Sheriff Defends Investigation as Detainee in Nancy Guthrie Case Files $3.25 Million Claim

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said no one in the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie investigation has been permanently excluded from suspicion, even as a man once detained in connection with her abduction moves forward with legal action. The sheriff’s comments came shortly before Carlos Palazuelos, a Rio Rico delivery driver detained during the inquiry, filed a notice of claim seeking $3.25 million against authorities.

Nanos told Fox News Digital on Thursday that judges approved the probable cause underpinning the search warrants executed in the case. He stated that while investigators can eliminate individuals based on evidence, DNA analysis, and video footage, such elimination does not conclusively rule out their involvement in a criminal investigation.

Guthrie disappeared on February 1 and is the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie. As an 84-year-old dependent on heart medication, her disappearance prompted urgent law enforcement action to locate her quickly. Two men—Palazuelos and a felon named Luke Daly—were detained and released without charges during the investigation.

In his legal filing, first reported by ABC 15 Arizona, Palazuelos alleged he was targeted without probable cause, arrested without explanation, and held for hours before release. The complaint also claims damage occurred to his home during the search warrant execution and references a sheriff’s department tweet identifying him as a “suspect.”

Nanos stated that new information could reopen the investigation into any previously cleared individual, including family members. He said investigators continue processing significant evidence and urged anyone with information to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit anonymous tips to 520-88-CRIME.