Woman who vanished for more than 30 days found dead, authorities say

BLYTHE, Calif. (KPHO/Gray News) - Arizona authorities say the body of a missing woman has been found after she was last seen alive over a month ago.

The La Paz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they recovered the body of 26-year-old Amanda Nenigar.

She was reported missing outside the small California town of Blythe near the Arizona state line.

According to the woman’s family and the sheriff’s office, Nenigar was found just outside of Cibola, Arizona, a town of under 300 in southwestern La Paz County.

Authorities said she was found by a search and rescue expert who spotted her body nude under a tree about 1.5 miles from where her car was abandoned.

Sheriff deputies are currently working to perform an autopsy to gather more information on what led up to her death.

No other information was immediately released.

Nenigar was last seen alive in Blythe on Feb. 28.

About a week later, her car was found abandoned in the rural Arizona desert south of Cibola.

While she lived near Blythe, she frequently drove to La Paz County, where other family members reside.

True Crime Arizona Correspondent Briana Whitney previously reported that detectives noted the way the car was found, which the sheriff described as bizarre.

“The rear end of the vehicle was on a large boulder,” La Paz County Sheriff William Ponce said. “When you have a vehicle that’s abandoned and you don’t have kind of inkling where the person has gone or anything, it all seems very odd to us and it’s very concerning.”

The Nenigar family released the following statement on Saturday:

“We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone that helped in the search for Amanda Nenigar. The family is incredibly grateful to have people like each of you who have volunteered and dedicated their time and resources into finding her.

It is with a heavy heart that we must report to you all, she was found deceased last night, Friday March 29th, 2024, and is no longer a missing persons case.

We have many questions and have been informed that her death is being investigated and an autopsy will follow.

Our hearts are broken, and we will miss her dearly. Please grant our family privacy as we mourn the loss of Amanda and prepare for the days ahead of us.”

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