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The Arizona sheriff spearheading the investigation into the disappearance of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother was spotted sitting near courtside at a University of Arizona basketball game Saturday night — just as the nation remained riveted to the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie.
Photos obtained by Fox News Digital show Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos seated near the front row at the Arizona Wildcats’ game against Oklahoma State on Saturday at McKale Center in Tucson, as the high-profile investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance entered its seventh day and the family released another emotional public plea.
Only minutes after the game ended, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Camron shared another video message on the NBC star’s Instagram page, pleading for whoever may be holding their mother to contact them.
Standing alongside her brother Camron and sister Annie, Savannah Guthrie said the family was ready to do whatever it takes to bring Nancy home safely.
“We received your message and we understand,” Savannah said in the brief Instagram video. “We beg you now to return our mother to us, so that we can celebrate with her,” she added, calling her mother’s return “very valuable to us” and pledging, “We will pay.”
“I think it wasn’t a good move [for Nanos to be attending a basketball game],” the source who provided the photos told Fox News Digital, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The optics of a leading law enforcement official taking in a basketball game while his deputies work on an investigation that has attracted worldwide attention could strike some as problematic.
“This whole thing being so fresh and nationwide, maybe worldwide. I don’t think it was good for him to do it. He’s a major part of the investigation, so it didn’t look good to me. Very sad to see him at the Arizona basketball game.”
The Post has sought comment from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
Nanos, a 50-year law enforcement veteran, does not have a documented connection to the University of Arizona.
He attended the University of Texas at El Paso, not Arizona, and no public records indicate he is a season ticket holder or prominent supporter of the Wildcats.
The optics controversy comes as Fox News Digital also reported new questions surrounding the early handling of the investigation.
According to law enforcement sources cited by the outlet, a critical search aircraft was delayed by roughly three hours at the outset of the case due to a dispute between Nanos and a department pilot.
“Three hours in a search for a vulnerable adult is an eternity,” one law enforcement source told Fox News Digital.
The timeline of the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom:
The pilot involved was later reassigned from flight duty to street patrol, according to the report — a move the Pima County Deputies Organization reportedly opposed.
A union official characterized the transfer as “unfortunately typical” of Nanos’ leadership style and said it left the department short-staffed during one of the highest-profile searches in its history.
The scrutiny intensified after Nanos acknowledged to the Arizona Republic on Friday that Nancy Guthrie’s home had been released as a crime scene too early, forcing investigators to return days later to recover additional evidence.
He conceded the scene should have remained secured longer and that additional agencies could have been called in sooner.
The sheriff has also faced mounting criticism online as the investigation drags on, with social media users branding him a “bumbling idiot” and a “complete embarrassment.”
Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished from her Tucson home late Jan. 31 after being dropped off by family.
Investigators believe she was taken from the residence around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 1.
Blood found on the porch outside the home was confirmed to belong to her, and her doorbell camera was removed.
Authorities say there are still no suspects and no persons of interest.
The FBI has since fully joined the investigation, deploying additional agents, analysts and technical resources while launching a national publicity campaign.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery or the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance.
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