NEW: Sheriff Leading Nancy Guthrie Investigation Faces Recall Effort

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos — who is overseeing the weeks-long case into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — is facing a recall effort after the case has largely stalled with scarce new leads.

The recall effort, which was initiated by Daniel Butierez, a Republican candidate for Congress running against U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ). Butierez confirmed that he began the formal recall process after calling for Nanos’ resignation on March 12.

“I call on Sheriff Chris Nanos to resign. He has lost the trust of the people. If he does not by the end of Friday, I will begin to organize the effort to recall Nanos,” he said at the time.

The recall follows standard Arizona county procedures. Butierez received a petition serial number shortly after initiating the effort and has 120 days to collect signatures equivalent to 25 percent of the votes cast in the 2024 sheriff’s election, approximately 120,000 signatures.

As of Tuesday, nearly 500 volunteers are participating, supported by five notaries. Butierez described the effort as bipartisan and provided a mailing address for completed petitions, according to a report from the New York Post.

“Together, we can restore integrity in Pima County. We need leaders who are honest and transparent. Get a petition and collect signatures,” he said.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks during a press conference on February 5

Butierez cited two primary factors in launching the recall, the first involving the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old resident of the Tucson area and mother of television host Savannah Guthrie. Guthrie was reported missing on February 1, 2026, after last being seen returning home from a family dinner the previous evening.

She remains missing more than six weeks later, while leads and updates in the case have largely stalled.

“He has been an embarrassment to Tucson and to Pima County with this Nancy Guthrie case,” Butierez told the New York Post in reference to Nanos’ job performance.

The second factor cited as the “final straw” was the March 2026 disclosure of Nanos’ sworn testimony from a December 11, 2025, deposition in a separate lawsuit filed by Sgt. Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Organization. In the deposition, conducted as part of a dispute stemming from Nanos’ 2024 reelection campaign, Nanos was asked whether he had ever received discipline rising to the level of suspension as a law enforcement officer.

The sheriff responded by stating that he is not aware of any disciplinary actions in his 40 years of law enforcement experience. Public records from the El Paso Police Department, where Nanos served from 1977 to 1982, show eight suspensions totaling 37 days without pay for incidents including a shot fired, off-duty gambling, habitual tardiness, and excessive force, however.

Nanos resigned from the El Paso department in August 1982 in lieu of termination, with supervisors citing insubordination and consistent inefficiency. He began employment with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department later that year.

“I think that that is something the citizens of Pima County should be aware of. That their chief law enforcement officer is being untruthful when giving sworn testimony,” Cross said following the deposition.

Nanos, a Democrat who won reelection in 2024 by a narrow margin, has not issued a public statement specifically addressing the recall effort as of March 17. Separately, Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz announced plans to place discussion of Nanos’ work history on the Board of Supervisors agenda for March 24.

RELATED: Final FBI Sweep Signals Dead End in Nancy Guthrie Case