‘Nancy Has Been Located’ Post Sparks Backlash

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is facing intense backlash after a social media blunder that left the public stunned, confused, and outraged — all while a high-profile missing persons case remains unsolved.

The chaos began on April 16, when authorities in Pima County, Arizona, shared a missing persons flyer for an 82-year-old woman named Nancy Radakovich. The post looked nearly identical to the alert previously issued for Nancy Guthrie — the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, who vanished from her home back on February 1.

With similar ages, physical descriptions, and last known locations in the Tucson area, the overlap immediately set off alarm bells online. Some users even feared a disturbing pattern, with one person writing, “What is happening in your city — everyone is taking grandmas,” while another asked, “Why are so many elderly Nancys going missing?”

But things escalated even further when the sheriff’s department followed up with a vague update that simply read: “Nancy has been located.”

No last name. No clarification. Just one word — Nancy — stamped across the original flyer.

That’s when the internet exploded.

Many followers believed the update referred to Nancy Guthrie, whose disappearance has gripped national attention for over two months. “I literally thought this was her — my heart dropped,” one user wrote. Another blasted the department, saying, “This is beyond careless. You need to fire whoever posted this.”

Others went even further, accusing officials of intentional deception. “Could’ve used her full name. This feels deliberate,” one person commented, while another fumed, “No wonder this case is going nowhere — they can’t even communicate properly.”

The outrage comes as Sheriff Chris Nanos and his department are already under heavy scrutiny for their handling of the Guthrie case. Critics have accused the office of missteps ranging from releasing the crime scene too early — reportedly allowing media to approach the home while blood evidence was still visible — to giving inconsistent statements during press briefings.

There have also been reports of internal conflict with federal investigators. According to critics, key DNA evidence was initially sent to a private lab in Florida instead of the FBI’s facility in Quantico, raising questions about why top-tier federal resources weren’t used from the start. That evidence has only recently been transferred to the FBI for more advanced analysis after early tests came back inconclusive due to mixed DNA samples.

Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance continues to deepen.

Investigators have released a chilling piece of Nest doorbell footage showing a masked individual wearing gloves and what appears to be a holstered weapon attempting to disable the camera shortly before the abduction. Despite the eerie video, no suspect has been identified and no arrests have been made.

Now 75 days since she vanished from her bed in the early morning hours, Guthrie’s case remains cold — even after her family offered a $1 million reward for information.

And after the latest social media fiasco, critics say public trust is slipping even further.

With mounting pressure, unanswered questions, and a community on edge, one thing is clear — this case is far from over, and the spotlight on investigators is only getting brighter.