Pima County sheriff went to U of Arizona basketball game as Savannah Guthrie pleaded for mother's release in new video

Arizona Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos was seen attending a basketball game on Saturday night amid the high-profile search for Nancy Guthrie. 

Nanos was seen sitting near the front row of a University of Arizona basketball game in Tucson as the investigation into the disappearance of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mother has been underway for a week. Within minutes of the basketball game, Guthrie’s family simultaneously posted another video message on social media, begging for the individuals responsible for their mother’s abduction to contact them.

“We received your message and we understand," Savannah Guthrie said in the post, alongside her sister Annie and brother Cameron. "We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay."

Guthrie did not elaborate in the post on what the message they received was. On Friday, another alleged statement from the kidnappers was sent to 13 News in Tucson, which provided “sensitive information” about the kidnapping but did not include proof of life.

Nanos’ attendance at the basketball game, which Fox News highlighted, drew sharp backlash for the poor timing. The anonymous source who provided the photos told the outlet that it “wasn’t a good move” for Nanos to attend the game. 

“This whole thing being so fresh and nationwide, maybe worldwide," the source said. "I don’t think it was good for him to do it. He’s a major part of the investigation, so it didn’t look good to me. Very sad to see him at the Arizona basketball game."

Nanos had already been facing backlash after it was reported that an important aspect of the ongoing investigation was delayed due to a dispute he had with the pilot of the sheriff’s department’s search aircraft. The plane was delayed by three hours after the investigation began.