Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was spotted at a college basketball game as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues.
Photos obtained by Fox News Digital showed Nanos seated near the front row during Saturday’s matchup between the University of Arizona and Oklahoma State.
Nanos’ latest sighting came as Savannah Guthrie and her siblings made another plea for the safe return of their 84-year-old mother.
Early Sunday morning marks one week since Nancy was abducted from her suburban Tucson home. The authorities have yet to identify any suspects.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ Latest Sighting Drew Mixed Reactions
The source of the photos, who requested anonymity, expressed dismay over Nanos attending a game as the frantic search continues with little progress.
“I think it wasn’t a good move. This whole thing being so fresh and nationwide, maybe worldwide,” the source told the outlet. “I don’t think it was good for him to do it. He’s a major part of the investigation, so it didn’t look good to me. Very sad to see him at the Arizona basketball game.”
Minutes after the basketball game ended, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, shared a video message on Instagram, pleading with the abductors to contact them.
Sheriff Previously Admitted to Missteps in Investigation
Nanos has come under fire in recent days for his handling of the case. On Friday, Fox News Digital reported that a critical aspect of the investigation was delayed due to the sheriff’s dispute with the pilot of the department’s high-tech search craft.
“Three hours in a search for a vulnerable adult is an eternity,” a law enforcement source told the outlet.
Nanos also admitted in an interview with the Arizona Republic that he made other missteps early in the investigation.
He acknowledged that his department released Nancy’s home as a crime scene too soon, only to return days later to recover additional evidence.
Nanos started his career in law enforcement at the El Paso Police Department in Texas in 1976. In 1984, he became a corrections officer in Pima County and was promoted to deputy the following year.
He became chief of the department’s investigative bureau in 2012 and chief deputy in 2014. In 2015, Nanos was appointed sheriff, but lost an election in 2016 to retain the position.
He ran again in 2020 and won by a narrow margin. In 2024, Nanos’ reelection bid won by 481 votes.
Why is this even news? Nanos can spend his time as he chooses when he’s on his time off. This is a reach, and ridiculous