Amber Barnett went missing on April 4, 2024, near the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. However, the recent discovery of human remains in the area has concerned her family and people who were actively trying to locate her.
Police reports claimed that the 52-year-old had left her home for a routine hike in the regional park. Barnett was alone during her travel and left for the park in her 2017 Kia Rio.
The footage later revealed that the victim had left her car in Lot 7 at the west end of Ramada Way. However, despite the search team’s efforts, Barnett wasn’t near the vehicle.
Moreover, authorities mentioned that Barnett was 5 feet 7 inches tall with blonde hair. She had been missing while wearing hiking clothes and didn’t have her phone.
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Soon after the news of her disappearance circulated online, community members worked to locate her while the news channels reported the incident. The Arizona County Office deployed helicopters to search throughout the park.
Additionally, a ground search was conducted two days after her disappearance, but appropriate evidence wasn’t available. Barnett’s family members had urged the travelers to keep an eye out for the victim.
They urged anyone with information on Barnett to contact the local police department’s missing person helpline, ASSIST Search & Rescue. Similarly, they had wished for the safety of all the officials involved in the search.
Further, the SARS team assisted in the search both on foot and on horseback. According to the family, Barnett had lived as a camp host in the area for several months and was familiar with the trails.
However, after unfruitful results, the search operations had been halted in the area a week after Amber Barnett went missing. An emerging new clue about the location could lead to Barnett’s situation.
Amber Barnett had a medical condition and often went non-verbal!
After the search team’s official withdrawal, local hikers and their friends organized a search party in the area and urged others to join them. They requested people to put in as much effort as they could.
However, they had limited resources and continued to locate Barnett for days. Further, a traveler provided a tip to the police, claiming she had seen Barnett on the day of her disappearance.
The clue ignited the search for a few more days before police and the local search team gave in. Barnett’s well-wishers sent heartfelt messages to her family during the difficult time.
Further, the case slowed down in the following months until a hiker reported human remains in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on November 24, 2024.
Additionally, the report was registered around 1:30 p.m., and authorities rushed to the scene to verify the claims. The team stated, “MCSO Homicide unit detectives are investigating. This is all the information available for release at this time.“
People speculated that the remains might belong to Barnett, who spent over seven months stranded in the woods without food, water, or communication. However, authorities have not identified the body.
As of this writing, Barnett’s family has not responded to the news and awaits official confirmation from the investigation team. They still wish for the safe return of their family member.
Additional Information
- The Phoenix Police Department has requested anyone with information on the case or Amber Barnett to contact their emergency line at (602) 262-6151. They can volunteer to circulate information by joining the Arizona Missing Persons Team.
- According to reports, more than 1,000 active missing person cases exist in Arizona. Most of the cases arise from the Phoenix metro area and other major cities.
