The sheriff facing criticism for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie abduction case has disclosed that there are undisclosed details about her disappearance that the public is not privy to.
It has been over 100 days since the 84-year-old was kidnapped from her $1 million residence in Tucson, Arizona, during the early hours of February 1. Despite the passage of four months, no one has been apprehended, nor have any suspects been identified.
However, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, aged 70, assured that the investigation remains active. In a conversation with KOLD reporter Renee Romo, he confirmed there is “absolutely” information regarding Guthrie’s disappearance that has not been made public.
“It’s not about keeping secrets,” he clarified. “It’s about safeguarding our investigation.”
Nanos also expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts to locate the masked intruder who abducted Guthrie and was seen on surveillance video interfering with her doorbell camera.
“I am convinced that eventually, we will secure an arrest in this case,” he stated. “The individual responsible will be entitled to a fair and impartial trial.”
Guthrie was last seen on January 31, when she was dropped off at her $1 million home after dinner with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni.
Her front doorbell camera was disconnected, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation later recovered footage of a masked suspect with a backpack on her doorstep.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has revealed that investigators are withholding certain information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance from the public
The 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie was abducted from her $1 million Tucson, Arizona home in the early hours of February 1
Several ransom letters were also sent to TMZ and local news affiliates, and this week a single strand of DNA recovered from the scene was undergoing extensive testing at an FBI crime lab after Pima County authorities initially sent it to a private lab in Florida.
That testing, Nanos said, ‘moves at a snail’s pace.’
Once it’s completed, though, Pima County detectives hope to locate the person responsible for Guthrie’s abduction and connect him or her to digital evidence as they comb through ‘thousands and thousands of video’ from local intersections and Ring doorbell cameras, Nanos told PEOPLE.
‘There’s way too much work to be done, that is ongoing, with some of the physical evidence we have,’ he said. ‘And we’re not going to give up on it just because it’s been 100 days.’
At the same time, Nanos said he understood the public’s frustration over the lack of answers.
‘But this is just like any other case,’ he said. ‘Sometimes it takes a long time.’
The sheriff went on to explain to PEOPLE that he believes much of the public criticism over his handling of the case overlooks the realities of how complex criminal investigations unfold – especially when detectives are intentionally withholding information.
‘The sheriff doesn’t do the investigation, his team does,’ Nanos said. ‘There are several people dedicated to this team, and they are the talent.
‘Criticizing those who are actually out there touching it, smelling it, handling it, doing that work – that’s just absolutely shameful,’ he continued. ‘Those young men and women are working hard every day.’
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The sheriff expressed his optimism that investigators will find the masked man who took Guthrie from her home
Guthrie was last seen on January 31, when she was dropped off at her $1 million home after dinner with her daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni
A masked man was captured tampering with Guthrie’s doorbell camera on the night of her abduction
‘When you have the best minds of the country working on problems, I think they’re gonna solve them. It just takes time,’ he added.
The interviews came just days after the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to refer Nanos to the office of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes over perjury allegations.
‘My chief concern with what’s been going on within the sheriff’s department is that our elected sheriff has taken no discernible efforts to repair relationships and trust within our largest department,’ Supervisor Rex Scott said following the vote on Tuesday.
‘The most telling example of that was the unanimous vote of the Pima County Deputy’s Organization declaring no confidence in his leadership.’
Earlier in the meeting, Supervisor Steve Christy also put forward a motion to have Nanos vacate the sheriff’s office, but the motion failed.
Nanos has come under fire for his handling of the Guthrie case
Nanos has been accused of lying about his previous work experience when he moved to Pima County, The Arizona Republic reported.
His resume stated that he worked for 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.’
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to refer concerns related to Nanos’ work history to the attorney general’s office for investigation
In March, the Board of Supervisors voted to require Nanos to submit a sworn statement addressing those concerns.
He submitted a statement on April 21, but faced scrutiny from Christy and Supervisor Matt Heinz because the document was allegedly written and signed by the sheriff’s lawyer, not Nanos himself.
Nanos signed the report on May 1, and it was sent to the board, but Christy and Heinz had concerns that it was past the deadline he was initially given.
However, on Tuesday, after receiving legal counsel’s advice, the board decided to refer the allegations against Nanos to the attorney general’s office.
‘Responses were submitted, those responses were reviewed, and our legal counsel has informed us regarding the limits of this board’s authority to proceed with any further action moving forward,’ Supervisor Andres Cano said.
The Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the board’s concerns in a statement to the Daily Mail.
‘Sheriff Chris Nanos was elected to lead the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and focus on public safety in our community, and that remains his priority,’ the statement said.
‘Sheriff Nanos has heard Supervisor Scott’s concerns and agrees that if there are issues within the agency, it is his responsibility to address them.
‘He plans to meet with union leadership to discuss concerns and determine a constructive path forward.’
