Phoenix Police Identify Alex Fleming as Woman Found Dead Along Canal

Phoenix police identified the woman found dead along a canal bank near 28th and Oak streets as Alex Fleming, 42, days after officers discovered her unresponsive body on the morning of March 6, 2026.

Officers responded to an unknown trouble call around 7:48 a.m. and found Fleming showing signs of trauma, according to Phoenix police spokesperson Lorraine Fernandez. The Phoenix Fire Department pronounced her dead at the scene. Homicide detectives took over the investigation and immediately began canvassing the area for surveillance footage.

The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner had custody of Fleming's body, with cause and manner of death still pending as of March 9. No suspects had been named and no arrests reported at that point.

The discovery briefly ignited speculation across social media that the victim might be Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, who is believed to have been kidnapped from her Tucson home in the early hours of February 1. The Pima County Sheriff's Department shut that down quickly. "PCSD has not been advised of any connection between the two cases," spokesperson Brittany Abarr told the Arizona Republic. The canal discovery was made more than 100 miles from Tucson, where the Guthrie investigation remains centered with roughly 300 to 400 personnel assigned, tens of thousands of tips processed, and FBI involvement ongoing. No suspects have been identified in Guthrie's disappearance either.

For anyone in the true crime community tracking this case, Phoenix homicide detectives are still actively seeking information. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377), or in Spanish at 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446). Phoenix Police can also be reached directly at 602-262-6151, with an online anonymous tip option available as well.

Until the medical examiner releases cause and manner of death, the full picture of what happened to Alex Fleming along that canal bank remains an open question for investigators.