The search for Nancy Guthrie, missing since February 1st, continues to grip the Tucson community, even as questions swirl around the leadership of Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. A recent demand from the County Board of Supervisors for answers regarding Nanos’s past has ignited a firestorm of scrutiny, threatening to overshadow the desperate hunt for the missing woman.
At the heart of the controversy lies a discrepancy in Sheriff Nanos’s sworn testimony. He initially stated he had never faced suspension as a result of disciplinary action during his law enforcement career. However, his attorney has now confirmed Nanos resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982 to avoid a three-day suspension for insubordination – a revelation that prompted the Board’s initial inquiry.
The sheriff’s legal team argues this was a misunderstanding, claiming Nanos misinterpreted the question during his deposition, specifically regarding discipline within a different agency. They emphasize his unblemished record during his four decades with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, highlighting his “decorated and faithful service.”
This explanation hasn’t quelled the concerns of some, including Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Association, who filed the initial lawsuit that brought these issues to light. Accusations of potential interference in the recent election and wrongful targeting of a political opponent, former Lieutenant Heather Lappin, have also been leveled against the sheriff.
The Board of Supervisors requested Nanos answer questions “under oath,” seeking clarity on these allegations. However, a review by the Justice Department, conducted by both the previous and current U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, found “no federal predicate” for a criminal investigation into the election claims, effectively closing that avenue of inquiry.
Nanos’s attorney vigorously defended the sheriff’s handling of the department’s budget and argued against a public interrogation, citing ongoing lawsuits filed by both Cross and Lappin. The legal team also pointed to alleged “sustained findings of misconduct” against both individuals, attempting to shift the focus.
A glimpse into Nanos’s early career reveals a path less traveled before his long tenure with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. After leaving El Paso, he briefly worked in sales and as a security guard before joining the department in 1984 as a corrections officer. His 1984 resume also reveals a diverse set of hobbies, including boxing, fishing, and crossword puzzles.
Despite the mounting legal and political pressures, the primary focus remains the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie. Abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills in the early hours of February 1st, she was last seen on doorbell camera footage as a masked intruder approached her property. Her back door was found open the following morning, and her whereabouts remain a heartbreaking mystery.
The case has garnered national attention, fueled in part by the involvement of Guthrie’s daughter, Savannah Guthrie, co-host of “Today,” who has contributed $1 million towards the reward for information leading to her mother’s safe return. Every passing day intensifies the urgency and the anguish of those hoping for a miracle.
