REVEALED: Here is the Pivotal Error the Democrat Pima County Sheriff Made that Hampered the Investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s Alleged Abduction for Several Hours

The sheriff overseeing the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, is facing criticism over decisions that may have delayed key search efforts.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office did not deploy its Cessna aircraft—equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras—for several hours after Guthrie was reported missing. The delay was reportedly due to a shortage of available pilots and staffing decisions within the department.

Sgt. Aaron Crossm, president of the Pima County Sheriff’s Deputies Association, told the Daily Mail that deputies who were qualified to operate the aircraft had been reassigned to other units prior to Guthrie’s disappearance. Fox News reported that the department’s pilot for the search aircraft had previously been disciplined following a dispute with Sheriff Chris Nanos and was reassigned to street patrol despite appealing the decision.

As a result, the aircraft did not take off until 5 p.m., even though Guthrie had been reported missing around noon on Sunday.

“Three hours in a search for a vulnerable adult is an eternity,” a law enforcement source told Fox News.

The Pima County Deputies Organization criticized the reassignment of the pilot, calling it part of a broader pattern of questionable leadership decisions.

In addition to the delayed aircraft deployment, another issue arose during the investigation. The Arizona Republic reported that Sheriff Nanos acknowledged his department released Guthrie’s home as a crime scene too quickly. Investigators later returned to the residence to collect additional evidence. Nanos said the scene should have remained secured longer and that outside agencies should have been brought in earlier.

Previous reporting noted that when law enforcement arrived at Guthrie’s home in Arizona, officials described the situation as “very concerning.” Homicide detectives were called to the scene, which is not typical in a missing person case. Sheriff Nanos stated at the time that the home was being treated as a crime scene.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night near her residence in the Catalina Foothills. A relative reported her missing around noon on Sunday.