Pima County sheriff's office deputy says inexperience hampered Nancy Guthrie investigation

A senior deputy of the Pima County Sheriff's Department told a media outlet that the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie was compromised from the outset because the lead detective had no prior homicide experience. Sergeant Aaron Cross, who heads the deputies' union, said the detective was promoted to sergeant three years ago and was moved from patrol to homicide shortly thereafter, a decision he said was unusual for such a complex case.

Cross attributed the initial errors to departmental leadership, noting that investigators duplicated work and failed to track interviewees accurately, which he described as early missteps. He also said the crime scene was relinquished to the family quickly after the first day of investigation.

According to Cross, communication with the public was limited, with minimal signage or outreach beyond a few online posts. He added that the department's usual practice of deploying street detectives to engage local networks was not employed in this case, reducing opportunities to gather information from community contacts.

Sheriff Chris Nanos was not available for comment at the time of reporting.