More than six months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared, her family is still waiting for the phone call that could finally end one of Arizona’s most closely watched missing-person investigations.

That call has not come.

Instead, the case has entered another uncertain chapter—one involving newly discovered human remains, disputed ransom communications and growing criticism of the police investigation.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, disappeared from her Tucson-area home on February 1. Investigators believe she was abducted. Her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, the well-known Today show co-host, has repeatedly pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.

In early August, Savannah described her family as desperate and urged someone who knows what happened to Nancy to speak with authorities.

Now, as August reaches its midpoint, there is still no confirmed location for Nancy and no publicly identified suspect.

The latest development came when human remains were reported in a desert area near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard.

The discovery was approximately 15 miles from Nancy’s residence, immediately prompting speculation that investigators might have found an important clue.

But the Pima County Sheriff’s Department moved quickly to dampen those expectations.

Authorities said there was currently no indication that the remains were connected to Nancy Guthrie’s case. Officials also indicated that the remains appeared to have been there for an extended period.

The discovery therefore does not change the official status of Nancy’s case.

She remains missing.

This is not the first time human remains have been found during a search associated with the case.

In May, a volunteer searching near Tucson discovered what appeared to be human bones. The find initially generated intense speculation because of its proximity to Nancy’s home.

But experts later determined that those remains were ancient and were not related to Nancy. Reports placed their age at hundreds of years, possibly around 750 to 1,000 years old.

The latest discovery is separate from that incident.

Meanwhile, the larger investigation continues to revolve around evidence recovered from Nancy’s home and surveillance footage.

Authorities found blood near the front entrance that was later confirmed to be Nancy’s. The FBI also released surveillance images showing a masked individual at the residence.

That footage has become a central part of the public understanding of the case, although investigators have not publicly announced an identification.

Then there are the ransom communications.

Several messages claiming to be connected to Nancy’s disappearance have surfaced since she vanished. Some demanded cryptocurrency. Others made claims about Nancy’s fate.

But federal investigators have warned that the messages cannot all be trusted.

The FBI confirmed in July that some ransom communications were fraudulent extortion attempts. Other ransom demands were still being evaluated, and the bureau emphasized that the case remained an active kidnapping-for-ransom investigation.

The confusion surrounding the notes has been compounded by a criminal case involving a California man who sent fake messages to Nancy’s family. Derrick Callella pleaded guilty, and authorities said his communications were unrelated to the original ransom demand received by a Tucson television station.

For investigators, separating genuine evidence from deliberate deception has become an essential part of the case.

But another problem has emerged.

A senior member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department’s union, Sergeant Aaron Cross, has accused the department of mishandling aspects of the investigation. He has alleged that inexperienced investigators were placed in important roles and that there were communication and crime-scene management problems.

These allegations have not been established as official findings, and the sheriff’s department has maintained that the investigation is progressing.

Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators have reviewed DNA, video evidence and thousands of tips and believe the case is moving forward, although he acknowledged authorities were not yet where they wanted to be.

Federal officials have also acknowledged the frustration surrounding the case.

Attorney General Todd Blanche recently described the situation as heartbreaking and said he understood the frustration over the lack of a resolution.

Still, the investigation remains active.

And that means one possibility remains open: someone may know exactly what happened to Nancy Guthrie.

Someone may have seen a vehicle.

Someone may have noticed unusual activity around her neighborhood.

Someone may recognize the masked figure.

Or someone may know where Nancy was taken.

Until that person comes forward, the mystery continues.

The discovery of human remains may have created another dramatic headline, but authorities have made one thing clear: there is currently no evidence connecting those remains to Nancy Guthrie.

Her family is still waiting.

The investigators are still searching.

And the question that has haunted them for more than six months remains unanswered:

Where is Nancy Guthrie?