Shayna Hilary Feinman was originally from North Carolina, but as a teen, she graduated from Guilderland High School in Guilderland Center, New York.
Then, after visiting Arizona multiple times, she finally decided to take the plunge and move there in 2022 – hoping to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
In October of that year, Shayna also entered a relationship. So, come 2023, she and her partner decided to move to a 40-acre property in Arizona, which was located between Seligman and Peach Springs.
Apparently, the owner of the property had offered the couple housing in exchange for Shayna and her partner cleaning up around the property – including various old trailers.
But, when Shayna vanished just last month after allegedly walking into the woods, leaving all of her camping gear behind, her sister, Kara Feinman, was puzzled.
Shayna, 34, was an avid lover of the outdoors, enjoying camping and hiking. She held certifications in survivalist programs and survival skills and had even worked as a guide for an Arizona-based wilderness therapy program. So, the idea that she would willingly wander into the woods without any gear was confounding.
It all began on March 9, 2024, when Shayna was last seen at 5:30 p.m. on the 40-acre property where she’d lived with her partner, as well as some friends.
At that time, one witness claimed that she had left the property and walked into the woods after getting into an argument with the property’s owner. However, a second witness claimed Shayna was chased into the woods.
It remains unclear which situation actually transpired, and she has not been seen or heard from since.
Prior to her disappearance, Shayna reportedly left her dog in the care of a friend. So, after Shayna failed to return for the pet, her friend filed a missing person report with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office one week later.
Shortly after Shayna disappeared, her sister Kara started reaching out to friends to find out what happened. It was then that she heard about the two different witness accounts, and she still isn’t sure what to believe.
“I don’t know what one is accurate. I don’t know which one is true. What I do know is that she did not go in there intending to camp, to hike, or to stay there for any sort of extended period of time,” Kara said.
It was discovered that Shayna’s camping gear, wallet, and passport had all been left behind inside her car, which was located on the 40-acre property. Additionally, her cell phone was recovered on a nearby property.
But, a large police search effort of the property – which included K9 units – turned up no other evidence.
The two witnesses who claimed to have seen Shayna last are reportedly not cooperating with the investigation, either. However, Kara is working on gathering evidence of her own.
Following her sister’s disappearance, she posted Shayna’s missing person notice online. Afterward, Kara began receiving various pieces of potential evidence.
“I have voicemails and I have text message threads of her saying she wasn’t feeling safe. She was scared at that time. That draws a lot of concern now that she’s been missing for so long,” Kara explained.
For Kara and her family, Shayna’s case is even more shocking because another woman also recently disappeared in Arizona, close to where Shayna went missing.
The 32-year-old woman named Chelsea Grimm had been traveling cross-country from San Diego to Connecticut to attend a family wedding.
“There are a lot of insane similarities between the two cases, which draws even more concern. They had some similar friends. They both had lived in Connecticut, and they both traveled to Arizona. All of Chelsea’s belongings were accounted for, and it’s scary to think that it could be a pattern,” Kara said.
Shayna is five foot four and has brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing sweatpants with athletic-type shorts over them, a hoodie, and green hiking boots. There is currently a $10,000 reward being offered for information that leads to her discovery.
If you have any information regarding Shayna’s case, you are urged to contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 771-3260.
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By Katharina Buczek
Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing in... More about Katharina Buczek
