Breaking NewsSheriff’s discipline dispute sidelined search plane during critical hours of Nancy Guthrie search
Fox News Digital has learned an important aspect of the search for Nancy Guthrie was delayed for hours after a county aircraft was grounded amid internal discipline issues, costing precious time in the hunt for the 84-year-old mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie.
The pilot of the county’s high tech search plane was punished over a dispute with the sheriff and demoted to street patrol, according to local law enforcement sources and the Pima County Deputy’s Organization.
As a result, the plane’s takeoff was delayed by hours after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing around midday Sunday.
“Three hours in a search for a vulnerable adult is an eternity,” a law enforcement source with knowledge of the situation told Fox News Digital.
The Pima County Deputy’s Organization said it disagreed with the decision to transfer the “high-performing pilot” at the time, as it left a crucial law enforcement asset short-staffed.
“The pilot even made a personal plea to Sheriff Nanos but was ignored and he was sent to patrol,” the organization told Fox Digital. “This is unfortunately typical of Sheriff Nanos’ leadership style. The most experienced Search and Rescue deputy in the department was transferred to Patrol late last year, without a replacement, simply because he’d ‘been there too long.’ This left a critical unit short-staffed during one of the highest profile searches in PCSD history and during the busiest time of year for Search and Rescue.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has more than 50 years of law enforcement experience, previously admitted missteps in the high-profile probe.
Among concerns raised were releasing the crime scene back to the family shortly after the investigation was launched, and failing to immediately reach out to assisting agencies, according to a report from The Arizona Republic.
Nanos likened the hindsight to that of a “Monday morning quarterback.”
“We got what we thought was complete,” Nanos said. “I have to have all faith and trust in (agents’) abilities and skills.”
He added the scene had been processed and returned to the Guthrie family because “we weren’t sure what we had.”
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.