Human remains discovered miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home not connected to case so far, sheriff’s department says

By Julianna Bragg, CNN

(CNN) — Human remains have been found in a desert area near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard in Arizona, approximately 15 miles from the home of Nancy Guthrie, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities said there is no indication “at this time” that the remains, which appear to have been at the location for an extended period of time, are connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

The sheriff’s department declined to comment on CNN’s questions about who found the remains and when they were located, as well as why officials indicated there was no immediate connection to Nancy Guthrie.

However, authorities do not believe there is a connection between the remains and Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN. The FBI referred questions to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

“There may be practical law-enforcement concerns behind their silence,” CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller said. “Saying that they don’t believe there’s a connection and officially ruling one out are two different things. The first requires an investigative judgment based on what they see, but the second requires actual scientific evidence.”

The condition of the remains could complicate that evidence.

Miller said that with a complete set of remains, a forensic pathologist could determine fairly quickly whether the bones belonged to a male or female, and if not, that task could prove more difficult.

Environmental factors, including the effects of extremely high temperatures, direct sunlight over extended periods and animal activity could also play a role, Miller said.

“Authorities understand that ruling out a connection before they are certain would only draw more criticism to a case where they have already heard their share,” Miller said.

On a hillside covered in saguaro cacti overlooking a busy four-lane highway in southwest Tucson, Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies were seen Monday at the reported location of the remains.

The residential area, just on the outskirts of the city limit, is one turn off Ajo Way, leading to a handful of homes with long driveways.

From the highway, at least three sheriff vehicles were seen parked at the top of a residential driveway. The road leading up to the hill had a wooden sign marked “private drive.”

Although there didn’t appear to be a large law enforcement presence, at least three deputies could be seen hiking up into the hills of the northern batch of homes.

NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson-area home on February 1.

She was last seen January 31 before she was apparently kidnapped from her home in Arizona’s Catalina Foothills — without her phone or critical medications. Investigators have no leading theory about a motive, according to a source.

In July, almost six months after Nancy Guthrie went missing, officials released the full contents of a ransom note and a follow-up letter addressed to Nancy Guthrie’s family that claimed she had died in hopes of generating new leads on her case.

Investigators also continue to run lab analyses on DNA found at Nancy Guthrie’s house.

Savannah Guthrie, who continues pleading for information through social media posts, and her family have offered a $1 million reward for intelligence that could lead to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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