Shameless ego of Nancy Guthrie sheriff who DEMOTED only man at hand who could fly search plane... shortly after that pilot had backed his rival in election campaign

By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:50, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 20:50, 3 August 2026 The sheriff in charge of investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance allegedly caused crucial delays in the rescue mission by failing to replace a pilot he had demoted days before she went missing.  Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos relegated the senior pilot of the department's $1.7 million Cessna to patrol duty following a workplace complaint, leaving the aircraft without an operator on February 1, according to the Wall Street Journal.  The former pilot, who has not been named, had supported Nanos' challenger, Lieutenant Heather Lappin, in the election for his role, the WSJ reported. There is no suggestion the pilot's demotion was linked to his disloyalty to Nanos - but others who supported Lt. Lappin's election bid were punished.  Nanos also previously placed Lt. Lappin on administrative leave days before the election on November 5, 2024. He did the same with Aaron Cross, a Lappin supporter who was also head of the department's largest union.  After winning the vote by a margin of 49.9 percent compared with Lappins' 49.8 percent, Nanos sidelined deputies who had supported her, sources told the WSJ.    The Daily Mail has contacted the sheriff's office for comment, including information on the workplace complaint which prompted the pilot's demotion.  Regardless of the reasoning behind the demotion, it prompted a major delay in the deployment of the sheriff's most powerful search-and-rescue tool.  Pima County's Cessna surveillance aircraft, complete with infrared cameras, was not deployed until 6.30pm on Sunday, February 1. By then, darkness was closing in, rendering its zoom-lens capabilities of little use.  The sheriff in charge of investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance allegedly delayed the rescue mission by failing to replace the surveillance plane pilot he demoted a few days before. The missing 84-year-old is pictured with her daughter, Today show host Savannah Guthrie Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos allegedly relegated the senior pilot of the department's $1.7 million Cessna to patrol duty following a workplace complaint, leaving the plane without an operator on February 1, the day Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona Guthrie, 84, who is the mother of NBC News Today anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona home about six hours earlier.  Border Patrol agents scoured the area with K-9s, while the sheriff's office deployed drones and contacted a volunteer group to help search the neighborhood at 4pm.  Pima County Sheriff's Office has been widely criticized for its handling of the investigation, including claims from FBI Director Kash Patel that Nanos allegedly delayed his agency's involvement in the search.  More recently, detectives have been accused of giving 'little regard' to the dried blood found on the front porch of her home in the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping because they allegedly believed it was not related to the abduction.  Nanos told the WSJ in response to their piece that his department is 'working hard every day with all of our partners', including 'corporate America' which has 'offered up some assistance with some of the brightest minds in this country.'  'This case is not cold,' he added. Saturday, August 1 marked six months since Nancy's abduction, and Savannah issued a heart-wrenching plea to her mother's kidnappers on the bleak milestone.  She vowed to 'never stop looking for answers' and once again urged anyone with information about Nancy's disappearance to come forward. Pima County's Cessna surveillance aircraft, complete with infrared cameras, was not deployed until 6.30pm on Sunday, February 1. By then, darkness was closing in, rendering its zoom-lens capabilities of little use. The plane is pictured above in a grab from a promotional video An aerial view of Nancy's home in Tucson is pictured here in the days after her disappearance  Pima County Sheriff's Office detectives have been accused of giving 'little regard' to the dried blood found on the front porch of her home in the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping because they allegedly believed it was not related to the abduction  'Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night. We have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since,' the Today Show host wrote on Instagram. Savannah shared how she and her siblings are 'trying to be strong' because that's what Nancy would have wanted them to do, but says their 'hearts are in ruins.' 'We spend every waking moment thinking of her, longing for her, looking for her. There is a hole inside us that can never be filled. There is an ache that cannot be softened,' she wrote. 'And there is a determination in us that cannot be quenched - to find out what happened to her, so that we can give her the dignity of a proper goodbye - a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves.' 'There is a way out - to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously. The reward is available. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing,' she said. 'We are real people, facing real grief, doing the best we can, and counting our many blessings along the way - most especially the prayers and love from good people, which we feel deeply. We need your prayers, we need your kindness. We need the good to be stronger than the evil.' Savannah added that the family will never stop looking for Nancy and doubled down on her faith as they continue to navigate this horrific circumstance.  The family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy's recovery Investigators search the area near Nancy Guthrie's home in the Catalina Foothills 'We will never stop looking for answers - and we will never stop looking for the light,' she said. 'We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world - in spite of circumstance.' Savannah's plea came shortly before Pima County Sheriff's Office released two ransom notes believed to be genuine. One that alleged Nancy died shortly after she was kidnapped and 'is buried in nature now.' Both notes initially were sent to Tucson television station 13 News days after the 84-year-old went missing.  The Pima County Sheriff's Office released both notes in full – one demanding a $4 million ransom and a second, written in a similar tone, claiming Nancy had died, before offering an apology.  One of the notes contained specific details about Nancy's home – a broken floodlight in the backyard and a white smartwatch found on her bedroom floor – that led to investigators taking them seriously. The notes, received on February 2 and February 6, both claimed to be from Nancy's captor and were turned over to the Pima County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. The FBI uncovered doorbell camera footage of a masked individual at Nancy's front door A masked man was caught on camera on April 29 driving up to a home in the Catalina Foothills in Arizona, the same neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie was abducted Nanos said Saturday that investigators released the notes in the hope that someone would recognize the writer's distinctive wording, expressions or style. 'There are a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say, 'You know, I've heard that,' he said. Nanos said it remains unclear whether the notes were written by the same person and described the investigation as 'very active,' with detectives continuing to review tens of thousands of tips, videos and forensic leads. 'We're still here. We are not going away,' he said. 'We've got a lot of work ahead of us.' The sheriff's office also said Friday that two videos recovered from Nancy's doorbell camera might be from two separate days and indicate an unidentified male prepared ahead of when she was taken.  Authorities are seeking information on anyone who was behaving differently, changed their physical appearance, suddenly left the Tucson area, or had a noticeable or unexplained interest or disinterest in the case. The FBI had released surveillance videos of a masked person who authorities said appeared to tamper with a camera on Nancy's front porch and block it with a plant. They described the person as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Authorities have not said whether Nancy is still alive. The family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy's recovery.