Anonymous tip claims Nancy Guthrie’s ‘grave' has been found, sparking massive search

CATALINA FOOTHILLS, ARIZONA: The investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has taken a dramatic turn after an anonymous tip claiming her grave had been discovered near the US-Mexico border, triggering a large-scale search operation.

Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, head of Buscando Corazones Nogales, a Mexican volunteer group that searches for missing people, claimed that on Wednesday, they received a tip regarding Nancy, claiming that her remains are buried in one of the streams in an area known as Mariposa.

The 86-year-old mother of TODAY Show host Savannah Guthrie has not been seen since she was abducted from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1.

Nancy was last seen on the evening of January 31 after being dropped off at her home following a family game night at her daughter Annie's residence.

Anonymous tip claims Nancy is buried near Mexico-Arizona border

Ortiz said a caller, who she believes is a man, said searchers could find a body matching Nancy Guthrie's description in the Mariposa area, near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

Ortiz told NBC that the anonymous caller provided specific details about the person's clothing and physical characteristics, allowing searchers to verify whether they had found the correct individual.

The group conducted the first search on May 16 and discovered more than 25 unmarked graves in the area, but found no concrete leads.

The anonymous tipster later contacted the group a second time, pointing searchers to another location in the area.

A follow-up search conducted on June 10 yielded no results, though another operation is planned for June 16.

Ortiz noted that while Nogales police frequently accompany the search team for safety reasons, they are not involved in the investigation, and no US law enforcement agencies have participated in the searches.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office also confirmed that they are aware of the tip reports. "We are aware of reports regarding an anonymous tip related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation that was provided to a group in Mexico," the sheriff's office said. "At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities.

Investigator fears Nancy Guthrie was 'buried in the desert'

The anonymous tip came after Barbara Butcher, a longtime medicolegal death investigator, suggested that Guthrie may have died shortly after she was allegedly abducted, pointing to the lack of a credible ransom demand months after her disappearance.

"My second thought was that after time, when there was no valid ransom demand or any information forthcoming, that it's probably likely that Mrs Guthrie died of shock, fright, heart disease, whatever it was, very soon after being taken from her home," Butcher said, speaking on the sidelines of CrimeCon Las Vegas.

"And that's just horrifying to me...and so now this kidnapper had nothing and probably, unfortunately, took her body into the desert and buried her there."

Butcher stressed that her comments were based on her experience and not on any direct involvement in the investigation.

Butcher also floated the possibility that Nancy was targeted by someone who assumed her family was wealthy due to her daughter's high public profile.

"I find it flabbergasting that anyone would take a woman her age, but what I think is probably the case is that someone in the area, maybe a handyman, maybe a service person, had known, had found out that Mrs Guthrie was the mother of Savannah Guthrie and said, 'Oh, she must be rich,'" Butcher said. "So this person is not well."