The search for Nancy Guthrie has drawn serious scrutiny and criticism from local law enforcement officers.
The 84-year-old mother of NBC's Savannah Guthrie has been missing for seven days from her Arizona home. Critics slammed the sheriff's office, blaming them for mishandling the matter during the crucial early stages of the search.
{img}This includes delaying the deployment of its high-tech aircraft equipped with thermal imaging. Instead of making use of that plane as soon as Nancy was reported missing, officials chose to rely on a helicopter lacking advanced search sensors.
This fixed-wing plane was not launched until many hours later. Some insiders also blamed staffing decisions and discipline issues for this delay, suggesting that aviators who could have crewed the plane were not present at this time.
{img}Sheriff Chris Nanos defended his department's actions but at the same time acknowledged that some missteps arose in hindsight.
The slow start raised queries about whether key opportunities to locate Nancy in the first few hours were lost.