An Arizona jail inmate has sued Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, adding a new legal challenge as the office continues to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie near Tucson.
Christopher Michael Marx filed the case March 5 in the U.S. District Court in Arizona.
In the complaint, Marx alleges a deputy moved between jail units while one was under quarantine after an inmate tested positive for COVID-19, potentially exposing others to infection. Marx is seeking $1.35 million, an apology from Nanos and changes to sanitation practices, Newsweek reported.
The lawsuit arrives as scrutiny remains fixed on Nanos over the still-unsolved Nancy Guthrie case.
Newsweek reported that Nanos has faced criticism for his handling of the investigation after he acknowledged mistakes in its early stages, including releasing the crime scene too quickly.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her residence in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood of Tucson on the evening of Jan. 31, and the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Department are investigating.
The FBI says she is considered a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for a heart condition. The agency is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to her location or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved.
Nanos told NBC News that a dedicated homicide team in his department was working with the FBI and that investigators were operating on the assumption that Guthrie was still alive.
No arrests have been announced in Guthrie's disappearance.
The civil case now moves to an initial court review and any response that may be filed on behalf of Nanos or the department.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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