Fact Check: Do pants found near Annie Guthrie’s home belong to Nancy Guthrie?

TUCSON, ARIZONA: NBC's 'Today' show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson around February 1, after failing to attend a planned virtual church service. Authorities have treated it as a suspected abduction or kidnapping.

Recently, a social media post has gone viral claiming that a pair of pants and a knee brace were found near Nancy's relative, Annie Guthrie's home. The picture raised online speculation that these belonged to the 84-year-old. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Pants found near Annie Guthrie’s home belong to Nancy Guthrie

The photos surfaced on social media after self-described investigator Jonathan Lee Riches' post went viral on X. Riches has travelled to Tucson and has followed the case closely on the ground.

Notably, Riches posted photos of the items and said he had informed law enforcement. He wrote online, "Pants & knee brace found in a wash by Annie Guthrie & Tommaso's home. We notified authorities."

Moreover, he shared a widely circulated photograph of Nancy Guthrie standing with her daughter, television host Savannah Guthrie. In the photo, Nancy could be seen wearing tan-colored pants. "Nancy Guthrie wearing tan pants", Riches wrote.

The viral post triggered speculation among social media users. Some online users said the pants found near the home looked identical to the ones Nancy Guthrie wore in the older photo.

 An online user wrote, "First picture that popped in my mind too", while another person added, "Omg those look like they could be a match."

Fact Check: Unconfirmed, no official confirmation from authorities

The claims made in viral social media posts remain unconfirmed, as there is no official confirmation from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, or other authorities that the items belong to Nancy Guthrie.

Moreover, authorities have not publicly linked the specific items to the case or confirmed any ownership/forensic testing results.

Interestingly, similar past 'finds' in the case caused initial speculation but were later ruled out via DNA, as it belonged to an unrelated local restaurant worker with no connection to the investigation. 

The online claim appears to be a viral social media claim sparking online buzz and speculation, but without substantiation from credible sources or official updates, it remains unverified.

Meanwhile, if new official information emerges, it would likely be reported by major outlets covering the case. But so far, the specific claim can be treated as not factually established.