EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Sheriff 'Under Immense Pressure' in Nancy Guthrie Case After Warning Search Could Last 'Several Years' Sparked Backlash
Sheriff Chris Nanos has come under fire for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie search.
Feb. 17 2026, Published 5:20 p.m. ET
The beleaguered sheriff leading the search for Nancy Guthrie is "under immense pressure" to deliver results, and deliver them fast, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sheriff Chris Nanos and his deputies have been slammed by claims they are mishandling the search for Savannah's mom, which is now in its third week.
Sheriff Under Fire
Sheriff Chris Nanos is under 'immense pressure' to get results.
The latest criticism comes after a man who appeared to be a landscaper was seen entering Nancy's backyard with tools, just days after a pool cleaner stopped by for a scheduled scrubbing.
Armchair sleuths were baffled as to why the Guthrie family had been allowed to have people on the property, despite the active investigation into Nancy's disappearance.
Nanos has come under heavy fire for several of his remarks and decisions during the investigation, including warning that the search for Nancy could take "years" to finish.
But Kevin Hale, Chair of the Criminal Justice Program at Post University, told Radar the sheriff needs to be careful about not "over-promising" a quick resolution.
"As the face of the organization, Sheriff Nanos is under immense pressure to produce results," Hale said. "He is inundated daily with constant questioning, often with the same questions repeatedly being asked. Every word he utters is highly scrutinized, so he will be doing his best to carefully refrain from creating a distraction with his comments."
Nancy Guthrie has been missing since the start of February.
Nanos also has the tough job of making sure the family understands there are "no guarantees" in cases like this, other than that they will do their best to find the missing mother.
"The pressure on investigators in major cases is significant, and they know better than anyone that no two cases are identical," Hale said.
"Their morale is likely not driven by the sheriff's public comments but rather by their drive to: 1) find Nancy Guthrie, and 2) hold someone accountable for this crime."
Rumors of Infighting with the FBI
Video of the alleged kidnapper has not yet led to any arrests.
Last week, Nanos brushed aside reports he was slowing down the investigation by refusing to share information with the FBI.
"That’s absolutely crazy. Why would we be reluctant to get all the partners who have great resources and offer them to us?" he blasted, adding, "We don’t hold information from anybody that’s going to help us. Why would we do that? There are no egos here. This is all about finding Nancy."
FBI insiders told multiple outlets that a "turf war" had emerged between their top agents on the scene and the higher-ups at the PCSD. Sheriff's officials were allegedly upset that the bureau was trying to "bigfoot" the case away from them, when it was only offering its vast array of investigative capabilities, according to multiple sources within the FBI.
'Bizarre' Handling of the Investigation
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Nancy Guthrie's children continue to issue emotional pleas for her return.
Critics of Nanos have shared their shock at the ongoing search online, with one person scoffing on X: "Let’s contaminate the scene some more," as a second person asked why Nancy's home "hadn't been marked off" to keep outsiders away.
A third user pointed out that other workers and delivery drivers had already managed to get onto the property.
"I give up. An actual crime scene, and they have let a pizza get delivered, a pool service in to clean the pool, now the landscaper is working, and not to mention the 16 gloves that were found outside that the detectives just happened to throw on the ground because that’s what you do?" the person griped.
"This can’t be real. It just can’t. You don’t allow workers in a crime scene. Especially one that is still ongoing. So bizarre!"
