Two Arizona men detained in the probe of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance have filed a notice of claim accusing the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Chris Nanos of wrongful arrest, property damage, and reputational harm, demanding a combined $3.25 million in damages.
Lawyers for Carlos Palazuelos and Daniel Maddox say both men were detained on February 10 during a search related to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance and were released without charges after hours in custody. The claim names Sheriff Chris Nanos, an unnamed detective, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and puts Pima County on notice as a potential subject of future claims. The filing is a formal precursor to a civil suit under Arizona law, and it seeks financial relief for alleged misconduct during the operation.
The notice describes Palazuelos, identified as a delivery driver, being arrested at gunpoint and held without probable cause for roughly seven to eight hours, with his Rio Rico home reportedly ransacked during the search. He was released with no charges filed, yet the sheriff’s office posted on social media that “the subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation,” a public link the lawyers say harmed his reputation. The claim demands $2.5 million for physical, emotional, and reputational damage tied to that public association.
“Despite requests by undersigned counsel, Sheriff Nanos and the PCSD have refused to retract their statements or to make clear that Carlos is innocent and had no involvement in the Guthrie case.”
Daniel Maddox says the raid on his home was frightening and forceful: men in military-style gear pointed guns at him, ordered him into the hallway, placed him in handcuffs, and kept him under guard in a van for hours. The notice alleges that his detention was wrongful and inflicted significant physical, mental, and emotional pain, and it seeks $500,000 in damages on his behalf. His mother, Josefina Maddox, who owns the home that was searched, seeks $250,000 for alleged property damage from the same operation.
No charges have been filed against either man, and the claim stresses that the department has not publicly explained why they were targeted or what evidence linked them to the case. The filing accuses law enforcement of acting without probable cause and of refusing to correct public statements that tied one of the men to the high-profile investigation. The financial demands total $3.25 million, which the claim notes would ultimately come from county coffers if paid.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing from her home near Tucson on February 1, and the FBI is treating her disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom. Investigators have not identified or charged a suspect in the abduction, and the case has remained unsolved six months on. The sheriff’s office said investigators continue to sift through DNA and digital evidence and pursue credible leads, describing that work as complex and time-intensive.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement saying, “The analysis of DNA and digital evidence has been underway for the past six months. This work is complex and time-intensive, but investigators continue to pursue every credible lead.” Sheriff Nanos has also told the public the case remains active and that “we’re working this as hard as we can.” The department had not publicly replied to the notice of claim at the time the filing was reported.
The timing of the notice coincided with a renewed public plea from Savannah Guthrie, who has used her platform to press for information about her mother’s disappearance. In a video addressed to whoever may know something, she spoke directly about the family’s pain and asked for help in locating her mother. The emotional appeal amplified public attention just as the two men moved to hold the sheriff’s office accountable for how their detentions unfolded.
“Our family is in agony. The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her.”
The notice adds another layer of scrutiny to a department already criticized for investigative pace and choices in handling the Guthrie case. Retired investigators and others have floated theories about who may have targeted the victim, and reports indicate ransom notes contained details that suggested someone on site knew specifics about the scene. Those open questions, combined with allegations of heavy-handed detentions, have intensified calls for clarity from law enforcement.
How Pima County responds will determine whether the notice of claim leads to full litigation or a pre-suit settlement under Arizona law. The claim warns that if the county does not address the allegations, taxpayers could shoulder the cost of the demands totaling $3.25 million. Meanwhile, six months after the disappearance, the probe continues and two men who say they were wrongly swept up in it are pressing the county for accountability.
