Tucson police said the remains found near River and Craycroft roads will be handled as an anthropological case.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Human bones found Thursday in a wash near River and Craycroft roads are not connected to the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, police said, separating the discovery from a missing-person case that has drawn national attention.
The finding drew quick notice because the wash is in the same broad part of Tucson where searchers have looked for Guthrie, the mother of NBC News journalist Savannah Guthrie. But police said the bone was determined to be human and old enough to move the matter away from a criminal inquiry. The Tucson Police Department said the case will be treated as a prehistoric anthropological investigation, with the University of Arizona Anthropology Department and the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner involved.
The discovery came more than three months after Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area on the evening of Jan. 31. She was reported missing Feb. 1 after relatives learned she had not appeared for church and could not be reached. Public reports said a civilian livestreamer searching near the wash found the bone, prompting police to respond to the area near River and Craycroft roads. Police did not release a full field report Thursday describing how many bones were found, whether the remains came from one person or whether other material was recovered at the site. Tucson police said the matter was not a criminal investigation, and described the next step as a “prehistoric anthropological investigation.”
The quick ruling was meant to separate the wash discovery from the Guthrie investigation, which remains open under the Pima County Sheriff’s Department with help from the FBI. Authorities have not announced the discovery of Guthrie’s remains, and no arrest has been made. Investigators have said Guthrie is a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker and needs daily medication for a heart condition. The FBI’s missing-person notice says she was last seen at her Tucson residence on the evening of Jan. 31. It also says images from her front-door camera show an armed individual who appeared to tamper with the camera the morning she disappeared. Police have not said the wash site had any link to that footage, to the house or to any evidence collected in the missing-person case.
Investigators previously said blood found on Guthrie’s front porch belonged to her. Surveillance video released by authorities showed a masked person wearing gloves and a backpack near her front door in the early hours of Feb. 1. The FBI has described the person as a male about 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build, carrying a black 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack. A glove found about two miles from Guthrie’s home was sent for testing after agents said it appeared similar to gloves worn by the person in the video. Authorities have also reviewed possible ransom messages, but no public proof of life has been announced. Officials have not named a suspect or person of interest.
The case has brought unusual attention to Pima County law enforcement and has prompted public disagreement between local and federal officials. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a recent interview that the FBI should have been brought deeper into the case sooner and that federal agents could have moved faster on digital and DNA evidence. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos disputed that account. In a department statement, Nanos said his office remained committed to a “thorough, coordinated and fact-based investigation.” The sheriff’s department said an FBI task force member was notified and present early in the response, and that coordination with federal authorities began without delay. The competing accounts have added pressure while the search for Guthrie continues.
The bone discovery also reopened public questions about how search areas have been checked since February. Earlier reports described civilians finding items in areas tied to the wider search, including gloves that drew attention because the person seen in the camera footage appeared to be wearing gloves. Law enforcement has not said the remains found Thursday were near any item tied to the missing-person investigation. Tucson washes can expose old material after erosion, storms or ground disturbance, and police said the age of the bone changed the handling of the case. Instead of a homicide or missing-person lead, the remains will be reviewed through an anthropological process that can involve age estimates, custody decisions and possible cultural or historical review.
For Guthrie’s family, the police finding avoided one feared outcome but left the central case unresolved. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have made public pleas for information since February. After authorities released images from the doorbell camera, Savannah Guthrie wrote, “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.” Investigators have continued to describe the case as active. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Guthrie’s location or to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. The family and authorities have said Guthrie’s medical needs make time a serious concern, but police have not released a confirmed timeline beyond the early hours of Feb. 1.
The two tracks now move separately. Tucson police, the medical examiner’s office and university anthropology experts will handle the remains found near River and Craycroft roads. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI remain assigned to Guthrie’s disappearance, with no next public briefing date announced Thursday.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.