Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos talked about Tommaso Cioni and Annie Guthrie an interview with the Daily Mail, pushing back on online speculation surrounding the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie and urging critics not to target family members without evidence.
“I stay in touch with them, mostly Savannah. I’ve not been in touch with Tommaso or Annie too much,” he said. “I have talked to them a little bit, but I know the investigators are in touch with them. But I’ve really told people, this is a lot of stress. If he [Cioni] is guilty, if he’s the one who did it, and we’re able to prove that, then at that time jump on it but don’t come out of nowhere with this.”
Nanos said “nobody” has been cleared in the case – including family members – but warned that online accusations can unfairly “put a mark” on someone who could be innocent. “You’re putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he’s family,” he told the Daily Mail.
He also acknowledged the swirl of commentary focused on Cioni, saying pundits have pointed to claims that he was the last person to see Nancy Guthrie alive. Nanos said authorities adjusted their public wording to say “family” drove Nancy home after seeing people “attacking everybody” online.
“We know who it is, but … when we saw everybody was attacking everybody and saying it’s this we just thought, you know what? We’ll say it was family,” he said.
Nanos added that the Guthrie family has been “nothing but cooperative” and has provided “everything we’ve asked for” as the investigation continues.
Police may still be surveilling persons who were detained: former lieutenant
Retired police lieutenant Randy Sutton told Fox News Digital on Monday that even though investigators detained and later released three people while executing a search warrant at a home about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s house on Friday, they may not be done surveilling them.
Significant investigative steps could still be unfolding behind the scenes depending on what evidence was uncovered, Sutton said.
“The other part of this is we don’t know what information they developed from these interviews,” Sutton said. “If there was something that indicated that there might be one or all of these individuals involved in some way, but they didn’t have enough probable cause to make an arrest, and they still believe that they might be involved somehow, there might be other warrants that are being done right now.”
Sutton said that if detectives believe someone may be involved, but lack sufficient probable cause to make an arrest, they can pursue additional warrants — like “a wiretap or the surveillance of their phones and devices” — as they work to build a stronger case.
“Doesn’t necessarily mean a physical surveillance will take place, but once again, it all depends,” Sutton added. “They may have cleared all these people. They may have just said, ‘You know what? I’m sorry. We messed your door up. Sorry.’”
Authorities have not revealed what was uncovered during the search as of Monday morning.
