Nancy Guthrie Update: FBI Director Kash Patel Sends Blunt Message About Sheriff's Handling of Case
FBI Director Kash Patel just sent a blunt message about the Pima County Sheriff's Department in a new interview, as Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie, remains missing more than three months after her Feb. 1 abduction in Tucson, Ariz.
On the Tuesday, May 5 episode of Hang Out With Sean Hannity, Patel sat down with Fox host Sean Hannity to discuss a wide range of topics.
"In the Nancy Guthrie case, I got frustrated," Hannity said of the 84-year-old's missing case. "Because I knew from my sources they were trying to keep you guys out."
"They did," Patel confirmed. "The first 48 hours in anyone's disappearance are the most critical. And here's how these cases work: It is a state matter. 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?'"
He continued, "And for four days, we were kept out of the investigation. And when we were finally let in, Sean, look what we did. We went in and got the Ring doorbell."
Patel said that he called the leadership at Google, explained that Nancy did not have a subscription service to capture all of the video data, and asked about going into the cached data before it was deleted.
"That's why you have that image," he pointed out, of the stills and video footage of "Porch Guy"-the masked man on Nancy's porch who is a prime suspect. "Because the FBI worked with Google to put that image out."
Related: Nancy Guthrie Update: Sheriff's Department Issues Renewed Plea 3 Months After Abduction
Patel also claimed, "We could have gotten that days before. We could have also maybe gotten more data had we been let in earlier."
Additionally, the FBI director said the bureau offered to process the DNA evidence in Nancy's case, but PCSD first sent it to a lab in Florida for processing instead.
"I launched hundreds of agents and intel staff to Phoenix and Tucson just for this case, just to be on standby, just to do the canvassing," Patel added. "And I said, 'We'll take the DNA.' And again, it's a state and local matter, so it's their call on where to send the DNA.
When Hannity said it was a "bad call," Patel replied, "Well, that's for the American public to decide."
He continued, "And what we can do is continue to offer support. 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, so I understand everybody's frustrations."
Nancy was last seen at her Catalina Foothills residence on the evening of Jan. 31, with the PCSD launching its search on Feb 1, after her family reported her missing. The FBI joined days later. As of writing, no suspect has been named in the case, despite Savannah offering a $1 million reward.
Next: Nancy Guthrie Update: New Video Shows Masked Man in Savannah's Mom's Neighborhood
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 3:52 PM.