Scandal-Plagued Sheriff Nancy Guthrie Faces Potential Dismissal Amidst Savannah Abduction Outrage

The controversy surrounding Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has reached a boiling point, with local officials expressing their outrage and suggesting he could be ousted from his position imminently. This uproar stems from his handling of the search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing since early February.

Nancy Guthrie was reportedly abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, residence, a property valued at $1 million, on February 1. Despite the passage of three months, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified, leading to increasing frustration and scrutiny of the investigation led by Sheriff Nanos.

The situation escalated when law enforcement officers were seen searching an area near Nancy’s home after a live streamer claimed to have found ‘bones’ there. However, upon further investigation, the authorities confirmed that these remains were prehistoric and unrelated to the missing woman, adding to the criticism of the sheriff’s office’s efforts.

In addition to the perceived mishandling of the case, Sheriff Nanos faces further allegations of workplace retaliation and dishonesty regarding his employment history. These accusations have intensified calls for his removal, with officials questioning his capacity to lead the department effectively.

In the wake of the bungled investigation, Nanos has been accused of workplace retaliation and of lying about his employment history.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted on March 24 to require Nanos to submit a sworn statement addressing those concerns, according to public records.

However, the two supervisors leading the charge told Fox News that Nanos failed to meet that deadline, and now they plan to move to have his office vacated at a meeting next week.

‘This is accountability for a guy who has evaded accountability for decades and is himself a public safety threat,’ said Democrat Dr. Matt Heinz, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. 

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos could be removed from office in a matter of days after outraged officials say he missed the deadline to submit a sworn statement about accusations of lying about his employment history and workplace retaliation

Savannah Guthrie’s mom was abducted from her $1 million Tucson, Arizona, home in the early hours of February 1, and there have been no arrests or suspects named in the months since

‘If the board doesn’t want to move ahead with vacating the office, I’m pretty sure that they will want to do something meaningful like a resolution expressing lack of confidence and the referral for prosecution.’

Heinz is working with the board’s only Republican, Supervisor Steve Christy, to get enough votes to force Nano to vacate.

‘He’s already failed that request. The timeline for him to provide that is over, So there’s no going back. It’s too late for that,’ Christy said.

‘So we’re into the next phase of if he doesn’t resign, then we will move toward, or at least two of us on the board will move toward, vacating his office.’ 

If they do not get enough votes to vacate, they hope to secure a unanimous vote to ask the state attorney general to investigate the perjury allegations against Nanos. 

If Nanos is convicted of perjury, he would be forced to step down, according to Heinz. 

The Daily Mail contacted Nanos’ office for comment. 

Nanos has been accused of lying about his previous work experience when he moved to Pima County, The Arizona Republic reported.

Nanos, 70, has come under fire for allegedly mishandling the probe into the missing 84-year-old mother

FBI Director Kash Patel claimed that the sheriff’s department blocked his agency from investigating for four days before finally allowing them in

Nanos’ resume stated that he worked in the El Paso Police Department until 1984, but records obtained by the newspaper found he left the department in 1982 after a series of suspensions. 

The outlet also found that in a December 2025 deposition, Nanos testified he had never been suspended at work, despite the incidents revealed in the newly uncovered records.

Nanos allegedly lied about why he left the El Paso Police Department when he applied to work in Pima County, according to the Pima County Deputy’s Organization, the sheriff’s department labor union.

‘A FOIA of his personnel file shows he did not disclose that he resigned in lieu of termination, listing “personal reasons and better paying job” instead,’ the union wrote on Facebook.

‘Lying on your application would prohibit anyone from being hired.’

Nanos has also been accused of retaliating against a political rival who was also running for sheriff at the same time as him by putting her ‘on paid administrative leave for political gain.’