The sheriff leading the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has a rather shocking past according to police records. Chris Nanos has allegedly committed a variety of appalling actions which include supposedly beating a handcuffed suspect and threatening witnesses.
Nanos, who serves as the Pima County sheriff, has been facing an intense amount of scrutiny over his handling of the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Guthrie has been missing since February 1st and so far there have been very few leads in the case. The bombshell report obtained by Arizona Republic calls into question the sheriff’s abilities and judgement.
What does the report on Chris Nanos say?
The report, which was obtained through a public records request, shows a shocking list of violations allegedly committed by Nanos some 40 years ago when he was a young police officer. The sheriff has been accused of using excessive force against suspects in the past. In one case he was suspended after he beat a handcuffed suspect until they were bleeding. The suspect ended up having to be taken to the hospital.
The records also show that Nanos was disciplined after using profanity and insults against women as well as making threats. In 1980 Nanos arrested Wayne Robertson after a traffic accident, Robertson refused to give his address as he didn’t want his wife being bothered, Nanos allegedly responded, “I wouldn’t fu– with your sl–.” He then threatened to “take him to the desert and beat the hell out of him.”
His threats extended to witnesses too as he threatened to “waste” a man who was in the car with Robertson and saw the whole interaction. Salvador Montes filed a complaint along with Robertson and a little over a week later he claims he was stopped in the street by Nanos and his partner. Nanos allegedly told him that every time he saw him he would stop him and if he was in a bad mood he would bust him.
In another instance, Nanos was caught by undercover police officers for gambling on a pool game. He was also punished for sleeping through his alarm and being late to shifts.
The sheriff is under a lot of scrutiny
The contents of the report come during a particularly challenging time in Chris Nanos’ career. The 70-year-old sheriff is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie but almost three months after she vanished there is still no news regarding her whereabouts. Nanos and his decisions regarding the case are under a lot of scrutiny and every part of his career as an officer is being examined, this includes his sketchy past, even if it was a long time ago.
Published: Apr 21, 2026 03:19 pm