Nancy Guthrie Case Update: Pima County Sheriff Blasted for Decisions

A former SWAT commander who worked for the Pima County Sheriff's Department under Sheriff Chris Nanos ripped his old boss for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie case.

Lt. Bob Krygier, who is retired, criticized Nanos during an appearance on the “Surviving The Survivor” podcast Wednesday, claiming that "98%" of the sheriff's department gave their leader a no-confidence vote several years ago.

No fan of Nanos

Krygier's comments came after Nanos said in an interview with NBC News Monday that investigators are "definitely closer" to solving the high-profile disappearance of Guthrie, which is a suspected kidnapping.

"He is not the best one to deliver those messages most times,” Krygier said, via the New York Post. “He gets wrapped up in his thoughts, he gets emotional. Even if he’s not getting pushback, he sometimes just repeats himself over and over.”

Krygier, who served in the Pima County Sheriff's Department for almost three decades, also said he "wouldn’t put it past [Nanos] to be on that semantics train."

As for the morale poll results, Krygier said 98% of the department disapproved of Nanos' leadership for a multitude of reasons.

“Think about that number,” he added . “We have roughly 450 commissioned officers. We’re not a small agency. This isn’t Mayberry. We need to do better.”

Nanos has responded to criticism in the past

This isn't the first time Nanos has come under fire. He's been accused of not cooperating with the FBI and creating "confusion and fueling conspiracy theories" with his public appearances.

“Right now, our focus is on this investigation and serving the victims and this community," Nanos said in a statement to Parade last month. "Internal or political commentary distracts from this active investigation, and it is very unfortunate. My focus remains on justice and transparency.”

It seems unlikely that he'd acknowledge Krygier's quotes, especially since they could be dismissed as coming from a place of personal animosity. As for Nanos' claim that a breakthrough in the Nancy Guthrie case is coming soon, that remains to be seen.

Guthrie, the mother of Today cohost Savannah Guthrie, has been missing since Feb. 1, with police believing she was forcibly removed from her home.