How Sheriff Chris Nanos Recall Could Affect Investigation, Retired FBI Agent Speculates
Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mom, Nancy Guthrie, is still missing more than six weeks after the abduction from her Tucson, Ariz., home—and a retired FBI agent just weighed in amid an effort to recall Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
In the Wednesday, March 18 episode of Brian Entin Investigates, NewsNation Senior Investigative Reporter Brian Entin spoke with former FBI special agent Maureen O’Connell about the situation.
“I really hate being critical of my fellow law enforcement officers, but I just don’t know what to think about this guy,” O’Connell admitted of Nanos. “My understanding from reporting that Megyn Kelly did the other day that he had something like a 95% disapproval rating before this case, which is pretty shocking.”
She continued, “So if those people feel it’s time for him to go, it might just be time for him to go. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t know…”
When asked if Nanos’ being ousted as sheriff would have an impact on Nancy’s case, O’Connell replied, “No. The continuity? No, it would not. Because it’s not like he’s holding the whole thing together.”
The recall effort launched on March 12, the Pima County Elections Department confirmed. Among those gathering signatures with a goal of removing Nanos from office is Daniel Butierez, a Republican congressional candidate in Arizona. More than 120,000 signatures must be collected in 120 days.
“We’re aware of the recall, and it’s the right of the people,” Nanos told KOLD on March 17. “We’ll always honor the will of the people, and that’s what makes democracy.”
Nancy was last seen at her Catalina Foothills residence on the evening of Jan. 31. The PCSD launched its search for the 84-year-old on Feb. 1, and as of writing, no suspect has been named.
Nancy Guthrie case: Former FBI agent explains why probe is going in circles; ‘they’re retracing…’
A former FBI agent explains why the search for Nancy Guthrie is going deeper after weeks with no leads.
More than six weeks after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson home, a former FBI agent is shedding light on why the investigation may appear to be going in circles.
84-year-old Nancy, mother of Savannah Guthrie was reported missing on February 1 and despite 45 days of searching, there have been no major leads or suspects and authorities have not confirmed where she might be.
Why the investigation is going deeper
In a recent interview with Brian Entin of Brian Entin Investigates, former FBI agent Steve Moore explained that investigators are now likely going back over earlier steps and checking things they may not have focused on before.
Some neighbors questioned why certain leads, like contractors working nearby, were only being looked into now. Moore said this is actually a normal part of an investigation.
“Obviously, it means they’re retracing steps. And I’ve used this analogy with you before. Say, you can’t find your car keys and you go walk through the house or the apartment you look for where you usually leave them,” Moore explained.
“They’re not there. Then you have to go back and you have to go back and you have to retrace and you have to say, ‘Hey, what pants was I wearing?” or ‘Where’s my purse?’ or whatever, like that, and you go to the second level.”
“When you get down to the third or fourth level these things are things you don’t usually check, but you may start pulling cushions off beds or off couches things like that. You’ll go in deeper and deeper and deeper.”
What ‘pulling up cushions’ means
Moore said investigators usually start with the most obvious places and leads first. Only when those do not work do they begin checking less obvious possibilities.
“So people ask why didn’t the FBI do this all already? Because the normal search yields your keys in about 20 seconds,” he said.
“The secondary search yields them in about 2-5 minutes. And if you start with undoing the couches, the couch cushions in your living room you’ll never get to the bedroom where the keys are.”
Referring to the case, he added that investigators are now at that deeper stage.
“So they now are obviously to the point where they are pulling up cushions in the couch and I think that would explain they are not actually at day two, though I understand completely why it seems that way.”
“They are where they would have been if all else, all normal searches, didn’t work.”
The case remains confusing even after more than 45 days. Police have not identified any suspects. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to search for answers.
Meanwhile, Savannah Guthrie and her family have offered a $1 million reward for anyone who provides information that could help “bring her home.” Officials say the investigation remains active as the search for Nancy continues.
FBI obtains final heartbreaking video of Nancy Guthrie from night before her abduction
FBI investigators have obtained the final video of missing Nancy Guthrie taken hours before she vanished, but the haunting footage has left more questions than answers
The search for missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken a poignant turn after investigators confirmed they have obtained the final known video footage of her from the evening before she vanished.
Nancy, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, has now been missing for nearly seven weeks after disappearing from her home in Tucson under mysterious circumstances.
She was last seen on January 31 following a family dinner with her daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. According to Tommaso, he personally walked Nancy into her $1 million home that evening to ensure she was safe. By the following morning, she had vanished without a trace. It comes after a chilling new theory emerged on how Nancy Guthrie was sickeningly taken from her home.
Now, investigative reporter Dave Mack has revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has obtained what is believed to be the last video of Nancy alive, footage captured inside an Uber she took to Annie’s house the day before her disappearance.
Speaking on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Mack shared new insight into the material, though its contents have not been made public. “The Uber driver turned over all the video from inside the vehicle,” he said.
“This was looked at by the investigation. They found nothing of substance of anything of Nancy Guthrie in the vehicle, anything she said, her demeanor, nothing was mentioned,” Mack told Grace. Despite hopes the footage might provide a breakthrough, it appears to show nothing out of the ordinary.
“They interviewed the Uber driver at length. And again, there was nothing to report. It was just a regular pick up and drop off. Remember, Guthrie only took the Uber, leaving her house and going to Annie [Guthrie] and Tommaso [Cioni],” he continued, adding, “But again, the Uber driver video has been given to law enforcement. They haven’t released it to the public.”
The lack of evidence in the video has only deepened the mystery surrounding Nancy’s disappearance, which authorities believe may involve an abduction.
In a desperate push for answers, the Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s safe return or the identification of those responsible. This is in addition to $200,000 being offered by the authorities and is intended to encourage anyone with even the smallest piece of information to come forward, stressing that seemingly minor details could prove vital in solving the case.
Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office continues to process an overwhelming number of leads. Detectives have followed up on more than 40,000 tips since Nancy was reported missing on February 1, yet no suspect has been publicly identified and no arrests have been made.
Officials are urging anyone with information to contact the dedicated Pima County tip line, stressing that even the smallest detail could prove crucial as the reward remains on offer. In an effort to quell speculation, officials have also confirmed that members of the Guthrie family have been fully cleared of any involvement in the case.
As the investigation continues, the unreleased Uber footage remains a haunting final glimpse into Nancy’s last known movements. It comes after Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor issued a chilling eight-word description of the suspected kidnapper.