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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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An Arizona inmate has filed a $1.35 million lawsuit against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is leading the investigation into the Nancy Guthrie case at the local level, accusing him of “endangering his life” when he was apprehended.
It is yet another blow for Nanos, who has come under fire repeatedly since taking over the case that has gripped the nation—and remains unsolved. Newsweek contacted the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the inmate’s attorney, William John Parven, for comment on the lawsuit by email on Monday morning.
The Context
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TV presenter Savannah Guthrie, went missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. She is believed to have been forcibly removed from her home, but every lead has so far led to a dead end, and police have not yet made any arrests or named a suspect.
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Nanos’ handling of the investigation has been questioned and criticized after the sheriff admitted to making mistakes in its early stages, including releasing the crime scene too quickly. His media appearances in relation to the case have also been closely scrutinized, with colleagues accusing him of turning the investigation into a personal “ego case,” as Sergeant Aaron Cross, who presides over the Pima County Deputies Organization, told the New York Post.
What To Know
Christopher Michael Marx, an inmate at Pima County Jail, filed a lawsuit against Nanos and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on March 5, according to documents available online.
The inmate said his life was endangered by a sheriff deputy working at Pima County Jail between two units, including his. One of these units, he wrote in the lawsuit, was in quarantine after an inmate had been found to have COVID-19.
“This deputy was going back and forth working both units; our unit was on lockdown because this deputy was working both units,” he wrote in the lawsuit. According to Marx, the deputy did not disinfect himself before moving from one unit to the other, and Nanos was not making sure his deputies were trying to contain COVID-19 and protect the inmates.
He said this behavior represented “a threat to my safety because this put my life in jeopardy with their action, constantly.” He could have caught COVID-19, Marx said, and “I could have died.”
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Marx claims the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Nanos broke Article 2 of the Arizona state Constitution, the Declaration of Rights.
He is asking the Sheriff “to make sure that they properly disinfect their bodies when the deputies are working two units at a time and one of these units is quarantined.” He is also asking for $1,350,000 that he said he would donate to buy apartments to house the unhoused, “6 months rent free, no string attached,” and “an apology from the sheriff.”
According to data available on the Pima County Justice Court’s website, Marx was found guilty of shoplifting in late 2024.
What Happens Next
Neither the Pima County Sheriff’s Department nor Nanos has yet commented on the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the sheriff and the department continue investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Nanos told NBC News last week that a Pima County Sheriff’s Department dedicated team from their homicide unit is working closely with the FBI to find the missing woman, adding that they are operating on the assumption that she is still alive.
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for anyone providing information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance. The Guthrie family, who have pleaded with the alleged kidnappers to return the mother of three, has offered a $1m reward for information.
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