Pima County Sheriff's Department Faces Backlash Over Misleading Social Media Post
Controversy Surrounding Pima County Sheriff’s Update
Recent confusion and anger arose following a social media update from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, which many interpreted as a significant development in the case of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old who has been missing. However, the announcement was actually about a different individual, leading to widespread outrage online. This incident has reignited criticism regarding the department's management of the Guthrie case.
Details of the Pima County 'Nancy' Post Incident
Update: Nancy has been located. https://t.co/bS6yuRL1J3 pic.twitter.com/pVX7Xz5ekK
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) April 17, 2026
The issue began when the sheriff's department shared a post late Thursday that read, “Update: Nancy has been located.” This message was actually about Nancy Radakovich, an 82-year-old woman who resembles Guthrie, the mother of Savannah Guthrie from the 'Today' show. The lack of a last name in the post led many to mistakenly believe it referred to Nancy Guthrie, who is still missing. The situation was further complicated by an unclear image marked with the word “LOCATED,” which made it hard for users to differentiate between the two cases.
The online response was immediate and intense. One user expressed, “I LITERALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS NANCY GUTHRIE. THE WAY MY HEART JUST DROPPED!” Another criticized the department, stating, “you guys have to be absolutely brain dead to not know people would think this was Nancy Guthrie.” Some users accused the sheriff's office of being deceptive, labeling the post as “clickbait” for not including the surname. One user highlighted that previous updates on missing persons usually contained full names, questioning why this particular post did not.
As the backlash grew, it coincided with ongoing scrutiny of the department's approach to the Guthrie investigation. Critics have previously raised concerns about decisions such as reopening the crime scene shortly after her disappearance and opting to send DNA evidence to a private lab in Florida rather than directly to the FBI. In response to the criticism, authorities provided their first update in weeks, asserting that they have been collaborating with the FBI from the outset and that DNA analysis is still in progress, including evidence like hairs found at Guthrie’s residence.