An Arizona prisoner has launched a substantial $1.35 million lawsuit against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, alleging that the sheriff's actions directly endangered his life through negligent COVID-19 safety protocols. This legal action emerges separately from the ongoing high-profile investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, which has also placed Sheriff Nanos under intense scrutiny.
Lawsuit Details and Allegations
According to court documents obtained by Newsweek, Pima County Jail inmate Christopher Michael Marx, aged 54, filed the lawsuit on March 5. Marx, who was convicted of shoplifting in 2024, claims that Sheriff Nanos and the Pima County Sheriff's Department violated his constitutional rights under the Declaration of Rights. The inmate accuses them of threatening his safety and subjecting him to cruel and unusual punishment during the pandemic.
Marx's complaint centers on a specific incident where a sheriff's deputy was assigned to work between two jail units. One unit was under quarantine after an inmate tested positive for COVID-19, while Marx's unit was not. The lawsuit alleges that this deputy moved back and forth between the quarantined unit and Marx's unit without proper disinfection procedures, even serving meals between them.
Specific Claims of Negligence
"This deputy was going back and forth working both units... our unit was on lockdown because this deputy was working both units," Marx wrote in the legal filing obtained by the Daily Mail. He further stated that the deputy "put my life in jeopardy with their action, constantly" by failing to disinfect himself while working between units.
Marx directly accuses Sheriff Nanos of failing to ensure that COVID-19 protocols were properly followed by his team. "My life was put in harm's way by the actions of the sheriff... I could have died," Marx wrote in the lawsuit. The inmate has demanded a formal apology from Nanos as part of his legal action.
Compensation Demands and Reform Requests
The $1.35 million lawsuit seeks substantial compensation with specific allocation plans. Marx has reportedly requested that the awarded funds be directed toward providing rent-free apartments for homeless individuals to live in for six months with "no strings attached."
Beyond financial compensation, Marx has asked the Pima County Sheriff's Department to implement specific policy changes. He wants the department to "make sure that they properly disinfect their bodies when the deputies are working two units at a time, and one of these units is quarantined" to prevent similar health risks in the future.
Parallel Investigation Controversy
Sheriff Nanos faces simultaneous criticism for his handling of the Nancy Guthrie investigation. The 84-year-old woman disappeared from her Tucson home on February 1, with blood found on her front porch suggesting she may have been forcibly taken. The case has been marked by false leads and investigative challenges.
Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputies Organization, told The New York Post that "It is a common belief in this agency that this case has become an ego case for Sheriff Nanos." Critics have accused Nanos of allowing personal pride to cloud the investigation, with some alleging he made crucial errors in the initial hours of the search.
FBI Involvement and Search Efforts
Despite reported hesitancy from Nanos to accept FBI assistance initially, the Pima County Sheriff's Department announced that its homicide unit has been working with federal investigators. Search efforts continue under the assumption that Nancy Guthrie is still alive.
The FBI released doorbell camera footage showing a masked figure wearing black latex gloves, a backpack, and what appeared to be a holstered gun outside Guthrie's home. Approximately 16 rogue gloves were found in the neighborhood, though none have been traced to promising suspects. Authorities describe the suspect as a man with an average build standing roughly 5'9" or 5'10".
Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer suggested an arrest might be imminent after officials turned down civilian search efforts from groups like EquuSearch and the Cajun Navy. "Is [law enforcement] close to an arrest and they know what happened to Nancy so they don't want to waste the valuable resources of these groups?" Coffindaffer wrote on social media platform X.
Rewards and Ongoing Investigation
The Guthrie family recently announced a $1 million reward for information leading to their mother's return, while the FBI has offered an additional $100,000 for information that results in Nancy's rescue. No official suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made in the case as of this reporting.
The Daily Mail contacted both the Sheriff's Office and Marx's lawyer for comment on the lawsuit allegations, but responses were not immediately available. The legal action against Sheriff Nanos proceeds as he manages dual controversies involving inmate safety protocols and a high-profile missing persons investigation.
