Since the Nancy Guthrie started the case, the Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanoshas faced intense scrutiny from the public and experts alike. Now, he has shared news about the personal tragedy he has been facing during the investigation. The law enforcement officer’s brother died the day after Nancy was reported missing. That fact adds another layer of heartbreak to this deeply tragic story.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos Reveals His Brother Died The Day After Nancy Guthrie Was Taken
Photo by Jan Sonnenmair on Getty Images
(Photo by Jan Sonnenmair on Getty Images)
Even though the FBI was involved in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was the public face of the investigation from day one. This is the case because many times he spoke to the press to provide updates and dispel rumours. While his interactions with the press were focused on trying to get to the bottom of what happened Savannah Guthrie’s mother, recently opened up briefly about his own loss.
During a Daily Mail interview in February 2026, he was telling the outlet that he had a thick skin amid the criticism he received. In that context, Nanos said that the day after Nancy was taken, his own brother died, who was in the hospice. Knowing that the man who spent days fighting to return his mother to her family recently lost his own siblings adds a poignant twist to this already devastating case.
Sheriff Chris Nanos Defends Guthrie Family and His Team Amid Criticism
Photo by Jan Sonnenmair on Getty Images
(Photo by Jan Sonnenmair on Getty Images)
High profile criminal cases like this naturally attract strong criticism from the interested public. That was certainly the case for Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and his team. Even the Daily Mail article that revealed the news about the death of the Sheriff’s brother featured a headline that called the investigation of the Guthrie case “shambolic”. This is especially incredible since the report quoted Nanos asking the media to be more responsible.
Speaking to the outlet, the Sheriff urged online media speculation about Tommaso Cioni to stop. “People out there can get pretty ugly and mean and nasty and they don’t have the facts,” he said. “I tell my reporters, you have to be a little more responsible … because that’s just nasty stuff.”
After insisting that no one has been ruled out in the investigation, Nanos pushed back at unfounded online rumors about Guthrie family members. “I understand the experts are out there. They’re going to say, well, he’s the last one to see her alive. We understand that stuff. But, well, you’re putting a brand on someone who may be completely innocent. And more importantly, it’s family.”
He also discussed observers who criticized aspects of the investigation, such as how quickly police cleared the crime scene at Nancy Guthrie’s home. Nanos explained that he was confident that his officers had thoroughly searched the place for evidence. “My officers were there for almost 20 hours, and they processed their scene, they did it, and they got all the evidence,” he said. “Then the FBI came in and did their thing.”
Nanos’ defense of the investigation also centered on allegations made about him personally. In response to reports that he had blocked the FBI from gaining access to evidence, he completely disputed this. “This is so far-fetched. Why would I do that? It doesn’t make sense.”
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on February 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.