Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has brought one name into the spotlight. It’s none other than Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. The months-long investigation has yet to reach its resolution.
Despite the best efforts of the cops and the FBI, the elderly woman has not been reunited with her family. As a result, Sheriff Nanos has faced heavy criticism. He is accused of mishandling the high-profile disappearance case.
As much as I may disagree with Sheriff Chris Nanos, the $1 million lawsuit being circulated against him comes from an inmate claiming COVID quarantine and distancing violations.
Spare everyone the clickbait, if you want proper distancing don’t become an inmate.
— 🅽🅴🆁🅳🆈 (@Nerdy_Addict) March 10, 2026
Meanwhile, it seems setbacks and hurdles are not going to leave Chris Nanos’ side anytime soon. Well, the sheriff is now facing a $1.35 million lawsuit from an inmate lodged in Arizona. Nanos and his department are accused of putting the plaintiff’s life at risk. The claim is that they failed to follow COVID-19 protocols. These violations, as per court documents, occurred inside the Pima County Jail.
Inmate Christopher Michael Marx alleged that Nanos and his deputies were moving between two units in the jail. One unit housed a quarantined inmate. The other was where Marx himself was held. Nanos made no proper sanitation efforts. This put Marx at risk, along with other healthy inmates in the jail. As per the plaintiff’s filing, Nanos’ action violated Article 2 of Arizona’s Declaration of Rights.
Marx further explained in his lawsuit, “This deputy was going back and forth working both units … our unit was on lockdown because this deputy was working both units. This put my life in jeopardy with their actions, constantly. I could have died.” He further pressed that neither Nanos nor his other team members were making any efforts to contain the virus from spreading anywhere else, putting his life at risk.
In the lawsuit, the inmate who is imprisoned for shoplifting, said he wants an “apology from the sheriff”. Christopher further demanded damages worth $1.3 million. He said the money would be donated to two residential buildings that house formerly homeless people.
The lawsuit also demanded that Nanos and his staff disinfect themselves before moving between units. This applies to both quarantined and non-quarantined areas of the jail.
With the lawsuit now public, it seems the Pima County Jail is facing broader questions about mismanagement inside the unit. However, the Pima County Sheriff’s office has yet to respond to any questions for comment.
This is interesting indeed. Why would he do this? Embattled Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is under fire for locking down the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s abduction — limiting all decisions to just himself and two senior officers, according to a new report.
— S (@honestypatriot) March 9, 2026
In other news, Chris Nanos continues to receive much criticism over the way he and his team have handled the ongoing Nancy Guthrie disappearance case. The 83-year-old woman has been missing from her Arizona home for over a month. Neither investigative team on the case has been able to track down a prime suspect. It has raised some serious questions about the seriousness of their efforts.
Additionally, several critics have argued that it has been Nanos alone who has let his ego get the best of him. They believe Nanos has used his vendetta against the FBI to prevent a thorough investigation, according to the New York Post. Public frustration over the disappearance case continues to grow. Calls for answers have grown louder as a result.
