Current:Home > ContactMissing woman who called 911 for help over a month ago found dead in remote area near Arizona-California border -ProsperityStream Academy
Missing woman who called 911 for help over a month ago found dead in remote area near Arizona-California border
View
Date:2025-04-11 18:50:24
A woman reported missing by her family more than a month ago has been found dead near the Arizona-California border, authorities said. Amanda Nenigar, 26, called 911 the day before she was reported missing because her car was stuck off the highway but officials were not able to locate her.
La Paz County Sheriff's officials said Nenigar's body was located Friday night in a remote area south of the small Arizona town of Cibola.
"We ask that you please respect the family during this time and avoid spreading rumors and assumptions," the sheriff's office said.
They said the woman's nude body was found under a tree about 1 ½ miles away from her abandoned car.
County Sheriff William Ponce told CBS affiliate station KPHO that Nenigar was identified by a rose tattoo on her right hand.
Because her clothes were found not too far from her body, investigators believe she may have been trying to cool off and it's possible she died from exposure, Ponce told KPHO-TV.
The sheriff's office said Saturday that the investigation is ongoing and a pending autopsy will determine Nenigar's cause of death.
Ponce told KPHO-TV the body's state of decomposition suggests Nenigar may have been dead for quite some time.
"Time is critical for us trying to find someone alive. Unfortunately, this is how we ended up in this situation. We're trying to back track on information that wasn't coming fast enough," Ponce told the station. "Had we gotten that much sooner, I think we could've located her alive."
Nenigar was last seen alive on Feb. 28 near Blythe, California, and authorities said her car reportedly was located more than a week later with the back of the vehicle on a large boulder.
Authorities said Nenigar lived near Blythe but frequently drove to La Paz County where her other family members live.
KPHO previously reported Nenigar called 911 the day before she was reported missing and asked for help after her car got stuck in a ditch off the highway. She gave coordinates for where she was — but the call went to California dispatchers, not Arizona, and they were unable to get a location on her.
"I'm like kind of in a valley," Nenigar said at one point. "Yeah there's just a lot of mountains … But I climbed to like a high mountain and I'm wearing pink," Nenigar said on the call.
"OK, so you're on Highway 78, you think? And what would be the nearest cross streets?" the dispatcher asked.
"Um, I'm not sure. I see a field," she replied.
"I'm trying to get a location on you but I'm not getting one," the dispatcher said.
Nenigar was reported missing the next day, on Feb. 28, by her family.
"She gave them her coordinates, California, and I don't know why they didn't transfer her to dispatch in Arizona," her sister Marissa Nenigar said after the 911 call was released. "She gave them her exact location and someone could have went and got her. They could have found her."
- In:
- Arizona
- Missing Woman
veryGood! (98)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Hailey Bieber Rocks New “Mom” Ring as Justin Bieber Gets His Own Papa Swag
- 'One Tree Hill' reboot in development at Netflix with Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton set to return
- Could a lunar Noah's Ark preserve species facing extinction? These scientists think so.
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Police say 10-year-old boy shot and killed 82-year-old former mayor of Louisiana town
- The 49ers place rookie Ricky Pearsall on the non-football injury list after shooting
- Millions more Americans lacked health insurance under Trump vs. Biden
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Labor Day shooting on Chicago suburban train kills 4, police say
Ranking
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Horoscopes Today, September 1, 2024
- 1000-Lb. Sisters Star Amy Slaton Arrested for Drug Possession and Child Endangerment
- Nation's largest Black Protestant denomination faces high-stakes presidential vote
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- RFK Jr. must remain on the Michigan ballot, judge says
- Body of missing Myrtle Beach woman found under firepit; South Carolina man charged: Police
- Elle Macpherson Details “Daunting” Private Battle With Breast Cancer
Recommendation
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Arkansas woman pleads guilty to bomb threat against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
This Fall, Hollywood tries to balance box office with the ballot box
Browns sign 20-year stadium rights deal with Huntington Bank as they position for possible new home
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Coast Guard, Navy team up for daring rescue of mother, daughter and pets near Hawaii
Jax Taylor Shares He’s Been Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder and PTSD Amid Divorce
Simone Biles Says She's No Longer Performing This Gymnastic Move in the Most Unforgettable Way