Police said the discovery is not connected to the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Human bones found in a wash less than five miles from missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie’s home are not connected to her disappearance, police said, after a discovery by a livestreamer briefly renewed public concern in the high-profile case.
Tucson police said the bone found near Craycroft and River roads was determined to be human but appeared to be at least 50 years old and possibly prehistoric. Authorities said the matter is being handled as an anthropological investigation, not a criminal case. The University of Arizona’s Anthropology Department and the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner assisted in the review.
The discovery came more than three months after Guthrie vanished from her Tucson-area home on Feb. 1. Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has been the subject of an active search by local and federal investigators. Police and sheriff’s officials have not reported finding her remains. The quick ruling on the bones was meant to separate the wash discovery from the missing-person investigation. Officials said the search for Guthrie remains active, and no arrest has been announced.
The bones were reported after a livestreamer searching in the area found them in a wash, according to public reports. The location was close enough to Guthrie’s neighborhood to trigger immediate attention online because the broader area had already been part of earlier search efforts. Authorities responded and examined the remains before saying they did not appear recent. Police said the case would move away from a criminal inquiry and into an anthropological review. Officials have not released a full report on how many bones were found, whether the remains came from one person or whether the site may contain other material.
The discovery also revived questions about the search for Guthrie and the handling of possible evidence in the first months of the case. Reports have described civilians finding items in search areas, including gloves that appeared similar to those worn by a masked person seen near Guthrie’s home around the time she disappeared. Investigators have not said that the bones found near Craycroft and River roads were in the same area as any evidence tied to Guthrie. They also have not said whether the site had been searched before by law enforcement, volunteers or private searchers. The new ruling means investigators do not have to treat the remains as a lead in Guthrie’s disappearance.
Guthrie was last reported missing after she failed to appear for church and relatives could not reach her. Investigators later said blood found on her porch belonged to her. Public reports have said her doorbell camera stopped working in the early morning hours, and investigators recovered or reviewed security video that showed a masked person near the home. Guthrie has been described as medically vulnerable and in need of medication. Authorities have treated the case as a suspected abduction, though they have not named a suspect. Early ransom notes and online claims added confusion, but officials have not announced proof of life or confirmed that any ransom demand was legitimate.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has led the investigation, with help from the FBI. The case has drawn national attention because of Guthrie’s family ties and because of public criticism over how the investigation was handled. FBI Director Kash Patel said in recent interviews that federal investigators should have been brought deeper into the case sooner and that DNA evidence could have been processed faster through the FBI. Sheriff Chris Nanos has disputed that account. His office said the FBI was notified early, that a federal task force member was involved and that the agencies continue to work together.
The dispute has added political pressure in Pima County while the case remains unresolved. Public reports said some county officials have discussed steps that could seek Nanos’ removal from office, citing wider concerns about his leadership and past record. The sheriff’s office has defended its handling of the Guthrie case and said it remains committed to finding her. The bones found in the wash now appear to be a separate matter for anthropologists and medical examiner staff. That distinction matters because it prevents the new discovery from being treated as a break in the case when police say it is not one.
The University of Arizona’s role points to the long human history of the Tucson basin, where archaeological and ancestral remains can surface in washes, construction zones and desert terrain. Such discoveries are handled differently from suspected modern crime scenes. Officials did not release details about possible tribal notification, site protection or whether more field work is planned at the wash. Police said the matter is not a criminal investigation, but anthropologists and the medical examiner may still review the remains to determine age, origin and the proper next steps for custody.
For Guthrie’s family, the police ruling avoided one feared outcome but did not answer the main question. Guthrie has not been found, and investigators have not announced a suspect or a clear motive. Her children have made public pleas for information and for any person holding her to provide proof of life. Supporters and missing-person advocates have urged investigators to keep searching. Authorities have warned that rumors can complicate the case, especially when claims spread online before police can verify them. The bone discovery showed how quickly any new object found near the search area can become part of the public discussion.
The next steps remain split between two tracks. Tucson police and anthropology experts will handle the ancient remains found near Craycroft and River roads. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI continue the separate investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance, with no public date set for the next update.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, May 7, 2026.