Cops in Tucson, Arizona, rushed to investigate human remains that a streamer discovered in a wash less than five miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home Thursday – but they appear to be at least 50 years old, possibly even “prehistoric.”
The bone was discovered by a livestreamer searching the area for the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, with the area quickly being cordoned off by police.
It was soon confirmed the bone was human – but officials said they appeared to be far older than 84-year-old Nancy, who hasn’t been seen since vanishing from her home in February.
“This will be a prehistoric anthropological investigation,” Tucson Police Department told KVOA, confirming there was no criminal investigation into the remains. The University of Arizona’s Anthropology Department is helping with the investigation. Numerous Native American artifacts have been previously discovered in the area where the bone was discovered.
The find comes just over three months since Nancy was last seen on Feb. 1, and after countless hours-worth of searches from law enforcement, who have combed the desert terrain for any sign of her.
But so far, all searches have been completely fruitless. This latest discovery has only deepened the heartbreak and frustration surrounding the case, highlighting how the vast and unforgiving Arizona desert continues to withhold its secrets while desperate family members cling to any sliver of hope.
The bone was just the latest discovery which cast the integrity of the investigation into doubt, however. Numerous items that searchers apparently failed to recover were found scattered across the Tucson area by bystanders – some of which included rubber gloves that were similar to ones Nancy’s suspected kidnapper was seen wearing on security footage from her home.
Some official searchers were even reportedly stripping their own gloves off and leaving them on the ground as they went, potentially contaminating and complicating their own efforts. These troubling reports have fueled growing criticism that critical evidence may have been overlooked or destroyed through sheer carelessness, raising serious questions about whether Nancy’s disappearance was handled with the urgency and professionalism it deserved from the very beginning.
FBI Director Kash Patel has even lamented the investigation’s errors, blaming Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos for blocking the feds from helping in the crucial days after Nancy vanished. “For four days we were kept out of the investigation,” Patel told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday.
Sheriff Nanos’ office has denied such allegations, however, insisting his department began working closely with the FBI from the outset.
This back-and-forth between federal and local authorities has only added to the sense of chaos surrounding the case, leaving many wondering if internal conflicts and finger-pointing have hindered the search for answers about what really happened to Nancy Guthrie. As the desert continues to give up old bones but no fresh clues, the anguish for Savannah Guthrie and her family grows stronger with each pᴀssing day. The public’s fascination with this mystery shows no signs of fading, as questions mount over how a beloved 84-year-old grandmother could simply vanish without a trace in an area that now seems littered with missed opportunities and heartbreaking false leads.