Nancy Guthrie: Expert says human bones found miles from her home are up to 1,000 years old

TUCSON, Ariz. – Experts believe human remains found just miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home are 1,000 years old.

What we know:

On May 7, a local YouTuber found bones about 5 miles from the 84-year-old’s Tucson-area home. Authorities determined that while the remains were human, they were not connected to Guthrie.

A Tucson police officer stands guard near where a YouTuber discovered human remains in an ephemeral river while searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. The remains were determined to belong to someone (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

“The bone found near Craycroft and River was determined to be human. This will be a prehistoric anthropological investigation. The University of Arizona’s Anthropology Department and the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner assisted. This is not a criminal investigation,” Tucson police told Fox News Digital.

A Tucson police officer puts up police tape near where human remains were found in an ephemeral river while searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Dig deeper:

In an interview with Fox News Digital, James T. Watson, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona, said the remains were found near a known archaeological site, and they belonged to someone believed to have been buried up to 1,000 years ago.

Tucson police respond to the site where human remains were found in an ephemeral river while searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

Watson added that the bones are deemed “prehistoric” because they belonged to someone who died before there was written language in the area. 

“All of that contextual evidence allowed me to be pretty sure that this individual was in fact Native American,” Watson said. “The ceramics really sort of drove home that point.”

Tucson police respond to the site where human remains were found in an ephemeral river while searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

The remains have since been transferred to the Tohono O’odham Nation, Fox News Digital reported.

The backstory:

Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for over 100 days. 

Nancy Guthrie (Pima County Sheriff’s Department)

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says on Feb. 5, Guthrie was dropped off at her home on the evening of Jan. 31. Guthrie was reported missing the following day by family members after she failed to show up at church. 

Since her disappearance, PCSD and the FBI have released footage of Nancy’s alleged abductor at her doorstep.

Nancy’s disappearance has also garnered significant national and international media attention. In addition, a number of alleged ransom notes were also sent to several news organizations, including TMZ, who said they received a “highly sophisticated” ransom demand involving cryptocurrency.

TMZ most recently received a note regarding Nancy on April 6, where the author claimed that they saw Nancy in Mexico.

“We will never stop looking for you”

What they’re saying:

On Mother’s Day, Savannah posted a tribute to her mother on social media, renewing the call for help in finding her missing mom.

The Instagram post reads: “mother, daughter, sister, Nonie – we miss you with every breath. We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you.

We need help. Someone knows something that can make the difference. Call 1800CALLFBI. You can be anonymous and the reward remains available.

Please keep praying.
Bring her home.”

What you can do:

Savannah Guthrie says her family is offering a $1 million reward for the recovery of Nancy. Anyone with information should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has also set up a tipline where the community can submit information. An online form is available for tips.

Map of the area where Nancy Guthrie was last seen: