Missing woman found dead in desert after 911 call picked up in wrong state
A missing woman has been tragically found dead in the desert after her 911 call got picked up in the wrong state.
Amanda Nenigar, 26, was last seen 28 February in Blyth, California, and her naked body was discovered last week (29 March) near Cibola in Arizona.
AZ family has since obtained 'parts of the 911 call' Amanda made the day before, asking for assistance after getting stuck in a ditch.
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In the call, Amanda reportedly gave near to her exact coordinates where she was stuck off the highway.
However, the 911 call went to California dispatchers rather than to Arizona - even thought her vehicle ended up being found in Arizona days later (7 March).
"What are you surrounded with? Do you see just fields? Is that all you see?" the dispatcher asked in the call released on Thursday.
During the call, Amanda explained: "I’m like kind of in a valley.
"Yeah there’s just a lot of mountains [...] But I climbed to like a high mountain and I’m wearing pink."
The dispatcher asked: "OK, so you’re on Highway 78, you think? And what would be the nearest cross streets?"
"Um, I’m not sure. I see a field," she replied, to which the dispatcher responded: "I'm trying to get a location on you but I’m not getting one."
Amanda's sister Marisa told AZ Family: "She gave them her coordinates, California, and I don’t know why they didn’t transfer her to dispatch in Arizona.
“She gave them her exact location and someone could have went and got her. They could have found her."
According to the outlet, the family are now considering legal action for negligence.
The La Paz County Sheriff's Office has since shared an official statement to Facebook.
It reads: "Late Friday (29 March) evening Amanda Nenigar was located deceased.
"The family has been notified and issued a statement requesting privacy and thanked the public for their assistance in trying to locate Amanda.
"We ask that you please respect the family during this time and avoid spreading rumors and assumptions."
In a follow-up statement, the sheriff's office added: "Please do not call 911 asking for updates on Amanda Nenigar. This is still an active investigation and a pending autopsy will determine the cause of death.
"Updates will be released to the public through proper news channels and this page when deemed appropriate."
La Paz County Sheriff William Ponce added: "We were hopeful that we could find her alive and that she would be OK.
"It’s very disheartening when it comes to something like this, and it’s saddening for the family."
California Highway Patrol told Tyla in a statement: "On Feb. 27, 2024, at approximately 8:23 a.m., the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) El Centro Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call from a woman advising she had been involved in a crash.
"Over the next hour, the dispatcher who intercepted the initial call attempted to work with the caller to determine her location, so that an officer could respond to the scene. It was determined the caller’s name was Amanda Nenigar.
"Although Ms. Nenigar’s location was unclear, at 9:40 a.m. CHP units from the Winterhaven Area and Blythe Area were dispatched to search for her in their respective areas.
"When efforts to locate her on the ground were unsuccessful, Border Division deployed a plane to search for the victim. At approximately, 2:30 p.m., search efforts concluded after personnel were unable to locate Ms. Nenigar.
"Unfortunately, she was not located that day. She was found deceased a month later in Arizona.
"An investigation into the facts and circumstances of Ms. Nenigar’s death is being conducted and further inquiries should be directed to the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department."
A GoFundMe has since been set up by Amanda's sister, Marissa, to help the family 'honour her memory'.
You can donate here.
Tyla has contacted the La Paz County Sheriff's Office for a comment.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Rhiannon Ingle