The sheriff leading the high-profile search for missing Nancy Guthrie, Chris Nanos, is under fire after admitting he left a previous police job to avoid discipline — as questions mount over whether he misled investigators under oath.
Chris Nanos’ legal counsel said the Pima County, Arizona sheriff misunderstood a question during a sworn deposition when he stated he had never been suspended while serving in law enforcement. The clarification comes as local officials press for answers about his leadership amid the ongoing probe into Guthrie’s disappearance, Fox News reports.
🚨🚨🚨Eighty-one days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, lawyers for Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos have submitted a 12-page written response to concerns about his prior employment record, allegations of perjury and financial concerns from the Pima County Board of Supervisors —… pic.twitter.com/e8n8Z2Bov0
— Michael Ruiz (@mikerreports) April 22, 2026
Through his lawyer, Nanos acknowledged that he left the El Paso Police Department in 1982 to avoid a three-day suspension tied to insubordination. His attorney, James Cool, argued that the sheriff’s deposition remarks were not intentionally misleading but rather stemmed from confusion about whether the question applied to his earlier career in Texas.
Concerns escalated after the Pima County Board of Supervisors, on April 7, demanded that Chris Nanos respond to allegations of perjury raised in connection with a First Amendment lawsuit filed by Pima County Deputies Association president Sgt. Aaron Cross. During that deposition, Nanos testified under oath that he had never been suspended for disciplinary reasons while working as a law enforcement officer.
In a detailed letter dated April 21, Cool defended his client’s record, emphasizing that Nanos has not faced suspension during his decades-long tenure with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which began in 1984. “It is 100% correct that Sheriff Nanos was never suspended during his four decades of decorated and faithful service with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (‘PCSD’),” Cool wrote.
He added, “However, Sheriff Nanos was suspended more than forty years ago while employed by El Paso Police Department. In the context of his live deposition, Sheriff Nanos did not understand the question related to discipline with a different agency not governed by the Arizona Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights.”
The attorney also pushed back against critics, accusing Cross and former PCSD Lt. Heather Lappin — who previously challenged Nanos in an election — of having “sustained findings of misconduct.” Cross sharply disputed the claims, calling the letter “Chock full of lies,” and questioning its validity by noting, “But did you notice it wasn’t a sworn statement, as required?”
Pima County officials have also raised broader concerns, including whether Chris Nanos improperly used his position during an election and if Lappin was unfairly targeted for investigation. As part of his response, Cool included documentation from the Justice Department stating there was “no federal predicate” for launching a criminal inquiry into those election-related allegations. “We have no further response to provide beyond what was already communicated in December 2024,” current U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Timothy Courchaine wrote.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos provided answers to questions from the Pima County Board of Supervisors in a report. https://t.co/3o1YCmUxRz
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 22, 2026
Cool further defended Chris Nanos’ handling of departmental finances and argued against requiring the sheriff to publicly answer all of the board’s questions. He also downplayed allegations of retaliation involving Cross and Lappin, both of whom have active lawsuits pending.
Records show that before joining the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in 1984 as a corrections officer, Chris Nanos briefly worked in sales and as a security guard following his departure from the El Paso Police Department. A copy of his early resume, included in the response, lists hobbies such as “boxing, fishing, pool, crosswords and physical exercise.”
Meanwhile, the case that has brought increased attention to Chris Nanos’ leadership remains unresolved. Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been taken from her home in the Catalina Foothills, just north of Tucson, in the early hours of February 1. Surveillance footage captured a masked individual at the residence, and her back door was discovered open the next morning. Authorities have yet to locate her.
Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has contributed $1 million toward a reward fund aimed at generating information that could lead to answers in the case.
