Two men detained in connection to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie have filed a notice of claim against the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for $3.25 million in damages, alleging they were wrongfully arrested.
Phoenix-based injury lawyer Jesse Showalter filed the claim against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and a PCSD detective on behalf of Carlos Palazuelos and Daniel Maddox.
Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from her Tucson home on Feb. 1, 2026.
Palazuelos was pulled over on Feb. 10 and arrested at gunpoint, which put him in physical danger, the claim reads. He also writes Palazuelos had no connection to the Guthrie case and the warrant for his arrest was based on faulty evidence.
“Claimants believe that the warrant application was defective, was obtained through deceptive or misleading representation to the issuing court, was based on shoddy police work, and did not establish probable cause,” it reads.
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Showalter also claims PCSD will not release the affidavit, a sworn statement submitted to a judge from law enforcement to obtain a warrant.
The claim also says public statements made by the department have forced Palazuelos “to live under a cloud of suspicion,” ever since, and that he and his family have been followed and photographed.
On the evening of his arrest, PCSD released a statement saying deputies “detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson,” but did not name Palazuelos. He was interviewed by several media outlets outside of his home after his release from detention a few hours later.
Palazuelos is demanding a settlement of $2.5 million and listed intention to sue for assault, false arrest, negligence, defamation and false imprisonment.
Maddox was arrested at his house in Rio Rico the same night. The claim reads he was playing video games with headphones on when deputies entered his home. When he came out of his room, multiple deputies were pointing guns at him, the claim reads.
Maddox is demanding $500,000 for physical and mental damages.
His mother, Josefina Maddox, owns the house where Maddox was arrested and is also a claimant, asking for $250,000 for damages to her property.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has 60 days to respond to a notice of claim, the first step in a lawsuit against the government.
PCSD: ‘no one has been cleared’
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on pending litigation.
He pointed to several interviews in which the Sheriff has said no one has been cleared in the case.
On July 31, the six-month mark in the Guthrie investigation, the Sheriff’s Department renewed requests for the public’s help in the case and publicly released two ransom notes, the contents of which were first reported by former KTVK-TV reporter Briana Whitney on the Crime Junkies podcast.
The first note was received by Tucson’s KOLD-TV and other outlets on Feb. 1, the department said in a news release Friday.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Friday released copies of two ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie case that were sent to media outlets.
The second note was received by local and national media outlets on Feb. 6.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Friday released copies of two ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie case that were sent to media outlets.
Law enforcement said they hope the writing style used in the notes will help bring more leads in the case.
“These communications reveal distinctive patterns of word choice, syntax, and phraseology that reflect the writer’s unique linguistic style,” the department wrote in a prepared statement. “...we believe these distinctive linguistic characteristics may be recognizable to someone who knows or has interacted with the notes’ writer. A friend, family member, coworker, classmate or acquaintance may recognize these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible.”
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood on Feb. 1 after she did not show up at a friend’s home to watch a virtual church service.
The case has drawn international attention, and investigators received thousands of tips over the past six months.
The department said they are still investigating the doorbell camera footage released in the days following Guthrie’s disappearance that show an unidentified male in a ski mask approaching her door. The department believes this man knows what happened to Nancy, the statement reads, and urges anyone with information to come forward.
“We know there are individuals familiar with this unidentified male who may have observed changes in his behavior around the timeframe of the videos,” it reads.
The department asks the public to report suspicious behavior, including
A change in mood or displays of anxiety, nervousness or irritability
A change of physical appearance: hair color or cut, growth or removal of facial hair, etc.
Unexplained injuries (cuts on hands, bruises, etc.) during the period Nancy was last seen
Normal routine changes (missing work, classes or appointments)
Sudden departures from the area around the time of her disappearance
Vehicle cleaning, or repairs
Unexplained interest or disinterest in Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood
Noticeable intense interest or disinterest in the investigation or an unexplained knowledge of the situation
Those with information are urged to call the 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the 88-Crime tip line.
