INSTINCT AND TRAGEDY: Nancy’s loyal dog breaks free, runs 5 kilometers toward the Rillito River — officers are left stunned when they find it frantically digging at a freshly covered patch of earth

However, investigators acknowledged that trained canines — even household pets — can respond to scent traces linked to familiar individuals. Detectives are now evaluating whether environmental scent drift, riverbed airflow, or residual trace elements could have drawn the dog to that precise location.

Search teams expanded the perimeter around the excavation site, scanning for tire impressions, footprints, or discarded materials. Drone imaging was used to assess terrain variations and identify additional anomalies in the surrounding area.