In a fresh update in the Nancy Guthrie case, the lawyer for a man detained in the investigation into her disappearance is demanding to see the sealed evidence that led investigators to search his family’s home and hold him for hours without charging him, as reported by Newsweek.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC journalist and “Today” show host, vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1, 2026, after which the Pima County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the case, later joined by the FBI. Despite hundreds of leads and intense search efforts, no suspect has been arrested or named.
As the Pima County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation in February, Carlos Palazuelos, 36, was detained. He was released after around eight hours without charge. Now, six months later, the circumstances that led investigators to delivery driver Palazuelos remain unclear. His attorney, Jesse Showalter, told Newsweek that this is precisely the problem.
“I want to see the search warrant affidavit that was used in order to obtain the search warrant that led to the arrest and the search of his family home,” Showalter told Newsweek. “I want to read how it came to pass that they went after Carlos, what their purported evidence was and what they told the judge in order to get that search warrant.” Showalter added that months later, the search warrant remains "under seal."
“Whatever evidence supposedly existed, for the arrest and for the search is secret," he said. Showalter added that he does not yet know whether the evidence behind the warrant will become public. “That will be part of the litigation,” he said. “I don't know if it'll be made public because often what happens in these kinds of cases is the sheriff would try to continue to keep it protected under a protective order. My hope is that it will.”
Chris Nanos breaks silence
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has defended the investigation, saying investigators presented evidence to a judge and received authorization to execute the warrant.
"We had information that made us believe that there’s a potential that Nancy’s there, or there’s a potential that the bad guy’s there," Nanos was quoted as saying by NewsWeek in July 2026. "That evidence is presented to the judge that says, ‘Yep, go get him.’" But he declined to share what that evidence or information was.
Palazuelos takes legal route
Palazuelos and several members of his family have taken the first legal step toward a potential lawsuit against Pima County authorities by filing a notice of claim seeking $3.25 million in total damages. The claim seeks $2.5 million for Palazuelos, $500,000 for his brother-in-law, Daniel Maddox, and approximately $250,000 for his mother-in-law, Josefina Maddox, who is also the homeowner.
The filing accuses authorities of conducting a wrongful arrest and search. It alleges that Palazuelos was taken into custody at gunpoint and kept for roughly seven to eight hours without probable cause. Showalter said the county now has 60 days from the July 27 filing date to respond. If no resolution is reached, his legal team can then take steps toward filing a lawsuit.
Why Was Palazuelos Arrested?
The Pima County Sheriff's Department told Newsweek that it does not comment on pending litigation. Showalter is seeking to have the warrant unsealed in part because he wants to understand how Palazuelos first came to the attention of investigators.
At the time of his detention, Palazuelos was working as a delivery driver. According to his attorney, there is no reason to believe that his client was in the area of Guthrie's home when she disappeared. “We don't have any reason to believe that Carlos was anywhere near that area on the date of the kidnapping,” Showalter said. “My understanding is that he was not in that area at all.”
