FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly criticized Tucson police over their handling of the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, alleging that federal agents were prevented from joining the case during its most critical early stages.
Speaking in an interview with NewsNation's Katie Pavlich on June 5, Patel said the FBI offered assistance immediately after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Feb. 1. According to Patel, local authorities declined to fully involve federal investigators for four days, a delay he suggested may have hindered efforts to gather time-sensitive evidence.
"We showed up immediately and offered our assistance," Patel said. "We were not let in for four days. And that's their choice."
Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has attracted national attention over the past four months. Authorities are treating the case as an alleged kidnapping, yet investigators have announced no arrests, identified no suspects and have not located Guthrie. Questions surrounding the initial response have increasingly become part of the public debate as the investigation remains unresolved.
Patel's comments expose growing tension between federal and local authorities over how key evidence was handled. Among the items recovered near Guthrie's residence were a hair sample and 16 gloves, materials that investigators hoped could provide DNA evidence.
The FBI director said federal laboratories offered to process the evidence but were bypassed.
"We offered our assistance to go test the DNA," Patel said. "And it's up to them. They chose to use a private laboratory."
According to Patel, Tucson investigators sent the evidence to a private laboratory in Florida rather than the FBI's forensic facility in Quantico, Virginia. The samples reportedly remained there for approximately 11 weeks before eventually being transferred to federal authorities. Patel acknowledged that the testing has not yet produced a breakthrough.
Tucson police have not publicly responded to Patel's criticism regarding the DNA-testing decision. The reasons behind the choice of laboratory have not been publicly explained, and there has been no official statement addressing whether multiple testing efforts occurred simultaneously.
The FBI's involvement expanded once federal agents gained access to digital evidence collected from the home. Patel revealed that investigators reviewed footage from a Ring doorbell camera that allegedly captured a masked individual tampering with the front door.
According to Patel, the bureau also worked with technology partners to recover additional information despite limitations caused by the device's subscription status.
"We went to our partners at Google and we said, Hey, we know that there wasn't a paid subscription service, but let's go look at the metadata and see if we can find a needle in a needle in a needle in a haystack," Patel said.
The FBI director repeatedly emphasized the importance of acting quickly in kidnapping investigations.
"You need the first 48 hours to hit the ground hard," Patel said.
While criticizing the delays, Patel was careful to note that the FBI does not control the investigation. He stressed that Arizona authorities remain the lead agency and that federal involvement is limited to support and assistance.
"The state and local [agencies] are in charge of that investigation. We, the FBI, don't take ownership of that," Patel said.
Despite the absence of major public developments, Patel insisted substantial resources continue to be devoted to the case. He disclosed that he recently visited the FBI's Tucson field office and described a large-scale effort involving agents, analysts and intelligence personnel.
"We continue to offer assistance," Patel told NewsNation. "I even visited our Tucson office, where we had 150 agents and analysts working on the Nancy race to provide intelligence."
