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Sheriff's Response Questioned in Guthrie Mom Kidnapping
3 Aug
Summary
- Initial search response criticized for failing to secure property.
- Blood evidence on porch initially downplayed by investigators.
- Search aircraft deployed too late for daylight operations.
Six months after the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, an investigation into the Pima County Sheriff's Department's initial response is underway. According to a report, the crucial first hours of the search may have been compromised by procedural missteps.
Deputies reportedly did not immediately secure Guthrie's property, allowing unauthorized individuals access. Evidence of dried blood on the porch, later confirmed as Guthrie's, was initially minimized by investigators. The department's search aircraft also did not begin its operations until late in the afternoon, missing valuable daylight hours.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has denied the report's findings, asserting that his department is working diligently with partners to resolve the case. The report also notes issues with personnel, including a sergeant reprimanded for poor judgment shortly before the kidnapping and a pilot demoted shortly before being assigned to the search.
In recent days, the Pima County Sheriff's Department publicly released ransom notes and a statement seeking public assistance, indicating a belief that individuals may know more about a suspect.
