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Naomi Irion, a 18-year-old missing girl from Nevada, was found dead in Churchill County earlier this week. The teenager was reportedly abducted from a Walmart parking lot in Fernley more than two weeks ago.
On Tuesday, the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about Irion, which led them to a potential rural 'gravesite' situated amidst rugged mountains, nearly 150 miles from where she was abducted.
Investigators also discovered human remains on the gravesite and confirmed them to be that of Irion’s after an autopsy conducted by the Washoe County medical examiners.
“The body of an adult Caucasian female was recovered from that grave site, the body was transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy and to confirm identification. On March 30, 2022, the remains were confirmed as those of Naomi Irion, the family has been notified.”
Officials also shared their condolences and sympathy for Irion’s family in an official statement:
“We would like to extend our sympathy and condolences to the Irion family and thank all the volunteers for their hard work in trying to find Naomi and bring closure to the family.”
Prior to the tragic discovery, 41-year-old Troy Driver was arrested in connection to Naomi Irion’s disappearance. He is currently being held on a $750,000 bond. Authorities did not provide any further details about Irion’s death due to the “open and active” nature of the investigation.
Naomi Irion was found dead in Churchill County after nearly 17 days of search investigation. Justice of the Peace Lori Matheus announced that Driver’s involvement in the case will be determined next Tuesday and mentioned that the preliminary hearing will take place on April 12.
Exploring the location of Churchill County
Churchill County is a county located in the state of Nevada that comprises of the Fallon, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county was formed in 1861 and was initially named Fort Churchill after Mexican-American war hero Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill.
As per the 2010 census, the county had an approximate population of 24,877 people. The current seat of the county is a city named Fallon. Churchill County mainly features a rugged mountain range with lakes and ponds and has a total area of 5,024 square miles.
What happened to Naomi Irion?
On March 12, Naomi Irion was reportedly abducted from a Walmart parking lot in Fernley, Nevada. She was last seen at the venue around 5:00 AM while waiting for her shuttle to take her to her workplace at a nearby Panasonic outlet.
Chilling surveillance footage from the parking lot showed a hooded man approaching Irion’s car and taking the driver’s seat before driving away from the venue. The teenager was reported missing after she failed to reach work and did not return home.
Irion’s 1992 Mercury Sable was later discovered in an industrial area near Fernley, prompting a major search operation across the region. A 41-year-old man named Tony Driver was identified as the suspect in the surveillance video and arrested on charges of first-degree kidnapping.
It was also revealed that Driver is a convicted felon who spent 12 years in California state prison for his involvement in the 1997 murder of 19-year-old methamphetamine dealer Paul Steven Rodriguez.
