FBI Offers $20,000 Reward Over Arizona Woman's Mysterious Death
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $20,000 reward for information regarding the suspicious death of Adrienne Celeste Salinas, who went missing and was later found deceased in 2013.
Salinas' death has now remained a mystery for more than 12 years, as she was reported missing on June 16, 2013. Investigators still have no leads on why she was killed, or who did it.
Her family initially raised money for a $10,000 cash reward via GoFundMe in 2013, now the FBI is offering double that for any information.
Salinas' family has been contacted via GoFundMe.
Adrienne Celeste Salinas pictured on her missing persons photo.
Adrienne Celeste Salinas pictured on her missing persons photo.
FBI
The Context
Salinas' death is being brought back to the public's attention by the FBI's Case of the Week which highlights unsolved crimes.
What To Know
According to the FBI, on the night of June 14, 2013, Salinas was at a birthday party for a friend at her residence in Tempe, Arizona.
Salinas, who was 19 years old at the time, was at the party until the early hours of the morning on June 15. She then briefly left the party before returning to talk to her housemate.
At approximately 4 a.m. she left the party again, but was involved in a car accident nearby soon after.
According to the FBI, she then returned to her apartment to get changed, but was not seen by anyone there. However, according to People magazine, Salinas called a cab immediately after abandoning her car.
Both the FBI and People journalists state that she called a cab to take her to her boyfriend's apartment, and a driver told police she had called him to confirm her pickup location was a convenience store close to her home. However, when the driver arrived at the location, nobody was there and all calls to Salinas' phone went to voicemail.
According to witnesses, she was driving erratically to her boyfriend Francisco "Fran" Arteaga's house after being upset about the way he was acting at the party. Her car, a 2002 Mercury Sable, was found abandoned.
Her body was found behind a home in Apache Junction, Arizona, on August 6. Despite 12 years of investigations and being the subject of countless true crime documentaries, police still do not know how she got there, or who was involved in her death.
One theory from local investigators is that infamous "Phoenix Canal Murderer" Bryan Patrick Miller was involved in her death, as he was known to be at a party nearby to hers on the night of her disappearance.
Miller told journalist Briana Whitney "I had no knowledge of the case and still don't know much about it."
What People Are Saying
Rick Salinas, Adrienne Salinas' father, told the FBI in 2013: "Adrienne was a young girl that was very beautiful inside and out. She deserves justice."
Tempe Police Homicide Detective Alan Akey said in 2013: "They are grieving. They want answers. They want to know what happened to their baby girl."
What Happens Next
In remains to be seen if the prospect of a $20,000 reward results in more information regarding her disappearance and death.
The FBI has said: "Anyone with information regarding this case should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Tempe, Arizona, Police Department at (480) 350-8311."
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