Crucial Moments in Search for Savannah Guthrie’s Mom Were ‘Lost’ Because of Sheriff, Official Claims

Six days into the search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is facing intense scrutiny over how he’s handled the case.

The Daily Mail reported on Friday, February 6 that multiple sources have accused Nanos of making critical mistakes that could have jeopardized the investigation.

After Nancy, 84, was reported missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1, Nanos’ office should have immediately deployed a search-and-rescue aircraft known as Survey 1, which features high-resolution thermal imaging cameras that can scan “vast swaths of desert terrain,” the Daily Mail reported.

But there was no one available to fly the plane until 5 p.m. — five hours after the 911 call about Nancy was placed — the outlet reported. Two pilots had been transferred out of the Air Operations Unit in recent weeks, county GOP chairwoman Kathleen Winn told the Daily Mail, and Nanos did not fill the positions.

“This left the department without a crew to respond to the search due to short staffing,” Winn said.

“If they had somebody who could fly that plane, they could have probably found her instantly if she was out in the desert. The most important, crucial hours and minutes right after someone is missing – we’ve lost those.”

As the National Enquirer previously reported, Nanos got emotional during a February 5 press conference when asked if he believed Nancy was still alive.

“Wow,” he said, becoming visibly choked up. “You have to have hope. You have to have hope. Come on, this is somebody’s mom. We’re going to find her.”