8-year-old girl missing on Navajo Nation found dead

January 20, 2026

An 8-year-old girl who went missing on tribal lands in northern Arizona was found dead Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Navajo Nation officials said Maleeka Boone was last seen Thursday evening in the Coalmine Canyon area, about 240 miles north of Phoenix. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said the agency is conducting the investigation with tribal police and declined to provide details about her death. A Navajo Police Department spokesperson said they did not have further information.

In a social media video, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren called Boone’s death devastating. “This tragedy weighs heavy on my heart,” Nygren said.

Her disappearance led to the issuance of a Turquoise Alert, an alert system for Native Americans who have gone missing, according to the Associated Press.

1.Associated Press.

1.Associated Press.

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