Nancy Guthrie Case Update: Sheriff Makes Major Announcement About the Guthrie Family

There has been a key update in the Nancy Guthrie case that people who've been following the investigation need to know about. The sheriff, who has been the public face of the case, released a major statement about the Guthrie family that marks a pivotal moment amid growing public attention.

What the Sheriff Actually Revealed About the Guthrie Family

On February 16, 2026, the Pima County Sheriff's Department's X account posted a text image with a statement about the Guthrie family from Sheriff Chris Nanos.

"To be clear ... the Guthrie family -- to include all siblings and spouses -- has been cleared as possible suspects in this case. The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case."

He went on to plead with members of the media to stop casting suspicion on the other members of Savannah Guthrie's family.

"To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple… Please, I'm begging you (in the) media to honor your profession and report with sense of compassion and professionalism."

A statement from Sheriff Chris Nanos on the Nancy Guthrie Investigation: pic.twitter.com/YfhQSPkrFJ

— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) February 16, 2026

Sheriff Chris Nanos Has Defended the Guthrie Family Before

The February 16 statement from Chris Nanos wasn't the first time that he'd tried to stand up for the Guthrie family. In fact, he'd attempted to do so during an interview with the Daily Mail about the investigation that was published the day before.

During that interview, Nanos shared that the online speculation about Nancy Guthrie's family was troubling. He also asked people, especially members of the media, to stop feeding the rumors. "People out there can get pretty ugly and mean and nasty and not have the facts. I tell my journalists, 'You guys need to be a little more responsible.' Because that's just really nasty stuff."

Nanos went on to specifically discuss the theories that have spread about Nancy's son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, and explained why they need to stop. "I understand the pundits are out there. They're gonna say, well, he's the last one to see her alive. We understand that stuff. But, my goodness, you're putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he's family."

While speaking to that outlet, Nanos didn't explicitly clear Nancy Guthrie's family. Now that he has done that with his clear words on X, that should help stop the online speculation that has revolved around the already deeply traumatized family. While that doesn't mark a change in the investigation, it hopefully will be a huge moment in the discussion about the case that will make things a tiny bit easier on those directly involved.