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. On a hillside covered in saguaro cacti overlooking a busy four-lane highway in southwest Tucson, Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies were seen 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. This story has been updated with additional information. By Julianna Bragg, CNN
