Four months after missing Nancy Guthrieno suspect has been identified, FBI Director Kashi Patel NewsNation said in an exclusive interview that the decision on whether to use FBI assistance rests with local authorities.
authorities suspect Guthrie Before being reported missing on February 1, 2026, she was abducted from her residence in Arizona.
Speaking with NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich, Patel said the agency has been involved from day one to support the investigation into the disappearance of the 84-year-old TV anchor’s mother Savannah Guthrie.
“We showed up immediately and offered help. We weren’t allowed in for four days. It was their choice,” Patel said of local law enforcement.
Pima County Sheriff faces scrutiny
As time passes, no suspects are found and Nancy Guthrie remains missing, there are concerns about the choices police made. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
One issue raised was the way the department managed evidence, particularly the decision to send DNA evidence to a private laboratory for analysis.
“We offered help to test the DNA. It was up to them. They chose to use a private lab,” said Patel.
Kash Patel highlights FBI expertise
patel noted that when local authorities tap the expertise of the FBI, significant results can be achieved, referring to images of the suspect obtained from cameras at Guthrie’s residence.
“What the FBI does well, and what we did when we were finally able to use the Ring doorbell camera, for example, we went to our partners Google We said, ‘Hey, we know there’s no paid subscription service, but let’s look at the metadata and see if we can find a needle in the haystack,'” he said.
this FBI “We remain committed to providing support to the ongoing investigation as detectives work to examine leads in an effort to solve the case,” said Patel.
“We will continue to provide assistance,” Patel said. “I even visited our Tucson office, where we have 150 agents and analysts providing intelligence to Nancy Guthrie’s campaign.”
