Human remains discovered in a Tucson wash this week are not those of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, a federal source has confirmed, easing days of online speculation but leaving the seven-month-old case as unresolved as ever.
Tucson police were called early Thursday, August 13, after a report of human remains found off South Santa Cruz Lane, near Interstate 10 and Silverlake Road. Local station KOLD 13 News reported the remains appeared to have been at the location "for an extended period of time" and were not washed in by recent flooding, leading investigators to treat the case as an "unknown death" rather than a recent fatality. The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner has taken custody of the remains to determine the person's identity and cause of death.
The timing set off a wave of speculation online, given the site's proximity to the ongoing search for Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Fox News national correspondent Matt Finn addressed the rumors directly, writing that a federal source told him plainly: "This is not Nancy Guthrie."
Guthrie was last seen at her Catalina Foothills home on the night of January 31 and was reported missing the next day. Investigators believe she was abducted, and blood later confirmed through DNA testing to be hers was found near her home's entrance. No suspect has been publicly named, and a combined reward of more than $1.2 million remains active for information leading to her recovery.
For the Guthrie family, this development changes nothing about the central question they've carried in faith for more than half a year. Savannah has continued to thank supporters on-air for their prayers, and the family has repeatedly said they're leaning on their faith community as the search continues.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Tucson's 88-CRIME tip line at 520-351-4900.
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