Yavapai sheriff's office rejects false claim that missing woman was found alive

Kara Feinman said online users cyberbullied her over the false identification

In a Tuesday update, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said U.S. authorities had confirmed through physical evidence that the woman located in Tijuana was not Shayna Feinman. The announcement had raised hopes for the missing woman’s family, but the sheriff’s office said earlier claims of a discovery lacked official law-enforcement confirmation.

The Tijuana secretariat for security and citizen protection said Saturday that Feinman had been located in the city’s Encino neighborhood the previous day. Its statement included a photograph of a woman sitting in front of a desk topped by a missing poster with Feinman’s information. The secretariat asserted, without elaborating, that investigators had confirmed Feinman’s identity because her physical characteristics matched the missing-person report.

The statement said the woman was in protective custody while authorities arranged for her to speak with Feinman’s family and U.S. consular officials. The secretariat also posted a link to its Saturday statement on a social media page belonging to Kara Feinman.

In a Monday KSAZ story, Kara said she was waiting for the Yavapai sheriff’s office “to know for certain” that Shayna had been found. She said the woman in the photograph had “similar physical attributes” to Shayna but cautioned, “I can only hope and pray [for] good news – but right now, we have to be realistic.”

The sheriff’s office initially described the announcement as unconfirmed. Spokesperson Paul Wick told KSAZ the agency was “aware of reports indicating that Shayna Feinman may have been located in Mexico” but “at this time, the information remains unconfirmed.” Wick also said there was “insufficient evidence to verify her identity” and that detectives were “actively investigating the matter.” He said the office would provide an update once the matter could be “confirmed and … released.”

On Tuesday, the office said U.S. authorities had confirmed to its detectives, using physical evidence, that the person located was not Feinman. It also said reports about the alleged discovery had been published without official law-enforcement confirmation and that detectives continued to work diligently with the family “during this stressful time.” The Tijuana secretariat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to KSAZ, Feinman was reported missing in rural Yavapai County in March 2024 at age 38. Authorities believed she was walking to an acquaintance’s home when she was last seen, but she neither arrived nor returned to her dog.

Searchers found Feinman’s car abandoned near where she had been staying with her boyfriend, Cavett Richards, KSAZ reported. Her wallet and identification were reportedly inside the vehicle, and her cellphone was recovered on nearby land.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office subsequently charged Richards and a man named William DalCerro with second-degree murder, conspiracy and concealing a corpse in connection with the disappearance. The charges were dismissed while authorities kept investigating, and a $20,000 reward was offered for information.

In an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday, Kara said she believed the confusion about her sister possibly being in Tijuana initially stemmed from at least one concerned citizen who became convinced Shayna was there and made that belief known on social media. She said she had been guarded about the possibility but reluctantly allowed herself to consider the secretariat’s claim. After the identification was disproved, users subjected her to cyberbullying for not reacting more enthusiastically to the report that Shayna had been found alive.

Her hope, she said, was that people passionate about such investigations would understand how harmful it can be “jumping to conclusions without having all of the information” and then directing harsh words at the people most affected by those cases.

Kara described the disruption as deeply personal and difficult. “It’s been turmoil going through this,” she said. She added, “It’s heartbreaking. It’s terrible, and I don’t wish this on anybody.” Shayna Feinman remained missing, and the sheriff’s office said its detectives continued to investigate and work with the family.