Human Remains Found 15 Miles from Nancy Guthrie’s Home

A grim discovery in the Arizona desert briefly raised fresh questions in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie — but authorities say the human remains found about 15 miles from her home do not currently appear to be connected to the missing 84-year-old.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Search and Rescue deputies responded Monday, Aug. 17, after human remains were reported in a desert area near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard, southwest of Tucson.

The discovery immediately drew attention because of its proximity to the Catalina Foothills home where Guthrie, the mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished more than six months ago.

But investigators quickly poured cold water on hopes that the remains could finally provide a major break in the baffling case.

“The remains appear to have been at the location for an extended period of time,” the sheriff’s department said, adding that “at this time, there is no indication they are connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.”

Authorities have not publicly revealed who found the remains, exactly when they were discovered or why investigators currently believe they are unrelated to Guthrie. CNN reported that the sheriff’s department declined to answer those questions.

The discovery comes as the hunt for Guthrie remains frustratingly unsolved despite months of national attention, surveillance footage, forensic testing and public pleas from her family.

Guthrie was last seen alive on the evening of Jan. 31 at her home in the Catalina Foothills area outside Tucson. She was reported missing the following day after failing to show up for church as expected.

Investigators believe she was taken from her home. The FBI has released disturbing surveillance footage showing an armed, unidentified person appearing to tamper with a camera outside Guthrie’s front door around the time she disappeared.

Guthrie’s disappearance has been considered especially urgent because she has limited mobility, uses a pacemaker and requires daily medication for a heart condition.

Yet more than six months later, no suspect has been publicly identified and Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The case has also been complicated by ransom messages purportedly sent by people claiming to know what happened to Guthrie. Authorities recently released the full text of two such messages in hopes that someone might recognize unusual wording or identify the person responsible. Investigators have not publicly established that the notes were genuinely written by Guthrie’s kidnappers.

Meanwhile, tensions between local authorities and the FBI have spilled into public view.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously said communication with Guthrie’s family had shifted to the FBI, while federal officials later publicly criticized how some forensic evidence was handled.

The dispute centered in part on evidence from Guthrie’s home that was initially sent to a private laboratory before material was ultimately transferred to the FBI for additional testing.

Despite the apparent friction, federal and local investigators continue to work the case together. The FBI still lists Guthrie as a missing and kidnapped person and says the investigation remains active.

For Savannah Guthrie and her family, Monday’s discovery offered no answers.

Savannah has repeatedly pleaded publicly for anyone with information to come forward, saying her family will not stop searching for their mother.

For now, the mystery surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains exactly that — and the human remains discovered in the Arizona desert appear to represent yet another lead that has failed to bring investigators closer to finding her.