Goodyear woman found dead in desert after missing person report

GOODYEAR, AZ — A missing Goodyear woman was found dead after she got a flat tire on her way home from work on June 15 and decided to walk home in 110-degree heat, according to police.

Madison Dwight said her mother, Angela, had just finished a shift at Denny’s near South Cotton Lane Road and County Route 85.

“She was driving home, as usual after a long day at work, and she got a flat tire. She didn’t have a spare tire or anything,” Madison explained.

She said her mother sent her a text message saying, “Something like, ‘Please call me a tow truck. I’ll just go and find a way home.'” Hours later, Angela still hadn’t arrived home.

Goodyear police deployed a helicopter, drones and canine units but were unable to locate Angela on June 15.

“It’s not my mother’s nature to just disappear. She loves her family very much,” her daughter said.

Angela’s body was discovered the next day. Madison recalled what investigators said: “From what they know, she followed the road to the bridge. She made it to the bridge and then tried to walk through the field so she didn’t have to go uphill, that’s their guess.”

The coroner’s report has not yet been released, but the family is convinced that Angela was simply overwhelmed by the extreme heat.

“She worked her 8-hour shift in her hot kitchen job and then got into a car with no air conditioning, so she was probably tired and dehydrated,” Madison said.

Angela’s daughter tells ABC15 she is sharing her story in hopes of preventing more heat-related deaths in the future.

“As long as just one person hears this and as tragic as it is… I want nothing more than for this situation to get out. It’s horrible and we’re all having a really hard time with it… I mean, she was our rock, she was everything to us.”