She left a note promising she'd come back. Four years later, she walked into a police station and kept that promise.
Alicia Navarro disappeared from her mother's home in Glendale, Arizona, in September 2019, days before her 15th birthday. In July 2023, at 18, she reappeared at a police station in Havre, Montana, nearly 1,400 miles away.
A Note, and a Search That Never Stopped
Navarro left behind a signed note reading, "I ran away. I will be back. I swear. I'm sorry." Her mother, Jessica Nuñez, spent years searching for her, paying for billboards in Mexico and Las Vegas, distributing flyers throughout Glendale, and speaking publicly to keep the case in the news. Nuñez had raised concerns that Navarro, who had been diagnosed with autism, may have been lured away by someone she'd met online.
Reappearance in Montana
On July 23, 2023, Navarro walked into the police station in Havre, Montana, and identified herself, asking to be removed from the missing persons list now that she'd turned 18. Police described her at the time as safe, healthy, and by all accounts happy. She faced no criminal charges and, as a legal adult, wasn't required to return home. Authorities have never publicly disclosed how or when she ended up in Montana.
Her Living Situation
Investigators learned Navarro had been living in Havre with a man named Edmund Davis, then 36, whom she'd described as her boyfriend. In July 2023, agents searched Davis's apartment for evidence related to Navarro's case and found child sexual abuse material on his phone and laptop, including images investigators said depicted victims well under the age of 13. He was arrested that October and charged with child sexual abuse.
A Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Davis pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of sexual abuse of children. In February 2025, he was sentenced to 100 years in prison, with 50 years suspended, and will not be eligible for parole for 25 years. He was never charged in connection with Navarro's disappearance itself, and authorities have not disclosed whether he played any role in it.
Where Things Stand Now
Nuñez has said Navarro is with her and that the two are healing together as a family, though she hasn't disclosed further details about what happened during the years her daughter was missing. Speaking after Davis's sentencing, she said she couldn't recover the lost years or undo the trauma, but was grateful her daughter was alive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Edmund Davis charged in Alicia Navarro's disappearance?
No. He was charged and convicted only of child sexual abuse related to material found on his devices, not in connection with her disappearance itself.
How did Alicia Navarro end up in Montana?
Authorities have never publicly explained how or when she traveled from Arizona to Montana.
What sentence did Edmund Davis receive?
100 years in prison with 50 years suspended, with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years.