All members of the Guthrie family, including all siblings and their spouses, have been cleared as possible suspects in their mother's disappearance, Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

"To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel," Nanos said. "The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple."

The statement was not issued as a result of any new piece of evidence. Rather, it appeared to be a response to some recent media reports about a member of the family and persistent speculation from some tipsters and members of the public.