A bone discovered near the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie has sparked widespread attention, but authorities have confirmed it predates her disappearance by 750 years, urging civilian searchers to leave investigations to law enforcement. The discovery stirred social media, with livestreamers claiming they might have uncovered clues in the case of Guthrie, who vanished from her affluent Catalina Foothills home nearly four months ago.
YouTuber Alec Wysopal, while livestreaming to his nearly 10,000 subscribers on May 7, stumbled upon the bone amid the desert terrain. Capturing the moment on camera, Wysopal exclaimed: “Oh, what is that? That’s a bone… It looks like a leg bone.” He immediately notified police, who collected the remains, confirming that the find was prehistoric rather than related to a criminal investigation.
Experts later determined the bone dated to between 650 and 1250 AD, originating from the Hohokam people, who farmed the area at the time. James Watson, curator of bioarchaeology at the Arizona State Museum, described the site as an ancient Native American burial ground. “Whether it’s Nancy Guthrie or an ancient individual, you shouldn’t be poking at them with a stick. It’s common decency. Would you do that with your grandmother’s remains?” he told The New York Times.
The incident has highlighted a growing trend of livestreamers, podcasters, and social media sleuths taking matters into their own hands. Some have gone so far as to stalk the home of Guthrie’s daughter, Annie, or spread misinformation about her family’s involvement in the disappearance. Even individuals connected to Guthrie’s relatives have been falsely implicated online, showing the risks of amateur investigations.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos urged the public to leave the search to professionals. “We appreciate their concern and we all want to find Nancy — but this work is best left to law enforcement,” he stated. The search for Guthrie has now surpassed 100 days, and updates from the Sheriff’s Office have grown scarce, fueling speculation and online theories.
The case has also caused tension between the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, whose director, Kash Patel, criticized local handling during the first 48 hours. He noted that the FBI was initially kept out of the investigation and described the early period as “the most crucial” in any disappearance case. Patel confirmed federal agents later obtained security footage from Guthrie’s front door, showing a masked intruder tampering with the camera and attempting to disable it before removing the device from the mount.
Patel further criticized the decision to send DNA samples to a private Florida lab instead of the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia. “Our lab’s just better than any other private lab in the country,” he told Fox News. The Sheriff’s Office defended its actions, noting the FBI was promptly notified and coordinated efforts began without delay.
This historic discovery, while not directly linked to Guthrie’s disappearance, has reignited public attention and intensified the conversation around her case. Authorities emphasize that amateur sleuthing can hinder investigations, and stress the importance of leaving evidence collection to trained professionals.
As the investigation continues, the public remains captivated by developments, with social media abuzz over the mysterious find and the ongoing search for Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie. The discovery serves as a stark reminder of both the allure and the dangers of taking matters into one’s own hands in high-profile cases.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16392558/bone-found-nancy-guthrie-disappearance-update/
