Detained Delivery Driver Demands Release Of Sealed Evidence In Nancy Guthrie Investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. — A man briefly detained as a person of interest in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is demanding that Pima County investigators unseal the evidence that led deputies to search his family's home, as a legal dispute over the handling of the case continues to unfold alongside the still-unsolved investigation.

Carlos Palazuelos, 36, a delivery driver, was detained February 10 by Pima County Sheriff's deputies while authorities searched for leads in the disappearance of Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. He was held for roughly seven to eight hours before being released the same day without charge.

Six months later, the circumstances that led investigators to Palazuelos remain unclear, according to his attorney, Jesse Showalter of the law firm Robbins Curtin Millea & Showalter. Showalter told Newsweek he wants the sealed search warrant affidavit made public. "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 said, adding that he wants to understand what evidence investigators presented to a judge to justify the search.

The search warrant used to raid the Palazuelos family home remains under seal, according to Showalter. "Whatever evidence supposedly existed, for the arrest and for the search is secret," he said, adding that whether the material is ever made public may depend on how ongoing litigation unfolds, since law enforcement agencies frequently seek protective orders to keep sensitive material sealed.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has defended the decision to seek the warrant, saying investigators had sufficient information to bring the case before a judge. Nanos said in a recent interview that deputies had information suggesting there was a "potential that Nancy's there, or there's a potential the bad guy's there," which he said was enough for a judge to authorize the search. Nanos has declined to detail that information further or say whether anything was recovered from the home, and the sheriff's department has said it will not comment on pending litigation.

In late July, Palazuelos and several family members filed a notice of claim seeking a combined $3.25 million from Pima County, a required legal precursor to filing a civil lawsuit under Arizona law. According to the claim, Palazuelos is seeking $2.5 million in damages, with an additional $500,000 sought by his brother-in-law, Daniel Maddox, and roughly $250,000 sought by his mother-in-law and homeowner, Josefina Maddox. The county has 60 days from July 27 to respond to the notice before a lawsuit can formally be filed.

The claim alleges the search warrant was obtained through a sealed application built on "false or baseless evidence," and that deputies at all times lacked probable cause to believe Palazuelos had committed any crime. According to the notice, deputies followed Palazuelos before stopping him, and when he pulled over to ask why he was being followed, officers pointed guns at him and placed him under arrest. He was held in the back of a patrol vehicle while deputies executed the search warrant at the Rio Rico home. Daniel Maddox, according to the claim, was handcuffed and held under armed guard outside the home during the same operation, while Josefina Maddox is separately seeking damages for property destruction the claim says deputies caused while executing the warrant.

The notice also points to public statements made by Nanos at the time of the detention, alleging that a post on social media describing a "subject" being questioned in connection with the Guthrie investigation left the public impression that Palazuelos was a suspect, an impression the claim says the sheriff's office has since refused to formally correct. "Despite requests by undersigned counsel, Sheriff Nanos and the PCSD have refused to retract their statements or to make clear that Carlos is innocent and had no involvement in the Guthrie case," the notice states. In response, the sheriff's office has said that no one has been formally cleared in the case, describing it as an ongoing and active investigation.

Showalter said he has seen no evidence placing his client near Guthrie's home at the time of her disappearance, and has questioned publicly why Palazuelos came under scrutiny at all. He has acknowledged investigators may have identified Palazuelos through his delivery routes or similar data, but argued that "just being in the area where a crime occurred doesn't give you probable cause to arrest somebody." He has also raised, while stressing it remains speculative, the possibility that license-plate readers or other automated investigative tools may have mistakenly flagged his client's vehicle.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in Tucson's Catalina Foothills neighborhood on February 1, and authorities have treated the case as a kidnapping since ransom notes tied to the disappearance were later made public. Despite an extensive investigation involving local deputies and federal agents, including the FBI, no suspect has been formally named and no one has been charged. A masked individual seen in doorbell camera footage from Guthrie's home, sometimes referred to online as "Porch Guy," remains unidentified. Savannah Guthrie has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to a conviction in her mother's case.

With the underlying investigation still unresolved and Pima County facing a legal deadline to respond to the Palazuelos family's claim, the dispute over the sealed search warrant is expected to remain a closely watched side issue in a case that has drawn sustained national attention throughout the year.