The urgent search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has taken a controversial turn, thrusting the FBI and its Director, Kash Patel, into the center of a political and public relations firestorm.
More than 10 days after the mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie vanished from her home, law enforcement has yet to name a viable suspect. Frustration reached a boiling point this week after a highly publicized detainment resulted in the rapid release of an apparently innocent man.
A Premature Announcement and a Botched Detainment
On Tuesday evening, FBI Director Kash Patel appeared on Fox News’ Hannity, boasting that the agency had made “substantial progress” in the suspected abduction and was actively looking into several “persons of interest.”
Shortly after the broadcast, federal authorities detained a man for questioning in connection with the case. The move followed the release of chilling security footage showing a masked, gloved individual tampering with cameras outside Nancy Guthrie’s home.
However, the major break in the case quickly unraveled. The detained individual—identified as Carlos Palazuelos, a Tucson-area delivery driver—was released just hours later without charges.
Speaking to reporters outside his home shortly after his release, a visibly frustrated Palazuelos firmly denied any involvement.
“What the f— am I doing here? I didn’t do anything. To be honest, I’m innocent,” Palazuelos stated, adding in a subsequent interview with ABC 15 Arizona that he had never even heard of Nancy Guthrie prior to his detainment. “I hope they get the suspect, because I’m not it. And they better do their job and find the suspect who did it so they can clear my name.”
“Amateur-Hour”: Critics Slam FBI Leadership
The arrest-and-release cycle has drawn severe criticism from lawmakers, journalists, and the public, many of whom have pointed the finger directly at Patel’s leadership.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his dismay, sharing a clip of Palazuelos’s denial. “The FBI—now run by online influencers, hair tonic salesmen, and talk show hosts—has become a shell of its former self,” Sen. Murphy wrote. “The next president is going to have an enormous job to rebuild it.”
Political commentators and writers echoed the sentiment, characterizing the investigation as disorganized. Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of the liberal news site MeidasTouch, mockingly posted that Patel’s “main investigative strategy is waiting for the relatives of suspects to turn them in.” Writer Keith Murphy labeled the ordeal “amateur-hour BS,” expressing astonishment at the “historical incompetence” of the agency.
The intense scrutiny is compounded by recent controversies surrounding Patel’s tenure. Critics were quick to recall his handling of the Charlie Kirk shooting investigation last year, where Patel preemptively announced on social media that the shooter had been apprehended, only to later retract the statement when the actual suspect eventually turned himself in.
Furthermore, a leaked internal document from December 2025 reportedly featured scathing assessments from active and retired agents, describing the bureau under Patel as a “rudderless ship” and calling the director “in over his head.”
A Family’s Ongoing Nightmare
Amid the political fallout and agency missteps, a family’s agonizing reality remains at the forefront. Nancy Guthrie is still missing, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance point toward a targeted kidnapping.
The Guthrie family is currently offering a $1 million reward for information leading to Nancy’s safe return. In a heartbreaking public plea, Savannah Guthrie recently revealed the family had received a message from the purported kidnappers, begging for her mother’s life and stating publicly, “We will pay.”
As the investigation drags into its second week, the pressure on the FBI to deliver concrete, accurate results has never been higher. For now, the public—and the Guthrie family—are left waiting for a genuine breakthrough.
