The Arizona woman discovered alive in Mexico after disappearing two years ago is not Shayna Feinman, authorities have confirmed.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that the woman found Monday in Tijuana was not Feinman, who was 38 when she disappeared on March 9, 2024.
The sheriff’s office said US authorities had confirmed the woman’s identity to detectives. Feinman’s family had been awaiting official confirmation.
Officials did not explain how the determination was made, saying only that it was based on “physical evidence.”
The sheriff’s office said detectives remain in close contact with Feinman’s family as they continue working on the case. Authorities also renewed a $20,000 reward for information about her whereabouts.
Officials said they were aware of news reports claiming Feinman had been found, but emphasized that those reports were circulated “without official law enforcement confirmation.”
Feinman disappeared in March 2024 while reportedly walking to a friend’s home near the Peach Springs and Hyde Park area of Seligman, roughly 200 miles north of Phoenix.
Her whereabouts have remained unknown for more than two years. Police found her cellphone and other belongings at a nearby house, leaving her family searching for answers.
Shayna Feinman disappeared from the Peach Springs and Hyde Park area near Seligman, Arizona, on March 9, 2024, before authorities mistakenly linked her case to a woman found alive in Mexico on October 23, 2026
The Tijuana Municipal Security and Protection Service (SSPCM) said the woman was found in the Encino neighborhood and initially said her characteristics matched those of the missing woman
Feinman’s boyfriend, Cavett Richards, was charged with murder and concealing a body, although her remains were never recovered. The charges were later dismissed.
Mexican officials said last week that they had found Feinman alive on October 23.
The Tijuana Municipal Security and Protection Service (SSPCM) reported that the woman had been found in the Encino neighborhood and that her characteristics appeared to match those of Feinman.
“After confirming her identity, the officers provided her with custody and protection, as well as moved her to a safe location,” the SSPCM wrote on Facebook. “This was done to enable the consular authorities and her family to contact her and follow up on the relevant procedures.”
Kara Feinman, Shayna’s sister, told FOX10 that she had not met with the woman in custody in Mexico and had been waiting for confirmation on her identity from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
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“There are a ton of people that are short like she was and have dark hair, everywhere,” Kara previously told the outlet.
“I can only hope and pray [for] good news, but right now, we have to be realistic, rational and calm,” Kara said.
Kara (left) previously urged caution, saying that many people are short and have dark hair, while adding that she could only hope for good news
Detectives continue investigating what happened to Feinman (pictured), including how she disappeared and how the unrelated woman arrived in Mexico
“It is believed that Feinman was walking to a nearby friend’s house but never arrived.
“Detectives have recovered her cell phone on a nearby property, and the people last seen with Shayna have reportedly not cooperated with the investigation,” YCSO wrote in a social media statement.
The YCSO previously announced probable cause to charge Richards, Feinman’s boyfriend, and William DalCerro, with second-degree murder, conspiracy and concealment of a dead body.
Both men were previously arrested on unrelated weapon and stolen vehicle charges and were accused of killing Feinman even though a search team has never recovered her remains, FOX 10 reported.
The murder charges against both men were dismissed in January 2025, according to Yavapai County Superior Court documents.
The Daily Mail reached out to Yavapai County Attorney’s Office for an attorney who can comment on behalf of Richards and DalCerro.
Feinman’s family previously visited the Peach Springs and Hyde Park area after her disappearance, where they were given several of her personal belongings.
They also reunited with their family dog they had not seen since she was reported missing.
‘Driven by a need for answers and connection, Shayna’s father, Eliot, and sister, Kara, traveled to the area where she was last seen to walk the ground themselves,’ YCSO wrote in a social media statement.
This is a breaking news story.
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