration cooperation, and budget overruns. The filing was not made under oath, despite Arizona Revised Statutes section 11-253 (ARS 11-253) requiring sworn testimony from county officers compelled to report to the board.

Board Vice Chair Matt Heinz called the unsworn filing 'troubling' in remarks to Arizona Public Media, saying Nanos had missed the deadline despite the statute's clear requirement.

In a separate NewsNation interview, Heinz accused the sheriff of having 'perpetrated a fraud' on his community for four decades. Cool, in his letter, contended that the board's 8 April invitation never used the words 'sworn' or 'under oath'.

Eight Suspensions and a Resignation in Lieu of Termination

The credibility dispute draws from internal affairs files at the El Paso Police Department, where Nanos worked from 1976 to 1982. Records obtained by The Arizona Republic show Nanos was suspended eight times during his Texas tenure, accumulating 37 days of lost work for incidents involving excessive force, insubordination, off-duty gambling, and habitual tardiness.

A 15-day suspension in March 1982 followed an incident in which Nanos struck a handcuffed suspect in the head with a flashlight, sending the man to intensive care. He was not indicted.

Nanos resigned in July 1982 'in lieu of termination,' with insubordination and inefficiency listed in the records. The Pima County Deputies Association passed a unanimous no-confidence vote in March, with 241 of 306 members demanding his immediate resignation.

A 70-Day Delay on Critical DNA Evidence

Concerns about Nanos's leadership extend to forensic handling. A hair sample recovered inside Guthrie's Catalina Foothills home was sent first to a private Florida laboratory contracted by the sheriff's department, despite the FBI requesting the evidence weeks earlier. The hair has since been transferred to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for advanced testing.

FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson confirmed the delay in a statement on X, saying the bureau had requested the sample roughly two months earlier with the same forensic technology already at its disposal.

Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told her podcast audience that the family had every reason to be 'upset' over the lost time.

What Comes Next for Tucson and the Guthrie Family

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will formally discuss Nanos' case handling on 12 May 2026. Removing him is legally complicated. Supervisor Jen Allen told AZPM that ARS 11-253 offered 'no precedent' for vacating a sheriff's office, even when a sworn report goes unfiled.

Separately, the federal trial of Derrick Callella, a 42-year-old California man accused of sending fake Bitcoin ransom texts to Guthrie's family on 4 February, is scheduled for 23 June 2026 at the federal courthouse in Tucson. Callella faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on 31 January at her Tucson home and was reported missing the next morning. Bloodstains matching her DNA were found on her front porch, and her pacemaker app disconnected at around 2:30 a.m. that night.

The Guthrie family is offering $1 million (£739,000) for information leading to Nancy's safe return. The FBI has posted a $100,000 (£74,000) reward for tips resulting in recovery or conviction, and 88-CRIME, a southern Arizona tipline, has added $102,500 (£76,000). The combined pool, above $1.2 million (£887,000), has not produced an actionable lead.