Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been under fire for his controversial decisions in the manhunt for Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie. New facts about him have risked his job.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has been under constant scrutiny for its alleged lack of efficiency in finding Today co-host Savannah Guthrie's octogenarian mother, Nancy Guthrie. The 84-year-old went missing from her Catalina Foothills home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1, 2026, and there has been no trace of her after more than six weeks of search. With the public outrage over the handling of Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping case intensifying, the PCSD Sheriff, Chris Nanos, has come under intense fire. What began as a criticism over an unsolved disappearance has now escalated into a full-blown recall effort, questioning the sheriff's credibility.
The scrutiny around Sheriff Nanos has intensified in the past week after reports surfaced about discrepancies in his résumé. According to reports, Nanos resigned from his first policing role with the El Paso Police Department in 1982 after a series of disciplinary issues. He had been reportedly accused of gambling off-duty, misuse of a siren, and "simple tardiness", as per the Arizona Republic. He once allegedly kicked a suspect in the head that resulted in their hospitalisation, after which he was suspended for 37 days and given the option to resign or face termination. He chose to step down.
What has raised eyebrows is the fact that his publicly available résumé mentions his year of departure from the El Paso Police Department in 1984, two years later than his actual departure, questioning his credibility. However, officials described it as a clerical error that has since been corrected. Nevertheless, in light of the Nancy Guthrie case, these revealton revelations have only drawn more backlash and raised concerns over the possibilities of investigative missteps.
With the Nancy Gathrie case developing into a full-blown national issue, Sheriff Nanos has been bombarded with criticism from all over the country, especially after he dismissed Nancy's son-in-law, Tomasso Cioni, and her daughter, Annie Guthrie, as innocent "victims" early on in the investigation. And now, with his resume error, his credibility is being questioned by the locals and political personnel alike.
On March 17, 2026, The New York Post shared that the Pima County locals are furious at Chris Nanos, raising the demand for a recall effort. Daniel Butierez, a Republican congressional candidate, confirmed with the outlet that a formal recall effort was filed on March 12, requiring organizers to gather around 120,000 signatures within 120 days to trigger a vote. Citing last week's résumé discrepancy, which indicated that the sheriff lied under oath, Butierez told the outlet:
“This is a bipartisan effort. It’s not like we’re trying to get signatures from one party or the other... He has been an embarrassment to Tucson and to Pima County with this Nancy Guthrie case. Everyone’s pretty disgusted, Democrats and Republicans."
The effort to oust Sheriff Nanos from his position has already gathered 500 volunteers who are actively collecting signatures to meet the target. If the recall effort succeeds, Nanos could be forced to either resign or face a special election. Meanwhile, Nanos remains in his position, despite the rising pressure.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared on February 1, 2026, from her Tucson, Arizona home, with the case treated as a suspected abduction after blood traces were found in the property. FBI footage showed a masked individual attempting a break-in, but no suspect has been identified still. According to Brian Entin and NewsNation, agents recently asked nearby residents to review security footage from January 11 and 24, 2026, canvassing local homes and examining surveillance recordings for clues.
The FBI is trying to retrace Nancy's final moments in the days before she went missing. Officials have reportedly spoken with employees at a local Mexican restaurant where Nancy filmed a segment for the Today program. They are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing people who may have interacted with her to establish a clear timeline of her activities before February 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie remains on a hiatus from her Today hosting duties, but NBC has confirmed that she plans to return eventually.
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