Nancy Guthrie Investigation Under Fire as Union Leader Claims 'Novice' Detectives and FBI Feud Hurt Probe

The investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is facing new scrutiny over the experience of the detectives assigned to the case and tensions with the FBI, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Sergeant Aaron Cross, a local law enforcement union leader, claimed several early decisions may have hurt the investigation.

Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Organization, was not personally involved in the probe.

However, he said his position representing Pima County sheriff's deputies gave him insight into how the investigation was handled.

According to Cross, the sergeant initially assigned to lead the Guthrie investigation had no homicide experience and had only become a sergeant in 2023.

The officer had moved "very rapidly" from patrol into homicide before taking charge of the case, Cross explained, per TMZ.

The department had also recently lost its two "most senior" homicide detectives after they were transferred out of the division, Cross claimed.

While the detectives who worked on Guthrie's case did have homicide experience, Cross said they had three years or less on the job.

Cross described the investigators as "novice" homicide detectives and said it was "almost unheard of" for detectives with such limited experience to handle a case of this seriousness.

Cross also pointed to tensions between the sheriff's office and the FBI, describing "animosity" toward the federal agency within the department.

Despite the alleged friction, Cross credited the FBI with locating crucial door camera footage from Guthrie's Tucson home.

The video captured an image of a masked man believed to be connected to her disappearance.

Cross called the footage the "best piece of evidence we've had so far in this case."

"Frankly, I'm not sure where we'd be now without it," he said.

The 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, 54, disappeared from her Tucson home in the early morning hours of February 1.

Authorities believe she was kidnapped by the masked man captured on the home's camera.

One of Cross' biggest concerns involved the decision to allow Guthrie's family to take control of the crime scene too soon.

He questioned whether investigators should have maintained control of the home for a longer period while evidence was being gathered and detectives attempted to determine what had happened.

The case has remained filled with unanswered questions.

Authorities have pursued numerous leads, while a note allegedly written by Guthrie's kidnapper claimed she had died from health issues believed to be "heart-related."

More than six months after Guthrie vanished, investigators have not publicly announced a major breakthrough or identified a suspect.

"To my knowledge," Cross said, there has not been any significant new progress in the case. He acknowledged, however, that he may not have access to every detail known to investigators.

Cross also criticized Sheriff Chris Nanos and the department's "command staff," accusing them of "hoping to solve this from behind a desk."