Arizona Sheriff Disputes FBI Director Kash Patel’s Claims Over Handling of Nancy Guthrie Disappearance

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:59:00 +0200

An Arizona sheriff has pushed back against accusations made by FBI Director Kash Patel regarding the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC journalist Savannah Guthrie. Patel, speaking on a podcast, claimed that local authorities delayed involving the FBI during the critical early stages of the case, stating that federal agents were “kept out” for four days after Guthrie went missing on February 1. He also criticized the sheriff’s office for its handling of DNA evidence and suggested that the FBI could have obtained key surveillance footage sooner and analyzed forensic material more effectively.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos strongly disputed these assertions, saying that the FBI was notified promptly by both his department and the Guthrie family. In a public statement, Nanos emphasized that coordination with federal authorities began without delay, even if Patel himself was not physically present at the scene. He reaffirmed his departme