Kash Patel rips Nancy Guthrie investigation, claims FBI 'kept out'
Key Points:
- FBI Director Kash Patel criticized the Pima County Sheriff's Department for allegedly excluding the FBI from the early stages of the investigation into the suspected kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, 84, who went missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
- Patel claimed the FBI was kept out of the case for four critical days and highlighted the release of doorbell footage showing a suspect tampering with the device, which was made possible through FBI collaboration with Google.
- The Pima County Sheriff's Department denied Patel's accusations, stating that local and federal agencies coordinated promptly and decisions regarding evidence processing were made based on operational needs, with ongoing collaboration between labs.
- Despite DNA evidence found at the scene, including unknown DNA not belonging to Guthrie or her close contacts, no new leads have emerged, and Guthrie has not been seen since Jan. 31; a reward exceeding $1.2 million is offered for information.
- Sheriff Chris Nanos previously defended his department's cooperation with the FBI and acknowledged some investigative decisions could have been handled differently in hindsight, while Patel has faced separate criticism over allegations of misconduct unrelated to this case.