An investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie was compromised from its outset due to a lack of experience among the investigative team and leadership failures, according to Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Organization. Cross, who leads the union representing sheriff's deputies, placed direct blame on Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
Cross stated that the lead detective on the case, who had never previously worked a homicide investigation, was assigned to the case shortly after being promoted to sergeant just three years prior. "Command, for whatever reason, decided that despite the fact that he hadn’t been in homicide before, he was the right person for that unit," Cross said, characterizing the decision as "almost unheard of" prior to Nanos taking office. He further alleged that Sheriff Nanos himself is incompetent, citing a separate $176 million lawsuit against him for alleged dangerous incompetence in another case.
In the early stages of the Guthrie investigation, Cross noted significant communication breakdowns that resulted in duplicated efforts. "The issue was that there was a lot of duplication of work because we weren’t accurately tracking who had been spoken to," he explained. He also expressed concern that the crime scene was released to the family too quickly, the day after it was secured.
Cross also indicated a potential for animosity between local investigators and the FBI, though he could not confirm if this tension directly impacted the investigation. He further criticized the apparent lack of public outreach, stating that outside of a single billboard, there were no public appeals such as posters or reward pamphlets being distributed.
"Typically in a case like this, our street detectives would go out and speak with our local criminal element," Cross said, explaining the importance of community networks. "What we would often do is have the street detectives — those units that used to exist — go out, kick the bushes, and rattle cages frequently until something turned up."
Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of January 31, when she was dropped off at her home by family. Sheriff Nanos could not immediately be reached for comment.