The nogales search anonymous tip spurred Buscando Corazones de Nogales Sonora to launch field searches after a caller said Nancy Guthrie was buried in an unmarked shallow grave northwest of Nogales, organizers said.
Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, who leads the volunteer group, said the initial call came on Mother’s Day and prompted a first search with up to 15 volunteers. Ortiz said the tipster called back with additional directions, which led the team to a separate area for a later search a little more than four miles from the border.
Searchers working with members of the Sonora State Commission for the Search of Missing Persons uncovered about 25 unmarked graves in the rugged terrain, Ortiz said, but they did not locate Guthrie. The group said it plans to return for another search.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted that it is aware of reports tied to the anonymous tip but that Mexican authorities had not contacted the department. Sheriff Chris Nanos said the investigation into Guthrie remains active and detectives will follow up on any credible information.
Officials Response And Case Background
Mexican state authorities said their verification found no evidence that Nancy Guthrie entered, remained in, or traveled through Sonora, and that claims by the search collective currently lack verifiable supporting evidence, the attorney general in the state said.
Authorities in Pima County have described Guthrie as an 84-year-old woman who was taken from her Tucson-area home, and they have said blood recovered outside the residence belonged to her. Investigators have released surveillance images showing a masked person tampering with a doorbell camera, and they have discussed a strand of hair recovered at the home, signs of forced entry, and human remains found near the residence, as reported.
In another development, the sheriff’s office said a 54-year-old man, Alexander Zabel Jr., was arrested in front of Guthrie’s home after several complaints about his behavior, and deputies said a sergeant was knocked to the ground during the arrest attempt. The sheriff’s department also addressed comments by an FBI official about early coordination, saying it was aware of those statements.
Investigators continue to examine DNA and other forensic leads. The family has offered a reward for information leading to Guthrie’s recovery, and authorities urged anyone with information to contact the FBI or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
