The lead investigator in the Nancy Guthrie case, Sheriff Chris Nanos, resigned from his first policing job in order to avoid being fired due to a variety of infractions. The Arizona Republic reported that Nanos left the El Paso Police Department in 1982 after accumulating a list of offenses, including excessive force, off-duty gambling, misuse of his siren, and frequent tardiness.
These missteps, which included an allegation of kicking a suspect so severely they required hospitalization, led to Nanos being placed on 37 days of unpaid leave in the early 1980s. Eventually, he was given the ultimatum to resign or face termination.
Nanos chose to resign but inaccurately stated the dates of his employment in a publicly posted resume, claiming he was with the El Paso Department until 1984, two years longer than his actual tenure. The sheriff's office acknowledged these discrepancies as "clerical errors" that had been rectified, though Nanos dismissed them when questioned.
Criticism of Nanos has intensified regarding the handling of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, the 84-year-old mother of "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her Tucson home on February 1. The investigation has been ongoing for over five weeks with no significant leads and numerous errors in the search efforts.
Questions have been raised about Nanos' conflicting statements on the case and the lack of security at the scene of Nancy's abduction, allowing unauthorized individuals, including reporters and pizza delivery personnel, to access the location. Despite questioning several "persons of interest," no viable suspects have been identified, and all leads have been cleared, including a delivery driver who was unfamiliar with the missing woman.
While facing scrutiny for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie case, Nanos has had successes in his career. Notably, he led the investigation into the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords, where six people were killed and 13 injured. Nanos has been serving as the sheriff of Pima County since 2021, following two consecutive election victories. He initially joined the department as a corrections officer in 1984 after leaving El Paso.
Despite the recent controversies, Nanos has received commendations for his law enforcement work, including being named "Officer of the Year" in El Paso for his risky assignments as a decoy to apprehend drug dealers and violent criminals. The Pima County Sheriff's Office expressed support for Nanos, emphasizing his dedication to public service, professionalism, accountability, and community safety throughout his more than four-decade career in law enforcement.
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