Nancy Guthrie Search Expands After Anonymous Tip in Mexico

Last updated: June 11, 2026

For U.S. readers, this case sits at the uneasy intersection of a local Arizona abduction investigation, cross-border search work and the public platform of one of morning television's most familiar anchors. Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for more than 100 days after authorities said she was taken from her Tucson-area home. A new volunteer search near Nogales, Mexico, followed an anonymous tip claiming her remains might be in a grave near a stream, but officials have not verified that claim.

The Backstory

Nancy Guthrie disappeared in the early hours of Feb. 1 from her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Arizona. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has said it believes she was taken against her will after blood was found near her doorstep, and the FBI later released surveillance images showing a masked man on her porch that night.

The case has drawn national attention because her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, has used her public platform to ask for help. Savannah and her siblings have offered a US$1 million reward for information that leads to their mother's recovery or an arrest, turning what began as a Pima County investigation into a widely followed missing-person case.

Here's What Happened

The latest search began after Buscando Corazones Nogales, a Mexican volunteer group that works to locate missing people, said it received an anonymous call. Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, who leads the group, told El Imparcial the caller claimed Guthrie's remains were in the Mariposa area, west of Nogales and near the Arizona border.

According to Global News, Ortiz said the group had previously searched that area from April to May and found more than 25 unmarked graves containing the remains of at least 32 individuals. That history is one reason the tip was treated seriously by volunteers, even though it has not been verified by U.S. or Mexican prosecutors.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that Mexican authorities said there is no evidence showing Nancy Guthrie entered, remained in or traveled through the state of Sonora. The outlet also reported that the attorney general's office said its verification did not uncover even preliminary information supporting an investigative line connected to her possible presence in the state.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department responded Thursday, saying it was aware of reports about the anonymous tip but had not been contacted by Mexican authorities. The department said the case remains active and that it would follow up on credible information.

What People Are Saying

The clearest official response came from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, which emphasized that the reported tip had not yet reached the department through Mexican authorities.

We are aware of reports regarding an anonymous tip related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation that was provided to a group in Mexico. At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities.

The Mexican search group has said the first search tied to this tip did not find Guthrie. Still, Ortiz said future search operations would continue in the area, which reflects how volunteer collectives in Mexico often keep searching even when formal evidence is limited.

Every hour and minute and second, and every long night, has been agony since then.

The Bigger Picture

The anonymous tip has added a cross-border layer to a case already under pressure. For families of missing people, a tip can bring renewed hope, but it can also create new pain if the claim lacks evidence. That tension is visible here: volunteers moved quickly, while authorities stressed that the claim has not been verified.

The investigation has also faced public scrutiny over early coordination. ABC7 reported that FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI was kept out of the investigation for the first four days, while the Pima County Sheriff's Office said there was no delay in coordination with the FBI. That disagreement matters because missing-person investigators often treat the first 48 hours as especially critical for gathering evidence, locating witnesses and preserving digital records.

Separately, the sheriff's department said 54-year-old Alexander Zabel Jr. was arrested in front of Nancy Guthrie's home on June 11 after complaints about his behavior. Authorities said he was livestreaming outside the residence and that a sergeant was knocked to the ground during the arrest process. He faces charges of resisting arrest and public nuisance, according to police, but the sources did not say he is a suspect in Guthrie's disappearance.

The Road Ahead

Authorities are urging anyone with information to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff's Department at 520-351-4900. The reward remains a major tool for generating leads, but officials have said only credible information will be followed.

Buscando Corazones Nogales has said it plans to continue searching in the area connected to the anonymous tip. The confirmed next step is not a courtroom date or an announced suspect; it is the slow work of checking leads without overstating what the evidence shows.