Nancy Guthrie
A banner bearing Nancy Guthrie’s photograph hangs outside the KVOA television station in Tucson, Arizona, on 1 March. Newsweek

Mexican officials have issued an urgent plea to the Guthrie family for a DNA sample as volunteer searchers receive a new anonymous tip pointing to two new sites near Nograles, Sonora, a region where 25 unmarked graves were previously discovered near the Arizona border. The Sonora State Attorney General's Office formally requested the family's DNA to verify whether any remains match 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, whose abduction from her Tucson, Arizona home has gone unsolved for nearly five months.

The new clue was an anonymous tip pointing to a specific location approximately 70 miles from Guthrie's residence, prompting the Buscando Corazones Nogales search collective to concentrate efforts on two new sites near Nogales, Sonora. Retired FBI agent Steve Moore and ex-SWAT commander Bob Krieger said the remote Native American reservation could be a crucial route out of Arizona. Krieger noted: 'If I were a betting man and someone said they absolutely went into Mexico, I'd say they probably went through the reservation at some point.'

Sonora Attorney General Formally Requests Guthrie Family DNA

Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, leader of the Buscando Corazones Nogales search collective, formally submitted the DNA request to the Sonora State Attorney General's Office following the anonymous tip. The 25 unmarked graves discovered represent the largest single find in the search effort, though volunteers confirmed none are connected to Nancy Guthrie so far.

Mexican authorities have confirmed they have not received any formal request for assistance from US law enforcement regarding the case. The Sonora Attorney General stated on social media that there is no evidence suggesting Nancy Guthrie entered or travelled through Sonora state, despite the FBI's contact with Mexican government officials.

This suggests informal contact rather than official cooperation, as law enforcement sources told CBS News that the FBI has been in touch with the Mexican government and Mexican law enforcement regarding the disappearance. The discrepancy highlights the complex nature of cross-border investigations when volunteer groups operate independently of official channels.

Savannah Guthrie previously offered a reward of $1 million (approximately £754,000) for information leading to her mother's recovery, yet no suspects have been identified and the Guthrie family has not publicly confirmed whether they will comply with the DNA request. The Mexico search was triggered by a theory that suspects may have crossed the border after the abduction, though Mexican authorities maintain there is no evidence that Guthrie entered Sonora state.

Expert Update Points to Remote Reservation as Critical Route

Retired FBI agent Steve Moore, who has worked thousands of missing-person cases, agreed with Krieger that the remote Native American reservation area would make outsiders stand out significantly. Bob Krieger, a retired SWAT commander from Pima County with extensive border-search experience, explained that kidnappers using a vehicle would be particularly noticeable in areas where residents can go miles without seeing anyone.

The experts' comments come as the Mexican volunteer search group continues its probe near Nogales, Sonora, concentrating on two new sites after previous searches yielded no results. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed the investigation remains active and that authorities will follow up on any credible information.

The sheriff said his department has not been contacted by Mexican authorities despite reports of an anonymous tip provided to the Mexican search collective.

Search Group Returns Next Week as DNA Results Could Take Weeks

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her Catalina Foothills residence on the evening of 31 January 2026, and investigators believe she was abducted during the early hours of 1 February 2026. The Mexico search has intensified as the Nancy Guthrie disappearance enters its fifth month without a breakthrough, with Mexican officials maintaining there is no investigative line pointing to Sonora despite the volunteer group's discovery of unmarked graves in the region.

The Buscando Corazones Nogales search group plans to return to the area next week to continue probing the two new sites, while Sheriff Nanos said DNA results, if provided by the family, would take several weeks to return.

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