The Nancy Guthrie case took an unexpected turn earlier this month when human bone remains were discovered near the 84-year-old's Tucson-area home. However, authorities have now confirmed that the find is unrelated to the alleged kidnapping investigation. A "no trespassing" sign is posted at the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie, on Friday, March 6, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble) (AP)What happened on May 7?The remains were discovered on May 7 by local YouTuber AJ Wysopal while he was searching an area roughly five miles from the residence of ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie's home. Tucson police later determined the bones were human but quickly ruled out any connection to Guthrie’s disappearance.“The bone found near Craycroft and River was determined to be human. This will be a prehistoric anthropological investigation. The University of Arizona's Anthropology Department and the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner assisted. This is not a criminal investigation,” Tucson police told Fox News Digital.Expert weighs inUniversity of Arizona anthropologist James T Watson later revealed the discovery was far more significant than it seems. The expert told Fox that investigators found an entire skeleton rather than a single bone. Based on evidence at the scene, observers believe the remains belonged to an individual who was buried hundreds of years ago, potentially as far back as 1,000 years.“Whether it is a thousand years old or 50 years old, these are human remains,” Watson noted.Evidence points to Native American ancestryWatson added that ceramic artifacts recovered near the burial site played a key role in helping experts identify the remains. The anthropologist explained that the individual likely lived before written language existed in the region, which is why the remains are classified as prehistoric.“All of that contextual evidence allowed me to be pretty sure that this individual was in fact Native American,” he said. “The ceramics really sort of drove home that point.”The remains have since been transferred to the Tohono O'odham Nation.Nancy Guthrie case updateAccording to investigators, Guthrie was dropped off at her Tucson-area home on the evening of January 31 and was reported missing the following day after she failed to attend church. Authorities later released surveillance footage showing a masked individual at Guthrie’s front door, and several alleged ransom messages have been sent to media organizations during the investigation.One note reportedly claimed Guthrie had been taken to Mexico, though investigators have not publicly verified those claims.Savannah Guthrie renews plea for informationOn Mother's Day, Savannah Guthrie issued an emotional public appeal as the search entered its fourth month.“mother, daughter, sister, Nonie - we miss you with every breath. We will never stop looking for you. We will never be at peace until we find you. We need help. Someone knows something that can make the difference. Call 1800CALLFBI. You can be anonymous and the reward remains available. Please keep praying. Bring her home.”The Guthrie family is currently offering a reward exceeding $1 million for information leading to Nancy's recovery.Sheriff remains confident case will be solvedDespite the lack of major public breakthroughs, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos insists investigators continue to make progress.“Right now, I think our focus is on the tips, the leads and the evidence we have in front of us,” he said. “Digitally — the camera footages as well as biological, the DNA and those types of things.”Nanos also expressed confidence that ongoing forensic testing will eventually provide answers.“My team, I’ve said all along, they’re gonna solve this,” he added. “I fully 100% believe that.”The sheriff acknowledged that investigators are still working through large amounts of evidence, including unidentified DNA samples.“I know we have DNA that is unknown who the contributor or depositor is, but I think they’re getting closer to finding out who that was,” Nanos told People. “When the labs tell us, ‘Hey, there’s nothing else we can do,’ well, then maybe we’ve got a problem… we’ve got a cold case… but right now, the labs aren’t telling us that.”“When you have the best minds of the country working on problems, I think they’re gonna solve them,” Nanos said. “It just takes a while.”