Sheriff is accused of locking FBI AND his own detectives out of crucial decision-making in Nancy Guthrie kidnap probe
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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has 'locked down' the Nancy Guthrie investigation amid escalating tensions between his team and the FBI that have reached the boiling point, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Several sources say that Nanos is now insisting that only he and two of his highest-ranking inner circle will make decisions regarding the case of the missing 84-year-old.
Several PCSD sources confirmed to the Daily Mail that just three decision makers are leading the department's investigation: Sheriff Nanos, Chief Jesus Lopez and Captain Juan Carlos Navarro.
'He will only let himself or two of his handpicked staffers make decisions on the case,' one law enforcement source told the Daily Mail.
'Everybody else is being told what to do, no one else has a say so or an opinion. It's just three men making the decisions.
'It's incredibly unusual to do that, when you have so many people working together and the FBI are involved.
'All the other detectives are out there busting their butts and doing all they can, but those three people are making the ultimate decisions after everyone reports back to them.
'It's limited to the thought processes of three men. They're keeping everything from the FBI – they just aren't sharing.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has restricted key decisions in the Nancy Guthrie case to himself and two top deputies, sidelining veteran detectives and the FBI
Chief Jesus Lopez (right) and Captain Juan Carlos Navarro, part of Sheriff Nanos’ inner circle, are among just three decision-makers running the department’s investigation, PCSD sources confirmed to the Daily Mail
Nancy was reported missing in Tucson, Arizona, at noon on February 1 by her family. She hadn't been seen since the previous night
'Nanos is pompous and wants the spotlight, rather than focusing on Nancy and letting the FBI do their job.'
Law enforcement sources also added that Sgt David Stivers is officially in charge of the case, but any information given to him is passed straight up the chain.
Sgt. David Stivers is officially in charge of the case, but sources say any information he receives is passed straight up the chain
Another source added: 'So no actual detectives are steering this, just command staff. This is highly unusual. Normally an experienced detective would steer it and provide updates through the chain of command.
'To be fair, it's typical to keep key details under tight wraps as we saw in the Idaho case. What is unusual is command driving the investigation. It's the tail wagging the dog.'
The PCSD did not respond to requests for comments by the Daily Mail.
Chief Lopez serves as the Pima County Sheriff's Department's second-in-command, overseeing day-to-day operations across patrol and investigative divisions.
Captain Navarro is a senior command officer within the agency, tasked with supervising major case operations and departmental investigative strategy.
Even Nano's former number two has taken aim at the beleaguered sheriff, branding him a 'quintessential micromanager' who is 'not effective'.
Former Chief Deputy Richard Kastigar Jr., who retired in 2023 after 46 years on the job, told the Daily Mail: 'This case should have been turned over to the FBI two weeks ago and the sheriff's department should have followed and supported them.
The source claimed Nanos and his handpicked team are withholding key information from the FBI and have ordered all investigators to report directly to them
Investigators got a lucky break when they recovered the ring doorbell footage showing a masked man approaching Guthrie's door on the night authorities say she went missing
Nanos previously denied claims that he was icing out the FBI, saying he had been advised by the agency to not 'let the media divide us'
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 at her home in Tucson, Arizona, and authorities believe she was snatched against her will sometime around 2am on February 1.
Former Chief Deputy Richard Kastigar Jr. said the case should have been handed to the FBI weeks ago, adding that Nanos still holds a grudge toward the bureau for its 2015 investigation into his department
The massive hunt for Today show host Savannah Guthrie's mom has now hit 18 days, and authorities still haven't made any arrests in the alleged kidnapping.
Nanos has been hit with a barrage of criticism over his handling of the case, including for sending DNA samples to be tested at a facility in Florida, rather than allowing the FBI to use their state-of-the-art lab in Quantico, Virginia.
'All the evidence should have gone to Quantico from the beginning,' Kastigar told the Daily Mail.
'Chris is keeping this tight inner circle and not letting anyone in because he's unwilling to turn the investigation over to the FBI so he can tightly control it himself.
'He has great disdain for the FBI. They investigated his department in 2016 and he's still p****d. He holds a grudge.'
'If it's only Chris and three people handling it, that's ludicrous. Pima County doesn't have the experience and resources to handle a story that at this point may have gone international.'
The sheriff has repeatedly denied claims of a breakdown in cooperation with federal partners and has previously insisted that reports suggesting the FBI has been blocked from accessing forensic material are 'not true.'
He even claimed in one of his many media interviews since Nancy vanished that an FBI agent told him not to 'let the media divide us'.
Nanos has faced intense criticism for his handling of the case, including for sending DNA samples to a Florida facility instead of allowing the FBI to use itsstate-of-the-art lab in Quantico, Virginia (pictured)
A 2016 video shows Nanos boasting to local station KGUN9 that his department had 'real policemen,' while deriding the FBI over its investigation into alleged misuse of funds
'I was so upset when they started saying, well, we're not playing well with the FBI and the sheriff's blocking evidence', Nanos previously told the Daily Mail. 'I think here in Tucson, we're very unique to the rest of the country.
'We get along well with all of our brethren and sisters in law enforcement, and we work very close with them all, to include our federal partners, to include our local and state partners.
'We value the FBI. The FBI values us. But, you know, more important than that, our community values all of us.'
But despite his protests, several sources insist that Nanos is still preventing the FBI from accessing key evidence in the Guthrie case.
'At this point they really don't know what to do,' the source said. 'He's stonewalling them. They're not even sure why.
'It's not just ego. It's as if he's maybe dragging this out for some reason they can't figure out.'
Another told the Daily Mail: 'He's the boss and he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't answer to the FBI. They're separate agencies. The FBI's hands are pretty much tied.'
Sources said Nanos's team has gotten 'lucky' throughout the investigation, including finding surveillance footage that showed a masked suspect.
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from the home she has lived in for more than 50 years
Hours after authorities believe she was abducted from her home, her pacemaker disconnected from an Apple Watch left behind
The black nitrile glove seen on Nancy's doorbell footage just before her disappearance was later ruled not to match DNA from her home or any profile in the national CODIS database
The FBI began investigating the Pima County Sheriff's Department in 2015 for misuse of civil asset forfeiture funds.
Sources have accused Nanos of not passing the lead responsibility to the FBI, as he reportedly holds anger toward the agency because the probe may have cost him a reelection in 2016.
Frustrations surrounding the Guthrie investigation have heaped pressure on Nanos, who has come under scrutiny for his handling of the case amid allegations he made crucial errors in the first hours of the search.
Nancy was last seen on the evening of January 31 entering her home in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona. Her pacemaker disconnected from an Apple Watch at her home hours later.
A glove discovered two miles from her home had been touted as the first major break in the search which has now in its third week without any suspects or persons of interest being named.
The black nitrile glove appeared to match one worn by a masked suspect seen on Nancy's doorbell camera just before her disappearance.
The failed glove match came a week after delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos was arrested in connection with the case, only to be released without charges hours later, embarrassing the department after 18 days without finding Nancy
On February 12, Pima County SWAT officers raided a home two miles from Nancy's, but no-one was detained
But on Tuesday authorities conceded that the glove failed to match both DNA from inside Nancy's home and the CODIS criminal database – a national archive of all DNA from arrestees nationwide.
The failure to match the glove to a suspect comes exactly one week after authorities arrested delivery driver Carlos Palazuelos in connection with the case before releasing him without charge just hours later.
His brief detention last Tuesday brought further humiliation as he angrily denied having anything to do with Nancy's abduction.
On February 12, a Pima County SWAT officers raided a home two miles from Nancy's, but no-one was detained.
Around the same time, FBI agents stopped a Range Rover Sport and spoke to its driver, but he too was released without charge.
The FBI said it has received more than 20,000 tips, while the Pima County Sheriff's Department reported taking at least 20,000 calls related to the case, generating between 40,000 and 50,000 leads. At least 400 officers are working the case.
Authorities have also publicly cleared Nancy Guthrie's family members as possible suspects, calling them victims in the case.
That includes Nancy's son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, who previously faced unfounded online speculation about whether he was involved in the disappearance.
Nanos has publicly cleared Nancy Guthrie's family as possible suspects, including her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, who had faced baseless online speculation over his involvement
In a video message posted to Instagram on Sunday night, Savannah pleaded directly with whoever may be holding her mother.
'It is never too late to do the right thing,' Guthrie said. 'And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it's never too late.'
Authorities initially announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy's return or the arrest and conviction of her alleged kidnapper.
The reward then doubled on the 12th day of the investigation. The Pima County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Wednesday that an anonymous $100,000 donation has been added, bringing the reward to $202,500.
