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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Nearly two months after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona-area home, a former Pima County sheriff is accusing current Sheriff Chris Nanos of mishandling the crime scene—as Nanos simultaneously faces a no-confidence vote, a recall effort, and scrutiny over his disciplinary past.
Newsweek reached out to Nanos via an email to the sheriff's department on Saturday for comment.
The Context
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home outside Tucson, Arizona, on January 31 and reported missing on February 1. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, and that drops of her blood were found on her front porch.
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Last month, the FBI released surveillance footage from a doorbell camera, showing a masked man, whom they called a suspect, outside Guthrie's front door on the night she disappeared. But since then, investigators have not identified a suspect or provided the public with information about any significant breakthroughs in the case.
What To Know
In a Friday interview with NewsNation's Brian Entin, Dr. Richard Carmona—a former U.S. surgeon general and former Pima County sheriff—told senior national correspondent Brian Entin that Nanos made a fundamental error by personally announcing the reopening of the crime scene at Nancy Guthrie's Catalina Foothills home.
"That's not something a sheriff does," Carmona said. "It's the lead detective that's out there that says, we can open this area now because we have made this determination that all of the evidence necessary has been photographed, bagged, tagged, and so on."
Carmona also pointed to a February incident in which a Domino's delivery driver—fulfilling an order placed by a viewer for an independent journalist at the scene—walked across Guthrie's front lawn and up to the front door during an active investigation. Deputies on scene did not intervene.
"If you're going to court and you're making a case, a defense attorney says, 'That crime scene was corrupted—you had people delivering pizzas,'" Carmona said. "'How do we know this is real evidence?'"
He was unsparing on the question of reconstituting the scene after the fact. "Once it has been corrupted, that's the end of it," he said. "You have not maintained the integrity of that space."
Carmona added: "The public has to have trust in its law enforcement agency. You cannot lead without trust. And when you have a sheriff that has to keep correcting himself and changing his story every day, the public loses faith in you."
Separately, the Pima County Deputies Organization (PCDO), which represents more than 300 sheriff's department members, unanimously passed a no-confidence vote against Nanos on March 24, calling for his immediate resignation.
The vote followed reporting by The Arizona Republic that Nanos had resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982— two years earlier than listed on his public resume—to avoid termination over disciplinary issues including excessive force, insubordination and off-duty gambling. The sheriff's department attributed the discrepancy to "clerical errors."
On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to compel Nanos to answer questions under oath, citing a territorial-era state law that could allow for his removal if he fails to comply.
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What People Are Saying
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos defended his department's handling of the Nancy Guthrie case in an interview with KVOA on Monday, saying: "I have no regrets about my team and their efforts. I don't regret we let the crime scene go to soon or any of that, that's just silly.”
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz previously told Newsweek that Nanos "has betrayed the trust that our community placed in him. Without that trust, he cannot effectively lead the department."
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on March 10: "Sheriff Nanos has dedicated more than four decades to law enforcement and public service. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to professionalism, accountability, and the safety of the communities he serves. As Sheriff of Pima County, he continues to lead the department with experience, integrity, and a clear focus on protecting the residents of Pima County."
What Happens Next
The Board of Supervisors' move to compel sworn testimony is being closely watched, as noncompliance could provide a legal path to remove him from office.
Meanwhile, investigators and Guthrie's family continue to urge anyone with information about her disappearance to come forward.
Correction 3/29/26, 10:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to say that Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie.
Update 3/30/26, 3:26 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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