Man detained in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping search files notice of claim

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Jul 31, 2026

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A man detained in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who has not been seen since January, is threatening to sue the Arizona sheriff’s department leading the investigation.

Attorneys for Carlos Palazuelos and two others filed a notice of claim — the precursor to a lawsuit — against the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, its Sheriff Chris Nanos, and Detective Earl Gieron, alleging the claimants were wrongfully targeted amid the probe into 84-year-old Guthrie’s disappearance. Palazuelos specifically alleges that he was arrested at gunpoint on February 10 and that the subsequent search of his family’s home led to “significant property damage,” according to the claim, per Arizona News.

“Carlos’ arrest was made in a public fashion that was intended to damage Carlos’ reputation and subject him to humiliation and suspicion by implicating Carlos in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie,” the documents read. “The PCSD carried out the arrest in this improper fashion in a misguided attempt to shield itself and Sheriff Nanos from public criticism related to their handling of the case and to boost Sheriff Nanos’ public profile.”

Palazuelos said he was held for seven or eight hours before he was released without being charged.

Speaking to reporters after the ordeal, Palazuelos, a 27-year-old delivery driver, said he was working when he was suddenly pulled over by law enforcement in Tucson. He believes he was questioned because of his resemblance to images and video released by the FBI, which shows someone wearing a mask, gloves, a backpack and armed with a holstered handgun at the front door of Guthrie’s Tucson-area home around the time she was likely abducted.

“All I know is they showed my in-law a picture of somebody wearing a mask or something and it supposedly looked like my eyes,” Palazuelos said at the time.

Palazuelos plans to seek $2.5 million for assault, false arrest, negligence, defamation and false imprisonment.

The second plaintiff, Daniel Maddox, said he was handcuffed and held under armed guard outside the family home during the search, and he is seeking $500,000, according to ABC 15. The claim also lists Palazuelos’ mother, Josefina Maddox, who is the owner of the home searched by law enforcement. She wants $250,000 for property damage caused by authorities, which includes a broken front door frame, damaged paint and ceiling tiles and a broken attic entrance.

Guthrie is barely mobile and suffers from a heart condition, and has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 31. She went out to dinner with family that night and she was reported missing the following day after she failed to show up for remote-viewing of church services as usual.

Her daughter, “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, earlier this week issued her latest plea to anyone who may have information in the case, begging them to come forward.

“It has been months since our mom was taken from us,” Guthrie said in a recording posted Monday. “Our family is in agony, we are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed.”

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