New Delhi, May 7 -- Kash Patel claimed that the FBI was excluded from the critical early phase of the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Sean Hannity, Patel said: "For four days we were kept out of the investigation. The first 48 hours of anyone's disappearance are the most critical."

Nancy Guthrie has been missing since February 1, and authorities believe she was taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office strongly disputed Patel's account, stating there was no delay in FBI involvement. In an official statement, the department emphasized: "A member of the FBI Task Force was also notified and present at that sc...