Nancy Guthrie Case Sparks $3.25M Claim from Men Who Say They Were Wrongfully Detained

Two men who were detained during the Nancy Guthrie investigation have issued a claim against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and a detective involved in the case.

Lawyers on behalf of Carlos Palazuelos and Daniel Maddox, as well as Maddox’s mother Josefina, issued the notice of claim alleging wrongful arrest, defamation and damage of property on Monday, July 27.

The claim was filed almost six months after Guthrie, 84, was abducted from her Tucson, Ariz., home on Feb. 1. No charges have been filed in the case.

According to the notice of claim obtained by PEOPLE, Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies detained Palazuelos on Feb. 10 and held him “without probable cause” for about seven to eight hours.

“Carlos’ arrest was made in a public fashion that was intended to damage Carlos’ reputation and subject him to humiliation and suspicion by implicating Carlos in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie,” the claim states.

According to the notice of claim, the sheriff’s department “carried out the arrest in this improper fashion in a misguided attempt to shield itself and Sheriff Nanos from public criticism related to their handling of the case and to boost Sheriff Nanos’ public profile.”

According to the claim, the sheriff’s department “lacked probable cause to believe that Carlos had committed any crime.”

“Rather than clear Carlos and admit its mistakes, Sheriff Nanos and the PCSD remained silent in a manner that they knew would irreparably damage Carlos’ reputation and cause him significant anxiety, pain, and suffering,” the claim states.

The claim alleges that while Palazuelos was being detained, the sheriff’s department pointed guns at Daniel Maddox and placed him in handcuffs and then led him outside to a van where he was held for several hours.

According to the claim, Maddox was at his parent’s home alone playing video games with headphones on when the incident occurred.

In the claim, lawyers for Maddox’s mother Josefina, who owns the home in Rio Rico, Az., said deputies “invaded and ransacked the home and caused significant property damage. They broke the front doorframe and caved in the front door. They damaged paint, damaged ceiling tiles, and broke the entrance to the attic.”

The lawyers wrote in the claim notice that they were offering to settle the claims for $3.25 million.

On Monday, July 27 — on the same day the claim was filed — Savannah Guthrie took to Instagram to share an emotional new video plea.

“It has been months since our mom was taken from us,” the NBC morning show host said. “Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed.”

 “We have done our part and we will never stop looking for her,” she said. “We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts.”

The longtime journalist then appeared to address those responsible, stating, “The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I’m asking you, begging you to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her, tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. Help us bring this situation to an end for all of us.”

Savannah ended her message saying, “No matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, I believe there is always a way home. Please make the right choice.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment.