Nancy Guthrie investigation a ‘sh** show’ during first week, according to Sergeant
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The initial Nancy Guthrie investigation was described as a 'disorganized mess' and a 'shit show' by Pima County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) insiders.
- ❖FBI Director Cash Patel claimed the FBI was excluded for 4 days and a plane for DNA evidence was rejected in favor of a private lab.
- ❖Sergeant Aaron Cross attributes the FBI's perception of exclusion to PCSO's internal chaos and leadership incompetence, not deliberate withholding.
- ❖Sheriff Chris Nanos's alleged 'ego' and a historical 'beef' with the FBI (dating back to a 2016 RICO investigation) influenced his decisions.
- ❖The Pima County deputies' union has formally requested the Attorney General investigate Sheriff Nanos for felony perjury regarding false statements in an official response.
- ❖Initial responders to the Guthrie scene were reportedly inexperienced homicide detectives, and the case was initially treated as a 'walk away' despite family concerns.
- ❖The current joint task force, with PCSO detectives working from the FBI building, is seen as an improvement to mitigate command interference.
Insights
1Initial Investigation Described as a 'Shit Show'
Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Sheriff's Office union, stated that the initial week of the Nancy Guthrie investigation was a 'disorganized mess' and, using a direct quote from detectives, a 'shit show.' This disorganization led to poor internal communication, with detectives duplicating efforts and a lack of proper tracking, which contributed to the FBI's perception of being shut out.
Sergeant Cross's direct statement and his recounting of detectives' descriptions.
2Sheriff's Animosity Towards FBI Influenced Decisions
Sergeant Cross and other sources believe Sheriff Chris Nanos's long-standing 'beef' with the FBI, stemming from a 2016 RICO investigation where he was implicated but not charged, influenced his decisions in the Guthrie case. This animosity likely contributed to the delay in forming a task force and the choice to send critical DNA evidence to a private lab in Florida, despite the FBI offering a free plane to transport it to Quantico.
Sergeant Cross's opinion, confirmed by 'nearly everyone I speak to,' and his reference to a 2016 video of the sheriff expressing contempt for the FBI.
3Perjury Allegation Against Sheriff Nanos
The Pima County deputies' union has formally requested the Board of Supervisors refer Sheriff Nanos to the Attorney General for a felony perjury investigation. This stems from Nanos submitting a sworn affidavit affirming the truthfulness of his original response to the board, which allegedly contained 'provably not true' factual inaccuracies.
Sergeant Cross's detailed explanation of the union's action and the legal implications of the sheriff's sworn statement.
4Inexperienced Homicide Leadership and Initial Misclassification
An anonymous source close to the investigation revealed that the initial responders and supervisor to Nancy Guthrie's scene were not tenure homicide detectives and the supervisor had never investigated a homicide before. This led to an 'immediate rush to judgment' that Nancy had 'wandered off,' treating it as a search and rescue issue rather than a potential criminal one, potentially compromising the crime scene.
Anonymous source's statements regarding the experience level of initial investigators and the misclassification of the case.
Bottom Line
The Pima County Sheriff's Office's internal disarray and leadership's alleged ego prevented effective inter-agency cooperation, even when federal resources like an FBI plane for DNA transport were offered for free.
This highlights a critical failure in resource allocation and collaboration, potentially prolonging the investigation and increasing costs for local taxpayers, who pay for private labs when federal resources are available.
Local law enforcement agencies should establish clear, protocol-driven frameworks for federal agency collaboration, especially in high-profile cases, to bypass individual leadership biases and ensure optimal resource utilization and investigative efficiency.
The union's formal request for a felony perjury investigation against their own sheriff, while still working under him, creates an unprecedented and highly awkward dynamic within the department.
This situation indicates an extreme breakdown of trust and leadership, likely contributing to low morale and potential operational inefficiencies, as deputies are forced to navigate a hostile internal environment.
This scenario underscores the need for robust oversight mechanisms and accountability for elected law enforcement officials, particularly when internal bodies express no confidence and allege criminal misconduct. It also presents a unique challenge for maintaining departmental function amidst severe leadership crisis.
Lessons
- Prioritize clear internal communication and tracking systems within law enforcement agencies to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure all units are on the same page during critical investigations.
- Establish formal protocols for inter-agency cooperation, especially with federal partners, to ensure optimal resource allocation and avoid delays caused by personal or political animosities.
- Implement rigorous training and experience requirements for supervisors and detectives assigned to major crime units, particularly homicide, to prevent initial misjudgments and ensure proper crime scene management.
Notable Moments
Sergeant Cross reveals the Pima County deputies' union has formally requested the Board of Supervisors refer Sheriff Nanos to the Attorney General for felony perjury.
This is a significant escalation of internal conflict, alleging criminal misconduct by the department's top official and highlighting a severe breakdown of trust and accountability.
An anonymous source details that the initial homicide supervisor for the Nancy Guthrie case had no prior homicide investigation experience.
This points to a critical failure in leadership placement and resource allocation, potentially compromising the integrity and direction of the investigation from its earliest, most crucial stages.
Quotes
"The investigation in the weeks that followed was described to me as being a disorganized mess. The command staff was completely running the investigation. There wasn't a lot of tracking."
"The information, the lack of information sharing with the FBI, I believe was just a byproduct of of the chaos."
"It was described to me as frankly a shit show."
"I think he credits that with him losing his first election in 2016. And I don't believe the sheriff has forgotten it."
"The sheriff's ego is is difficult to describe the size of it. And so, I think that he would never relinquish this to the FBI, not without massive public pressure."
"He shouldn't even been a cop in Arizona ever in the first place."
"There was an immediate rush to judgment on what was happening at that scene and it was that Nancy had somehow wandered off. And so they rushed to that judgment, stayed with that judgment, and then ran the investigation as if this was a search and rescue issue opposed to a possible criminal issue."
"The supervisor who first responded to Nancy Guthri's house had never investigated a homicide. Correct."
Q&A
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