Nancy Guthrie Case: FBI Director Claims Local Sheriff Rejected Help

Kash Patel weighed in on the way the Nancy Guthrie case was handled by the Pima County Sheriff after the 84-year-old disappeared. Many true crime followers already believed that delays made the case a mess from the beginning. But this is the first time Patel voiced his opinions. Read on for more details.

Where Did Patel Speak Out?

In his Brian Entin Investigates podcast this week, Brian explained where the information arrived from. He said that Kash Patel spoke with Sean Hannity about the Nancy Guthrie case.

Patel revealed that the FBI was allegedly blocked from the investigation for “four full days” by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.

Brian noted that the delay seemed critical and Patel also thought so. He said that the “first 48 hours are so important” when someone is missing. Once allowed in, the FBI was finally able to secure Ring doorbell footage from Google that had previously been inaccessible.

Quantico Wasn’t Initially Used

The friction between agencies extended to forensic evidence as well. Patel disclosed that he actually had a “fixed wing aircraft ready to move” DNA evidence to the FBI lab in Quantico. He’s not alone in thinking that Quantico is what he describes as the “best DNA lab in the world.”

However, Sheriff Chris Nanos reportedly turned down the federal transport, choosing instead to send samples to a private lab in Florida. Entin noted that while some of that eventually reached Quantico, it didn’t happen until months later.

Nanos Responds

Entin, always thorough, followed up the claims by Patel and engaged with the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. Chris Nanos, who faced a lot of criticism, gave a statement and Entin read some of it out in his podcast. In part, it said:

County Sheriff Chris Nanos is aware of FBI Director Cash Patel’s recent interview and statement. Sheriff Nanos responded to the scene the night of the incident, providing immediate local leadership and oversight. A member of the FBI task force was also notified and present at the scene, working alongside our personnel. The FBI was promptly notified by both our department and the Guthrie family.

Highlighting what he thought was a good working relationship, Nanos added, “While the FBI director was not on scene, coordination with the bureau began without delay. Decisions regarding evidence processing were made on scene based on operational needs.”

Furthermore, he went on about the laboratory that they chose. He also discussed ongoing collaboration. “The laboratory utilized by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI laboratory in Quantico have worked in close partnership from the outset and continue to collaborate in the analysis”

Viewers React

In the comments section, it seemed that the statement by Nanos about the initial handling of the Nancy Guthrie case didn’t satisfy true crime followers. One of them opined, “Such an arrogant sheriff who shouldn’t even be in public service.”

Here are a few more rather scathing responses from the discussion:

• The sheriff is a liar. He released the crime scene after only 48 hours.
• The problem is Sheriff Nanos’s actions seemed based on his grudge against FBI.
• Plane on ground ready to go and Nanos doesn’t take advantage of this – he needs to be fired immediately.
• My heart breaks for the family, imagine finding out that there were FBI resources and the sheriff wouldn’t allow it.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates. Plus, remember we have a crime channel on TikTok that you can follow.