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Passion Schurz: Body found in Scottsdale amid Nancy Guthrie search identified as Native American woman
Scottsdale Police confirmed the body found in the canal belongs to Passion Schurz, a 28-year-old from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Scottsdale Police have identified the woman whose body was discovered in the Scottsdale canal earlier this week, confirming that the case is not connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Police said the body recovered from the canal belonged to a missing woman from a Native American community called the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
The woman is Passion Schurz
According to Fox 10, the woman is Passion Schurz. Schruz was 28 and was last seen alive at her home on March 19. The officials are currently looking into the circumstances surrounding her death.
According to investigators, Schurz was first recognized by her tattoos, physical attributes, and clothing; nevertheless, indications of violence, such as fractures, stab wounds, or gunshot wounds, were absent.
Fox 10 reported that she left home without her handbag and wallet, something she never did. Leila Woodard with the Missing in America Network said, “She left without her wallet and her purse, which she never did that. And so just the circumstances around her being missing was very concerning.”
Woodard also stated that Schurz was “loved by her family and community” and that she was a mother.
Salt River Police are looking into her disappearance, while Scottsdale Police are probing her death.
Scottsdale canal case comes to a close as Nancy Guthrie's search reaches two-month mark
The discovery of a woman's body in the Scottsdale canal had initially raised fears that it could be connected to Guthrie’s case, which has dominated headlines in recent weeks.
The Scottsdale Police Department had shared a press release on X, which was flooded with questions about Nancy Guthrie and speculations about the body being that of Guthrie.
In response to one comment, the department clarified that the Nancy Guthrie case, which is handled by Pima County, which is located roughly 115 miles away, is "not related" to Guthrie's case.
The search for Nancy Guthrie remains ongoing, with investigators continuing to pursue leads in what has become a high-profile missing persons case in Arizona.
Authorities have not released significant new details about her whereabouts, but say efforts remain active and ongoing.
