Sheriff Chris Nanos could be removed from his post if a recent recall petition obtains enough signatures, following numerous accusations of his department’s failings
Sheriff Nanos has faced numerous accusations about failings in the Nancy Guthrie case
A petition has been launched to recall Chris Nanos as the Sheriff of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Chris Nanos has been overseeing the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who has now been missing for 45 days. However, on March 12, a recall petition was launched, which enables an elected public official to be removed from office.
Republican congressional candidate Daniel Butierez launched the petition on Thursday after Nanos had been accused of multiple failings in the Nancy Guthrie case. This comes after a bombshell Nancy Guthrie update, as a person fled the neighborhood within days of the kidnapping.
In Arizona, organizers must obtain 120,000 signatures in 120 days to force a recall election, which could see Sheriff Nanos removed from his post.
The Pima County Elections Department recently confirmed the filing, with Butierez claiming to have roughly 500 volunteers assisting with the signature drive.
Nanos responded to the recall effort, saying, “We’re aware of the recall, and it’s the right of the people. We’ll always honor the will of the people, and that’s what makes democracy.”
Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, has faced a lot of backlash(Image: Getty Images)
The petition comes following numerous accusations of failings by law enforcement in the investigation.
Nanos has been accused by critics of releasing the crime scene too early, allowing reporters to access Nancy’s home and photograph evidence, such as blood droplets, before it was fully secured.
Additionally, reports suggested that Nanos “slow-rolled” the FBI’s involvement and refused to send key evidence, like a found glove and DNA, to the FBI’s national crime lab in Quantico. He was also condemned for his choice of laboratory, choosing to send evidence to a private center in Florida, which was said to have caused unnecessary delays to the investigation.
It was further reported that Sheriff Nanos allegedly did not sign off on an advanced 41-page search plan involving drones and dogs, which was put forward by the United Cajun Navy. Nanos was then accused of waiting three hours to deploy a thermal-imaging search plane because he had reassigned the only qualified pilot to street patrol after a personal clash.
Chris Nanos could be removed from his post(Image: Getty Images)
Furthermore, last week, Chris Nanos faced accusations that he misrepresented his work history on his resumé. It was reported that Nanos claimed he worked at the El Paso Police Department until 1984, when he allegedly only worked there until 1982.
A report also alleged that Nanos said he had resigned from his position at the police department, but records cited that the sheriff reportedly faced allegations of insubordination, insufficiency, and tardiness. Additionally, the Arizona Republic claimed that Nanos had faced multiple disciplinary reviews supposedly related to accusations of excessive force, dereliction of duty, and off-duty gambling.
Sheriff Nanos responded to the claims, simply saying, “That’s your ‘urgent’ request? You sure you don’t want to go back to my high school and ask why I got swats from the principal? Good luck with your hit piece.”
