Lawyers for two Arizona men swept up in the investigation into the kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie have filed a notice of claim against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, alleging wrongful arrest at gunpoint and demanding millions in damages.

Carlos Palazuelos and Daniel Maddox were detained on February 10 during a search connected to the disappearance of the mother of NBC "TODAY" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Neither man was charged. Both were released after hours in custody. Now their lawyers say the sheriff's department owes them, and Maddox's mother, whose home was allegedly ransacked, a combined $3.25 million for what the notice calls arrests made without probable cause, property damage, and reputational harm that the department has refused to correct.

The notice of claim, dated Monday and obtained by NBC affiliate KVOA of Tucson, is a formal precursor to a civil lawsuit under Arizona law. It names Sheriff Nanos, an unnamed detective, and the Pima County Sheriff's Department as respondents. Pima County itself is listed as a subject of possible future claims.

Palazuelos held at gunpoint for eight hours, then released without charges

The notice paints a stark picture of the February 10 detentions. Palazuelos, described as a delivery driver, was "arrested at gunpoint and held without probable cause for approximately seven to eight hours," the filing states. His arrest was carried out in public. His home, located in Rio Rico, a community roughly 60 miles south of Tucson, was described in the notice as "ransacked."

He walked out with no charges. A man who identified himself as Palazuelos told Telemundo at the time that he was not involved in the Guthrie case.

But the damage, his lawyers argue, did not end with his release. Sheriff Nanos posted on social media that "the subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation." That post, published on the department's official X account, tied Palazuelos's name to one of the most high-profile kidnapping cases in the country, and the notice alleges the department has done nothing to undo it.

"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."

Palazuelos's lawyers are demanding $2.5 million in settlement for what they describe as physical, emotional, and reputational harm.

Armed men in military gear ordered Maddox to the floor inside his own home

Daniel Maddox's account, as laid out in the notice, is no less alarming. Men in military-style gear entered the home, pointed guns at him, and ordered him to lie on the ground in the hallway after he left his room to investigate a loud noise. He was placed in handcuffs and held "under guard" at a van outside for several hours.

The notice states that Maddox's detention "was wrongful and has caused him significant physical, mental, and emotional pain and suffering." His lawyers seek $500,000.

Josefina Maddox, Daniel's mother and the owner of the home that was searched, is also named in the claim. She seeks $250,000 for alleged property damage. The FBI director has previously raised concerns about the sheriff's handling of the broader Guthrie investigation, adding weight to questions about how the department has conducted its operations.

No charges were filed against either man. No public explanation has been offered for why they were targeted or what evidence, if any, connected them to the case.

Six months in, the Guthrie kidnapping remains unsolved

Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing from her home near Tucson early on February 1. The FBI is investigating her disappearance as a kidnapping for ransom. No suspect has been publicly identified or charged in connection with the abduction itself.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department issued a statement Thursday acknowledging the slow pace of the probe. "The analysis of DNA and digital evidence has been underway for the past six months. This work is complex and time-intensive, but investigators continue to pursue every credible lead," the department said.

Sheriff Nanos said this week that the case remains active and that "we're working this as hard as we can." The department did not publicly respond to the notice of claim as of the article's publication. An email seeking comment was sent by the reporter to Pima County government.

The case has drawn sustained national attention in part because of the victim's daughter. Savannah Guthrie has publicly pleaded for answers in her mother's disappearance, and on Monday she released a video appearing to address whoever is responsible.

"Our family is in agony. The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I'm asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her."

The emotional appeal came the same day the notice of claim was dated, a coincidence that underscores the dual pressures bearing down on the sheriff's department: a family desperate for answers and two men who say they were wrongly caught up in the search.

Retired investigators have publicly theorized about who may have targeted Nancy Guthrie, suggesting she may have been singled out by someone local who assumed her family had money. Meanwhile, ransom notes in the case reportedly contained details that only someone present at the scene would know, a fact that has only deepened the mystery.

A department under scrutiny from every direction

The notice of claim puts Sheriff Nanos in an uncomfortable position. His department faces criticism for moving too slowly on the kidnapping itself and now faces a potential lawsuit alleging it moved too aggressively, and against the wrong people, during the same investigation.

The social media post naming Palazuelos as a subject of questioning is central to the reputational harm claim. In a case this prominent, a sheriff's public statement linking someone to the investigation carries real consequences. The notice alleges those consequences have not been addressed, despite direct requests from counsel to retract or clarify.

Savannah Guthrie's return to the public eye during the investigation has kept the case in the national spotlight. That visibility cuts both ways for law enforcement: it keeps pressure on investigators to produce results, and it magnifies every misstep.

Whether the notice of claim leads to a formal lawsuit will depend on how Pima County responds. Under Arizona law, a notice of claim gives the government entity a window to settle before litigation begins. The combined demands of $2.5 million for Palazuelos, $500,000 for Daniel Maddox, and $250,000 for Josefina Maddox would come from county coffers, meaning taxpayers would foot the bill for what the claimants describe as a botched operation.

Six months after an 84-year-old woman vanished from her home, no one has been charged with taking her. But two men who say they had nothing to do with it are now demanding the county pay for dragging them into the case at gunpoint, and the sheriff's office has yet to say they were wrong to do so. When law enforcement cannot find the guilty and will not clear the innocent, the system is failing everyone.