Phoenix authorities have identified the woman found near a canal as 42-year-old Alex Fleming; investigators say she is not Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old who disappeared from Tucson five weeks ago.
Victim identified near Phoenix
Fleming’s remains were recovered Friday more than 100 miles from Tucson and showed signs of trauma, officials said. Phoenix homicide detectives are handling the death investigation.
No proven link to Guthrie case
The discovery briefly prompted public speculation about a connection to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it has not been notified of any link between the cases.
Search for Nancy Guthrie continues
Nancy Guthrie has not been heard from since she was believed kidnapped from her home in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. No suspects have been identified 37 days later despite a flood of tips and FBI assistance.
Investigators recovered doorbell footage showing a masked man on Guthrie’s front porch and collected evidence from the house, including traces of blood. Sheriff Chris Nanos warned it could take up to “a year” to analyze all evidence, particularly items containing DNA.
Relatives and supporters have expressed frustration with the slow pace and limited public updates, and they have posted a $1 million reward for information leading to her safe return or recovery.
Authorities have also examined a damaged utility box near Guthrie’s home; several people were briefly detained during the inquiry and later released, and those individuals have denied involvement.
A series of purported ransom notes demanding millions for Guthrie’s return surfaced earlier in the case, but each deadline passed with no proof of life.
The sheriff’s office says the investigation remains active with roughly 300 to 400 personnel assigned, the same staffing level as at the start; Nanos said investigators “are definitely closer” to finding Guthrie.
Phoenix detectives continue their probe into Fleming’s death as Tucson investigators press on in the high-profile missing persons investigation.
