The Arizona sheriff at the center of the search for missing Today co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother is firing back after a new effort was launched to kick him out of office—calling his handling of the case an embarrassment.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has reportedly addressed the recall campaign against him, saying he respects the democratic process. “We’re aware of the recall, and it’s the right of the people,” he told local media, adding he’ll honor whatever voters decide.
The move to oust Nanos was revealed by The Post on Tuesday and is being led by Republican congressional candidate Daniel Butierez. Butierez claims the sheriff has mishandled the Nancy Guthrie investigation and allegedly misrepresented his job history—and says frustration is growing among both rank-and-file officers and fellow Democrats.
“He has been an embarrassment to Tucson and to Pima County with this Nancy Guthrie case,” Butierez said. “Everyone’s pretty disgusted, Democrats and Republicans.”
Since officially starting recall proceedings last Thursday, Butierez has 120 days to collect enough signatures to remove Nanos from office. Meanwhile, the county Board of Supervisors is set to meet March 24 to look into allegations about Nanos’ past employment.
Court documents reportedly show that during a sworn deposition in December, Nanos said he was never suspended as a law enforcement officer. But records from his time in El Paso allegedly reveal eight separate suspensions during his early career.
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz—also a Democrat—has not held back, telling the Arizona Republic, “This man has been living a fraud for the past 43 years in Pima County. I would like to see him removed.”
And the heat doesn’t stop there: Nanos is also facing a separate $1.35 million lawsuit from a county jail inmate, all while the search for Nancy Guthrie approaches the 50-day mark with no suspects named.
The 70-year-old was last seen January 31 after being dropped off at her Catalina Foothills home. Her pacemaker data suggests she may have been taken in the early hours of February 1.
So as the political 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒶 swirls and the clock ticks in a case that has gripped the nation, one question remains: what really happened to Nancy Guthrie?
