Skeleton unearthed near Nancy Guthrie search site believed to be up to 1,000 years old, expert says

TUCSON, Ariz. — The find of prehistoric quality remains conscionable miles from the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie has unearthed a grim world of Arizona's Sonoran Desert, wherever an adept says a twelve oregon much bodies tin aboveground successful a fixed year, and "there's conscionable truthful overmuch space" to conceal them.

Guthrie is the 84-year-old parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, and arsenic a effect of her daughter's precocious profile, the grim find rapidly caught nationalist attention.

Just arsenic quickly, experts determined the remains had thing to bash with her case.

In an interrogation with Fox News Digital, James T. Watson, an anthropologist astatine the University of Arizona who responded to the country wherever the remains were found, revealed that determination was a skeleton unearthed astatine the scene, not conscionable the azygous bony that initially went viral.

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A Tucson constabulary serviceman stands defender adjacent wherever a YouTuber discovered quality remains successful an ephemeral stream portion searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie. The remains were determined to beryllium to idiosyncratic who died and was buried centuries agone and person nary transportation to her case. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)

They belonged to idiosyncratic believed to person been buried betwixt respective 100 and 1,000 years ago, helium said.

"Whether it is simply a 1000 years aged oregon 50 years old, these are quality remains," Watson said, adding that helium hopes further discoveries are treated with dignity and respect if searches proceed successful the Guthrie case.

A Tucson constabulary serviceman puts up constabulary portion adjacent wherever quality remains were recovered successful an ephemeral stream portion searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie.  (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

A section YouTuber named AJ Wysopal came crossed an exposed bony portion conducting an amateur hunt for Guthrie little than 5 miles from her location successful the Catalina Foothills connected May 7. Guthrie is believed to person been kidnapped retired of her location successful the aboriginal hours of Feb. 1.

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A motion speechmaking "Nancy Guthrie Desparecida" was placed by Madres Buscadoras De Sonora astir a mile from Nancy Guthrie's residence successful Tucson, Arizona, connected Feb. 24, 2026. Law enforcement continues to hunt for Guthrie, the 84-year-old parent of writer Savannah Guthrie, who went missing connected Feb. 1. Savannah Guthrie announced a $1 cardinal reward for accusation starring to her mother's location. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Authorities rapidly determined that the remains were quality — and besides that they were importantly older and unconnected to Guthrie's suspected abduction. They are called prehistoric due to the fact that they beryllium to idiosyncratic who died earlier determination was written connection successful the area, Watson said.

There is besides a known archaeological tract nearby, and Watson said that ceramic artifacts uncovered astatine the country are accordant with known examples there.

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Law enforcement and quality broadcasters are stationed extracurricular Nancy Guthrie's residence successful Tucson, Ariz., connected Feb. 10, 2026, arsenic searches proceed for the 84-year-old parent of writer Savannah Guthrie. Possible abductors acceptable a ransom deadline of 5 p.m. connected Feb. 9 for a $6 cardinal outgo aft she went missing connected Feb. 1. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

"All of that contextual grounds allowed maine to beryllium beauteous definite that this idiosyncratic was successful information Native American," helium said. "The ceramics truly benignant of drove location that point."

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Tucson constabulary respond to the tract wherever quality remains were recovered successful an ephemeral stream portion searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

The remains person since been transferred to the Tohono O'odham Nation, a Native American people with a ample preservation conscionable westbound of Tucson. No further probe oregon investigating is expected, helium said.

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People bring flowers to Nancy Guthrie’s location successful Tucson, Arizona, connected Saturday, March 7, 2026. Guthrie has been missing since aboriginal February 2026. (Matthew Symons/Fox News Digital)

Watson said that a operation of the Sonoran Desert's harsh terrain and caller developments connected onshore that has been mostly untouched for centuries often pb to akin discoveries arsenic the hunt for Guthrie continues.

"The godforsaken determination is simply a beauteous harsh situation and evidently it's been settled for hundreds, thousands of years," helium told Fox News Digital.

Tucson constabulary respond to the tract wherever quality remains were recovered successful an ephemeral stream portion searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)

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And successful summation to inadvertent archaeological discoveries, the portion is besides adjacent the U.S.-Mexico border, wherever amerciable immigrants person for years been attempting to transverse illegally successful those aforesaid harsh conditions.

On immoderate occasions, he's been called to the findings of their remains, helium said.

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Savannah Guthrie poses with her parent Nancy Guthrie during a accumulation interruption portion hosting NBC's "Today Show" unrecorded from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)

"There are virtually astir apt hundreds of bodies that are discovered each twelvemonth retired successful the desert," helium told Fox News Digital.

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Like the caller find astatine River and Craycroft Roads, immoderate are exposed by earthy causes, including erosion caused by the region's almighty ephemeral rivers, which are mostly adust but flood violently during dense rainfall successful the desert. Others person been unearthed by existent property development, Watson said.

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And determination could beryllium galore antithetic reasons wherefore they came to remainder wherever they are found.

Law enforcement unit hunt adjacent a roadway extracurricular Nancy Guthrie's vicinity successful Catalina Foothills extracurricular Tucson, Ariz., connected Feb. 11, 2026. (Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

"So determination [are] a batch of places that an idiosyncratic could get mislaid oregon walk distant — oregon fell a body," Watson said. "I think...as radical commencement to poke into immoderate of these crevices that don't usually get poked into into crossed the desert, they're apt to find much individuals."

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The probe into Guthrie's disappearance is ongoing, and determination is simply a combined reward of much than $1.2 cardinal successful play.

Her household is urging anyone with accusation to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips tin beryllium submitted anonymously to Tucson's 88-Crime hotline astatine 520-882-7463.