Since the Nancy Guthrie case began, the Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, has faced intense scrutiny from the public and experts alike. Now, he has shared news about the personal tragedy he has been dealing with throughout the investigation. The law enforcement official’s brother died the day after Nancy was reported missing. That fact adds another heartbreaking layer to this profoundly tragic story.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos Reveals His Brother Died the Day After Nancy Guthrie Was Taken

Even though the FBI has been involved in Nancy Guthrie’s abduction case, the Pima County Sheriff, Chris Nanos, has been the public face of the investigation from day one. That is the case because he has repeatedly spoken to the press to provide updates and dispel rumors. While his interactions with the press have been focused on trying to get to the bottom of what has happened to Savannah Guthrie’s mom, he recently briefly opened up about his own loss.

During a February 2026 Daily Mail interview, he was telling the outlet about having thick skin amid the criticism he has received. In that context, Nanos shared that the day after Nancy was taken, his own brother, who was in hospice, passed away. Knowing that the man who has spent days fighting to return a mother to her family has recently lost his own sibling adds a poignant twist to this already devastating case.

Sheriff Chris Nanos Defends the Guthrie Family and His Team Amid Criticism

High-profile criminal cases like this one naturally draw heavy criticism from the interested public. That has definitely been the case for Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and his team. Even the Daily Mail article that revealed the news about the Sheriff’s brother dying featured a headline that called the Guthrie case’s investigation “shambolic.” That is especially incredible since the report quoted Nanos asking the media to be more responsible.