An Arizona woman has been found alive in Mexico after going missing more than two and a half years ago. Shayna Feinman’s disappearance prompted a massive desert search, and authorities even charged two men with her murder.
Police in Tijuana said that she has now been found alive.
Feinman vanished from rural Yavapai County in early 2024. On Friday, October 23, municipal police officers found her in the Encino neighborhood of Tijuana, according to officials with Tijuana’s Secretariat for Security and Citizen Protection, Fox 10 reported.
Authorities confirmed Feinman’s identity and placed her into protective custody to arrange contact with her family and U.S. consular officials. A search was launched, and Feinman’s vehicle, containing her wallet and identification, was found abandoned near a property where she had been staying with her boyfriend, Cavett Richards. She was believed to have been walking toward an acquaintance’s home, but never arrived. A neighbor noticed that Feinman had failed to pick up her dog. Her cellphone was later found on a nearby parcel. Both men had already been jailed on unrelated weapons and stolen vehicle charges, and were then accused of killing Feinman. Arrangements are now being made with U.S. consular officials to facilitate Feinman’s safe return to her family.
Feinman was 38 when she was last seen on March 9, 2024, in the Hyde Park area near Seligman and Peach Springs. Read More | Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor claims she saw ‘strange man’ days before disappearance, ‘Hunched over, in street clothing…’ In August 2024, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said that they had established probable cause to charge Richards and another man, William DalCerro, with second-degree murder, conspiracy and concealment of a dead body. Mexican authorities have not revealed when Feinman reportedly arrived in Mexico, her condition and where she spent the past 31 months.
We will provide an update as soon as additional information is confirmed and can be released. However, court records show that murder charges against both men were dismissed in January 2025. Yavapai Silent Witness went on to boost the reward for information to $20,000, and continued to solicit tips and encourage residents to review surveillance camera footage. At this time, the information remains unconfirmed, and there is insufficient evidence to verify her identity,” said Paul Wick, a spokesperson for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, per Fox 10 Phoenix.
The case still remains an active priority for Arizona law enforcement. After Feinman was found alive, and following the cross-border confirmation from Mexican officials, authorities in northern Arizona are still urging caution. Read More | Nancy Guthrie update: Cajun Navy VP opens up about PCSD’s refusal to accept help, ‘They just decided…’ “We are aware of reports indicating that Shayna Feinman may have been located in Mexico. “YCSO detectives are actively investigating the matter. Thank you for your patience and understanding. She added that she is waiting for YCSO “to know for certain.
Kara Feinman, Shayna’s sister, told the outlet that she has not yet spoken with the woman in Mexican custody. Kara acknowledged that the woman shares “similar physical attributes, but also urged caution, noting that “there are a ton of people that are short like she was and have dark hair, everywhere. “I can only hope and pray [for] good news, but right now, we have to be realistic, rational and calm,” Kara said.
