Arizona Sheriff Leading Nancy Guthrie Case Reveals His Brother Died

The search for Nancy Guthrie has taken an emotional new turn.

As the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie stretches into its third week, the man leading the investigation, Chris Nanos, has revealed he’s been quietly battling heartbreak of his own.

According to the sheriff, his brother died in hospice just one day after Nancy vanished from her Tucson-area home in the middle of the night.

The timing has only intensified scrutiny surrounding the case. Nanos has faced criticism from online commentators and armchair detectives who claim the investigation was mishandled, particularly after the crime scene was initially released — only for the FBI to later reseal the home.

Nanos pushed back hard against those claims.

“My officers were there for almost 20 hours,” he said, defending the department’s work. “They processed their scene, got it done, and brought in all the evidence. Then the FBI came and did their thing.”

But it’s not just procedural decisions drawing attention.

Almost immediately after news broke that Nancy had been abducted, social media speculation zeroed in on her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni — the last person known to have seen her alive.

Veteran journalist Ashleigh Banfield even suggested publicly that he “may be the prime suspect,” fueling online theories.

Nanos, who acknowledged his own grief may have made him more sensitive to the accusations, didn’t mince words.

“People out there can get pretty ugly and mean and nasty and not have the facts,” he said. “You’re putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he’s family.”

While investigators have not named a suspect, Nanos stressed that no one has been cleared either.

“If he is guilty and we’re able to prove that, then at that time jump on it,” the sheriff added. “But don’t come out of nowhere with this.”

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on January 31 after spending the evening having dinner and playing mahjong with her daughter Annie and Cioni. He drove her home that night, making him the last confirmed person to see her before she disappeared.

The next morning, Nancy was expected at a friend’s house to watch a livestreamed church service. When she didn’t arrive and couldn’t be reached, alarm bells went off.

By the time her children arrived at her home, she was gone.

Her wallet, keys, and cellphone were left behind.

There were signs she had not left voluntarily.

Throughout the ordeal, Savannah has turned to Instagram to plead for her mother’s safe return and to address whoever may have information.

“I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late,” she said in a recent message. “It is never too late to do the right thing.”

She also emphasized that her family continues to hold onto hope.

“We believe in the essential goodness of every human being,” she said. “It’s never too late.”

As of now, Nancy remains missing. No arrests have been made. No suspects have been publicly identified.

Behind the scenes, investigators continue to work leads while the family waits — clinging to faith, hope, and the possibility of a miracle.

And as Sheriff Nanos navigates both a high-profile case and personal loss, the pressure surrounding this mystery shows no signs of easing anytime soon.