Arizona officials aware of Mexico tip in Nancy Guthrie case

Authorities in Arizona say they are looking into an unverified report that a volunteer search collective for missing people in Mexico received an anonymous tip about a possible grave connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since February.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office said it was aware of reports that the tip had been provided to a group in Mexico, but Sheriff Chris Nanos said Mexican authorities had not contacted his office.

“This investigation remains active and ongoing, and we will continue to follow up on any credible information,” Nanos said in a statement.

Nanos also told CBS News that “no one from Mexico has reached out to us but we are looking into it.” CBS News said it had not verified the report.

El Imparcial, a newspaper in the Mexican border state of Sonora, reported that Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, leader of the search collective Buscando Corazones, which translates to Searching Hearts, said the group received an anonymous call claiming Guthrie may have been buried in a dry creek bed in the Mariposa area, west of Nogales and near the Arizona border.

The collective searched the area on Wednesday but found no remains connected to Guthrie, according to El Imparcial. It was the second search the group has carried out in the area since receiving the anonymous tip.

The same area has been the site of previous searches by collectives looking for missing people. El Imparcial reported that more than 25 clandestine graves were previously found there, with the remains of at least 32 people recovered between April and May.

Guthrie, the mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing on February 1 after authorities said she was taken against her will from her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson.

The FBI has offered a reward for information in the case, while the family has separately offered $1 million for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery.