Arizona sheriff in Nancy Guthrie investigation faces recall efforts

Stephanie Murray and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY NETWORKWed, March 18, 2026 at 10:43 AM UTC

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Amid the ongoing search for Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, the future of the Arizona sheriff leading the investigation is in question.

A recall petition is being circulated against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos in light of outrage over the misrepresentation of his work history in a sworn deposition, according to reporting from the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Daniel Butierez, a Tucson Republican running in Arizona's deep-blue 7th Congressional District, is currently collecting signatures for a potential recall of Nanos.

"I'm looking for people to help us out, get involved, go out, get signatures, you can have Democrats, independents, Republicans, sign these as long as they live within Pima County," he said in a Facebook video. "Help us get these done, get these signed, and let's get the sheriff out of office and get someone in there that we can feel confident in."

Court records show Nanos, who is serving a second elected term as the top law enforcement officer for Pima County, also misrepresented his early work history on his public resume. His work history will be up for discussion when the county's Board of Supervisors meets on March 24.

“When you see something this troubling and serious going on with one of the county officeholders, it's very, very important for us to investigate as fully as possible and to find out more information,” Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz, a fellow Democrat, told the Republic in a telephone interview.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks to the media on Feb. 3, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona, answering questions about the search for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie.What did Sheriff Chris Nanos misrepresent?

During a December sworn deposition, Sheriff Nanos was asked whether he had ever been suspended during his career in law enforcement.

Nanos answered "no," although El Paso Police Department employment records show he was suspended eight separate times as a young police officer.

"This man has been living a fraud for the past 43 years in Pima County," Heinz said. "I would like to see him removed."

Heinz's agenda item for the March 24 meeting is a starting point for discussion, he said. The supervisor and his team met with outside counsel to discuss how to handle the Nanos issue on Monday, March 16, he said.

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The supervisors are set to meet at the Pima County Administration Building in Tucson, Arizona, at 9 a.m. local time March 24, though a public agenda was not yet available as of March 16.

Nanos was suspended for 37 days as young officer in El Paso

Nanos resigned in lieu of termination from El Paso police after facing discipline for excessive force, a shot fired, off-duty gambling and other issues, according to public documents. He was suspended or placed on leave without pay for a cumulative 37 days, records show.

He also misstated his departure date from El Paso police on a public résumé posted to the Pima County Sheriff's Department website. Nanos revised the document, which said he left El Paso in 1984, on March 10 to reflect that he resigned in 1982.

Nanos had been a rising star at the El Paso Police Department and won an officer of the year award for saving his partner's life in a 1979 incident. However, records show that his disciplinary problems caught up to him by the early 1980s.

The sheriff initially brushed off questions about the deposition and his public résumé. When a Republic reporter asked Nanos for comments, he sent flippant emails saying "good luck with your hit piece" and "ignore her."

1 / 0Search for Nancy Guthrie and person suspected of taking her continues

“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was seemingly abducted from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. Authorities released photos and videos on Feb. 10, of a potential suspect who was caught tampering with a camera on her front door on the morning of her disappearance.

Search for Nancy Guthrie continues

Pima County is home to more than 1 million people and has been put in the national spotlight after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of the "Today" anchor.

The 84-year-old was last seen on Jan. 31 and was presumably abducted in the early hours of Feb. 1 by a suspect shown in doorbell camera footage.

More than a month after Nancy Guthrie's suspected abduction, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a Friday, March 13, update that investigators continue to analyze evidence, including "material from laboratories as well as images and videos captured by camera."

On a March 12 episode of "NBC Nightly News," Nanos said authorities believe they know why the suspect kidnapped Guthrie but did not share the theory.

"Don't think for a minute that because it happened to the Guthrie family, you're safe. No, keep your wits about you," he told NBC correspondent Liz Kreutz. "From day one, we had some strong beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs haven't diminished."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sheriff Chris Nanos faces recall efforts amid Nancy Guthrie search

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