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TUCSON, Ariz. – The discovery of the remains of a prehistoric man just a few kilometers from the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie has revealed the sad truth of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, where an expert says that a dozen or more bodies can appear in a given year, and there is “a lot of space” to hide them.
Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie, and because of her daughter’s high profile, the tragic discovery quickly drew national attention.
Soon, experts determined that the remains had nothing to do with his crime.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, James T. Watson, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona who responded to the site where the remains were found, revealed that there was a skeleton that was unearthed at the scene, and not a single bone that became infected.
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A Tucson police officer stands near where a YouTuber found human remains in an endless river while searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” host Savannah Guthrie. The remains were determined to belong to a person who died and was buried hundreds of years ago and were not connected to their crime. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
It belongs to a person who is believed to have been buried several hundred and a thousand years ago, he said.
“Whether it’s 1,000 years old or 50 years old, these are human remains,” Watson said, adding that he hopes other finds will be treated with dignity and respect as the search continues in Guthrie’s case.
A Tucson police officer places police tape near the site of the discovery of human remains in the river during the search for Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Savannah Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)
A local YouTuber named AJ Wysopal discovered the exposed bone while conducting a search for Guthrie less than 5 miles from his home in the Catalina Foothills on May 7. Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from his home early on Feb. 1.
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A sign reading “Nancy Guthrie Desparecida” was placed by Madres Buscadoras De Sonora about a mile from Nancy Guthrie’s residence in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 24, 2026. Law enforcement continues to search for Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of reporter Savannah who went missing on Feb. 1 Savannah Guthrie. A $1 million reward for information leading to his mother’s whereabouts. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Authorities quickly determined that the remains were human — and that they were too old to be connected to Guthrie’s alleged abduction. They are called prehistoric because they belong to a person who died before there was a written language in the area, said Watson.
There is also a known archaeological site nearby, and Watson said the pottery found at the scene is consistent with known examples there.
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Law enforcement and news reporters are stationed outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 10, 2026, as the search continues for reporter Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother. The potential kidnappers have set a ransom deadline of 5 pm on Feb. 9 of the $6 million settlement after going missing on Feb. 1. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“All of that circumstantial evidence allowed me to be convinced that this person was, in fact, Native American,” he said. “Ceramics brought this point.”
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Tucson police responded to the discovery of human remains in an endless river while searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)
The remains have been transferred to the Tohono O’odham tribe, a Native American tribe with a large reservation just west of Tucson. No further research or testing is expected, he said.
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People bring flowers to Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, Saturday, March 7, 2026. Guthrie has been missing since early February 2026. (Matthew Symons/Fox News Digital)
Watson said the combination of the Sonoran Desert’s harsh terrain and new developments on land that has been untouched for centuries often leads to similar discoveries as the search for Guthrie continues.
“The desert here is a harsh environment and it’s obviously been settled for hundreds, thousands of years,” he told Fox News Digital.
Tucson police responded to the discovery of human remains in an endless river while searching for Nancy Guthrie. (Matt Symons for Fox News Digital)
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And in addition to unintended archaeological discoveries, this region is close to the US-Mexico border, where illegal immigrants have been trying to cross illegally for years in those same difficult conditions.
On other occasions, he has been called to find their remains, he said.
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Savannah Guthrie poses with her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break while hosting NBC’s “Today Show” live from Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
“There are probably hundreds of dead bodies found every year in the desert,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Like the recent discoveries at River and Craycroft roads, some are caused by natural causes, including erosion caused by the region’s powerful rivers, which are very dry but flood heavily during heavy rains in the desert. Some have been cleared for housing development, Watson said.
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And there can be many different reasons why they come to rest where they are.
Law enforcement officers search along a road outside Nancy Guthrie’s property in the Catalina Foothills outside Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 11, 2026. (Patrick Breen/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“So there [are] a lot of places where a person can get lost or die – or hide a body,” Watson said. “I think…as people start going into some of these rare crevices in the desert, they might find more people.”
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The investigation into Guthrie’s disappearance is ongoing, and there is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million.
His family urges anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Tucson’s 88-Crime hotline at 520-882-7463.
