BLYTHE, California — The body of Amanda Nenigar, a 26-year-old California woman who went missing in late February, was discovered over the weekend in a remote desert area in Arizona. The case is marked by a series of unusual circumstances.
Nenigar was last seen alive in Blythe, a city located on the Colorado River near the Arizona border. She was reported missing on February 28 after calling 911 the previous day when her car got stuck in a ditch. However, due to a mix-up in cross-state dispatchers, the response was delayed.
During the emergency call obtained by independent Phoenix-based TV station KTVK, Nenigar is heard describing her surroundings: “Well, I’m like kind of in a valley. Yeah there’s just a lot of mountains.” She also mentioned being on a high mountain and wearing pink. Unfortunately, the dispatcher was unable to determine her exact location.
Nenigar, who regularly traveled to La Paz County in Arizona to visit family, never arrived at her destination. On March 7, her car was found abandoned in the Sonoran Desert near Cibola, a sparsely populated area in Arizona. La Paz County Sheriff William Ponce expressed concern about the peculiar circumstances surrounding the discovery, as the rear end of the vehicle was resting on a large boulder.
After three weeks, search and rescue teams located Nenigar’s body approximately 1.5 miles away from where her car was found. She was naked, and her clothes were discovered nearby. Authorities suspect that Nenigar may have been attempting to lower her body temperature before succumbing to exposure.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing, according to the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office.