An Arizona sheriff who has been at the forefront of the search for NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie’s mother strongly disputed FBI Director Kash Patel’s claims of being “kept out” of the investigation.
Patel, appearing on Tuesday’s episode of the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast, accused Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and his associates of waiting too long to engage the FBI in the Feb. 1 disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84.
“The first 48 hours of anyone’s disappearance are most critical,” he said. “It’s a state and local law enforcement matter. What we, the FBI, do is say, ‘Hey, we’re here to help. What do you need? What can we do?’ And for four days, we were kept out of the investigation.”
Patel also criticized the sheriff’s department for its handling of DNA evidence and took credit for the discovery of surveillance video showing a masked individual carrying what appears to be a gun on the front steps of Nancy Guthrie’s home on the night of her alleged abduction. That footage, which was released publicly Feb. 10, remains the case’s most significant lead.
“We could have gotten it days before. We could have also maybe gotten more data,” Patel said of the clip. As for Nanos’ use of a Florida-based lab for DNA analysis, he added, “We would have analyzed it within days and maybe gotten better information or more information. Our lab’s just better than any other private lab out there, and we didn’t get a chance to do that.”
Not long after the podcast interview was released, Nanos responded to Patel’s claims in a lengthy statement shared on X, noting the FBI was “promptly notified by both our department and the Guthrie family.”
“While the FBI Director was not on scene, coordination with the Bureau began without delay,” he wrote. “We remain committed to a thorough, coordinated, and fact-based investigation and will continue working closely with our federal partners as the process moves forward.”
Neither Nanos nor Patel offered further leads on Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts. To date, no suspects in the case have been identified.
Patel’s public clash with Nanos comes amid a flurry of discourse surrounding the FBI director’s conduct. Last month, The Atlantic published an exposé that claimed Patel is “deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy” following unexplained absences and “bouts of excessive drinking,” among other issues.
Patel responded to the article by filing a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic and journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, alleging defamation. On Wednesday, MS NOW reported that the FBI had launched a criminal leak investigation into Fitzpatrick that The Atlantic deemed “a dangerous new attack on press freedom.”