Nancy Guthrie Case: Volunteer Search Group in Mexico Receives Anonymous Tip About Savannah's Mom Being Buried in a Known 'Killing Field'

A renewed search effort in Mexico is drawing attention after volunteers said they received a detailed anonymous tip about 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who has now been missing for five months.

The update was discussed on Ashleigh Banfield’s “Drop Dead” podcast, where it was revealed that a grassroots group called Buscando Corazones Nogales has been actively investigating leads tied to the case.

According to reporting shared on the podcast, the volunteer team received highly detailed information suggesting Guthrie could be buried in a rural area near Nogales, Mexico.

“They have had huge successes in the past to the tune of finding 25 different unmarked graves in just one area,” Banfield said. “They got a tip and it was specific. They have not released everything, but they said there were enough specifics in the tip to suggest that Nancy Guthrie is buried in an area southwest of Nogales in an area called Mariposa, butterfly in English.”

Banfield added that search efforts expanded into an area locally referred to as a “killing field,” where multiple graves have reportedly been discovered in past investigations.

According to Banfield, multiple agencies provided support during the operation.

“The group went and began searching and did not go alone. They got a lot of help from the government,” she explained, adding that the Sonora State Commission for the Search of Missing Persons along with local officials “backed them up with security.”

Despite the coordinated effort, Savannah Guthrie's mother has not been found, and the search remains active.

“What’s kind of bizarre is how disconnected it is from the American, FBI and Arizona efforts,” Ashleigh said.

Forensic criminologist and missing persons specialist Dr. Tracy Sargent also joined the conversation, breaking down what these kinds of leads mean for investigators.

“Thousands of tips coming in,” she said, noting how overwhelming large-scale missing persons cases can become.

She added that sorting through information can present a major “real challenge for investigators.”

Still, the expert emphasized that even uncertain information can be critical.

“It just takes that one tip to break the case wide open, so all of them have to be taken very seriously,” she explained.

According to TV Insider, Buscando Corazones Nogales leader Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz said the group received an anonymous phone call claiming Nancy's remains could be found in the Mariposa region near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

The caller reportedly provided descriptive details about clothing and identifying characteristics to help confirm if the correct person was located, Ramona told NBC.

The first operation took place on May 16, but turned up nothing. After a second anonymous message suggested a different location, another search was conducted on June 10, which also yielded no results.

A third search followed on June 16.

Ramona noted that while local Nogales police often accompany volunteers, they are not formally part of the investigation. She also confirmed that U.S. law enforcement agencies have not participated in the field searches.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office addressed the reports in a statement posted on X.

"We are aware of reports regarding an anonymous tip related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation that was provided to a group in Mexico," the sheriff's office said. "At this time, we have not been contacted by Mexican authorities."

"This investigation remains active and ongoing, and we will continue to follow up on any credible information," they added.