Overview
- FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday that the bureau was kept out of the case for four days and later worked with Google to pull a cached doorbell image of a masked, armed visitor after finding the camera lacked a cloud subscription.
- Patel said he had a plane ready to fly DNA to the FBI’s Quantico lab and argued agents could have analyzed it within days, while local authorities chose a private Florida lab instead.
- Sheriff Chris Nanos issued a statement disputing Patel’s account and said he responded the night of the incident as an FBI Task Force member worked at the scene alongside deputies.
- The sheriff’s office said on‑scene needs drove evidence decisions and that its chosen lab and the FBI Laboratory have collaborated from the start on DNA and video analysis.
- The search is now in its fourth month for the 84‑year‑old, who relies on a pacemaker and medication, with more than 3,000 tips logged and about $1.2 million in rewards but no public suspect.