The discovery of human remains about 15 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home outside Tucson, Arizona, quickly prompted speculation online about a possible link to the case of the woman who disappeared from her home more than six months ago. But authorities said there was no indication “at this time” that the remains are connected to the Guthrie investigation. Investigators appear to have determined that time-of-death markers indicate the remains have been there longer than Guthrie has been missing.
In a statement posted on X, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said deputies responded to reports of human remains found in a desert near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard. The Pima County’s Office of the Medical Examiner handles about 4,500 death investigations each year. And the county reportedly leads the nation in the number of skeletal remains it stores, in a bid to connect those remains to a loved one or next of kin through its Indigent Interment Program.
The chief medical examiner Greg Hess said in 2024 that the county maintains up to 600 sets of skeletal remains, according to a report by the National Association of Counties. That number is higher than other counties partly because of unidentified migrants who die in the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert after crossing the border. They’ll decompose and become skeletal remains relatively quickly.” But the discovery of human remains just miles from Guthrie’s home prompted online attention since high-profile missing persons cases often create a magnifying-glass effect, bringing increased interest to more routine discoveries.
The 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie went missing from her home outside Tucson on February 1. Authorities say she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will and have not said whether she is still alive. No suspects have been arrested in her disappearance.
This is a developing story.
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