Search for Nancy Guthrie Intensifies as Sheriff Chris Nanos Faces Scrutiny Over Past Disciplinary Record and Misleading Statements

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is facing renewed scrutiny over his past employment history as he continues to oversee the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The controversy emerged after Nanos acknowledged through his attorney that he resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982 to avoid disciplinary action, a detail that contradicts earlier statements he made under oath.

During a sworn deposition tied to a federal lawsuit filed by Sgt. Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Association, Nanos testified that he had never been suspended as a law enforcement officer. But, his attorney James Cool later clarified that Nanos had indeed been suspended multiple times during his tenure with the El Paso Police Department from 1976 to 1982, though he maintained the sheriff “did not understand the question” when asked about discipline from a different agency.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors has demanded answers regarding Nanos’ employment history, invoking a territorial-era law that allows officials to compel sworn testimony. In response, Cool submitted a 22-page document denying allegations of misrepresentation and arguing that actions from decades ago are irrelevant to Nanos’ current performance as sheriff.

Critics, including Pima County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Dr. Matt Heinz, have accused Nanos of perpetrating a fraud by lying about his past employment for decades. Heinz stated that Nanos made “really bad decisions and then lied about his past,” calling the behavior “shameful and insulting” to the 1,500 members of the sheriff’s department he leads.

The controversy has been further fueled by allegations that Nanos used his office for political gain and targeted critics for investigation. Former sheriff’s office official Heather Lappin, who ran against Nanos in a previous election, has been involved in the broader dispute, with county officials questioning whether Nanos improperly leveraged his position during campaigns.

As part of his defense, Cool included a communication from the U.S. Department of Justice stating there was “no federal predicate” for opening a criminal investigation into election-related allegations against Nanos. Attorney Timothy Courchaine wrote that the DOJ had “no further response to provide beyond what was already communicated in December 2024.”

The ongoing scrutiny comes as the search for Nancy Guthrie remains unresolved. Guthrie was believed to have been abducted from her home in the Catalina Foothills near Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1, 2026. Surveillance footage showed a masked intruder at her residence, and her back door was found open the following morning. Her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, co-host of the Today show, has contributed $1 million toward a combined reward for information leading to her mother’s whereabouts.

No official updates on the Nancy Guthrie case have been released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in recent weeks. The department continues to follow investigative leads, though no arrests have been made and the case remains active.

As of April 26, 2026, the Pima County Board of Supervisors has not announced a date for a potential hearing regarding Sheriff Nanos’ compliance with their request for sworn testimony. The board previously gave Nanos a deadline to respond to their inquiries, which his legal team met with the submission of the 22-page response on April 21, 2026.

Readers seeking official updates on the Nancy Guthrie investigation can monitor the Pima County Sheriff’s Department website or attend public meetings of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where the matter may be discussed further.