| Age at missing | 64 years old |
| Case ID | nita-mary-mayo |
| City en | Hawthorne |
| City geo ID | 5505321 |
| City slug | hawthorne |
| Classification | Endangered Missing |
| Classification en | Endangered Missing |
| County en | |
| County fips ref | 32021 |
| County slug | mineral-county |
| Created at | 2026-01-16T16:23:17.046178+00:00 |
| Date of birth | 1941-02-09 |
| Disappearance details | Mayo was last seen her residence in the 1100 block of Park Street in Hawthorne, Nevada on August 8, 2005. She had told a friend she was going on a one-day shopping trip over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the western side of the mountain range. She said she would go over Sonora Pass on State Route 108, and would return by evening and report to work the next day. Mayo is believed to have left her home at 11:00 a.m. She did not arrive at work as planned and has never been heard from again. Two days after Mayo was last seen, her silver 1997 Mercury Sable or Ford Taurus station wagon, which has a Marine sticker on the back window, was later found at Donnell's Vista, a lookout point on State Route 108 just outside Sonora. The keys were locked inside the car, which could also be opened with a keypad. Mayo's cellular phone, wallet and purse were also inside the vehicle; only her camera was missing. There was no sign of her at the scene. Authorities determined that Mayo's car had been at Donnell's Vista since the day of her disappearance. The lookout point overlooks a river canyon 1,000 feet below. In September 2005, authorities announced they were seeking Jewel Jeanne Rice in connection with Mayo's disappearance. Photographs of Rice are posted with this case summary. She is not being called a suspect in Mayo's case, but investigators believe she may have valuable information. Police stated Rice's vehicle had mechanical problems in the Sonora area on the day Mayo disappeared, and she was going around asking people for help with it. On August 12, she left Sonora without the car. Her current whereabouts are unknown. Mayo was employed as a licensed practical nurse at the Mt. Grant General Hospital Clinic in Hawthorne at the time of her disappearance. Her loved ones stated she was physically and mentally healthy in August 2005 and it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office 209-694-2900 Source Information NamUs Federal Bureau of Investigation America's Most Wanted KOLO TV My Motherlode The In-Forum The Modesto Bee The Union Democrat Channel 4 KNRV Let's Bring Them Home Find Nita Mayo California Attorney General's Office Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 29, 2010; five pictures added, details of disappearance updated. |
| Disappearance details en | Mayo was last seen her residence in the 1100 block of Park Street in Hawthorne, Nevada on August 8, 2005. She had told a friend she was going on a one-day shopping trip over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the western side of the mountain range. She said she would go over Sonora Pass on State Route 108, and would return by evening and report to work the next day. Mayo is believed to have left her home at 11:00 a.m. She did not arrive at work as planned and has never been heard from again. Two days after Mayo was last seen, her silver 1997 Mercury Sable or Ford Taurus station wagon, which has a Marine sticker on the back window, was later found at Donnell's Vista, a lookout point on State Route 108 just outside Sonora. The keys were locked inside the car, which could also be opened with a keypad. Mayo's cellular phone, wallet and purse were also inside the vehicle; only her camera was missing. There was no sign of her at the scene. Authorities determined that Mayo's car had been at Donnell's Vista since the day of her disappearance. The lookout point overlooks a river canyon 1,000 feet below. In September 2005, authorities announced they were seeking Jewel Jeanne Rice in connection with Mayo's disappearance. Photographs of Rice are posted with this case summary. She is not being called a suspect in Mayo's case, but investigators believe she may have valuable information. Police stated Rice's vehicle had mechanical problems in the Sonora area on the day Mayo disappeared, and she was going around asking people for help with it. On August 12, she left Sonora without the car. Her current whereabouts are unknown. Mayo was employed as a licensed practical nurse at the Mt. Grant General Hospital Clinic in Hawthorne at the time of her disappearance. Her loved ones stated she was physically and mentally healthy in August 2005 and it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office 209-694-2900 Source Information NamUs Federal Bureau of Investigation America's Most Wanted KOLO TV My Motherlode The In-Forum The Modesto Bee The Union Democrat Channel 4 KNRV Let's Bring Them Home Find Nita Mayo California Attorney General's Office Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 29, 2010; five pictures added, details of disappearance updated. |
| Disappearance details word count | 400 |
| Distinguishing marks | White female. Brown hair, brown/hazel eyes. Mayo is a British national and speaks with an English accent. She wears prescription eyeglasses with oval-shaped lenses and gold wire frames. Her ears are pierced. Mayo had highlights in her hair at the time of her August 2005 disappearance. |
| Distinguishing marks en | White female. Brown hair, brown/hazel eyes. Mayo is a British national and speaks with an English accent. She wears prescription eyeglasses with oval-shaped lenses and gold wire frames. Her ears are pierced. Mayo had highlights in her hair at the time of her August 2005 disappearance. |
| Full name | Nita Mary Mayo |
| Full name en | Nita Mary Mayo |
| Height | 5'0 - 5'2 |
| ID | 11250 |
| Investigating agency | Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office 209-694-2900 Source Information NamUs Federal Bureau of Investigation America's Most Wanted KOLO TV My Motherlode The In-Forum The Modesto Bee The Union Democrat Channel 4 KNRV Let's Bring Them Home Find Nita Mayo California Attorney General's Office |
| Missing since | 2005-08-08 |
| Official last updated | 2010-07-29 |
| Official update count | 3 |
| Official update history | five pictures added, details of disappearance updated. |
| Path | nevada/mineral-county/hawthorne |
| Race | White |
| Race en | White |
| Sex | Female |
| Source info | NamUs Federal Bureau of Investigation America's Most Wanted KOLO TV My Motherlode The In-Forum The Modesto Bee The Union Democrat Channel 4 KNRV Let's Bring Them Home Find Nita Mayo California Attorney General's Office |
| State en | Nevada |
| State ref | NV |
| State slug | nevada |
| Status | active |
| Updated at | 2026-01-16T16:23:17.046178+00:00 |
| URL path | nevada/mineral-county/hawthorne |
| Weight | 140 pounds |
Mayo was last seen her residence in the 1100 block of Park Street in Hawthorne, Nevada on August 8, 2005. She had told a friend she was going on a one-day shopping trip over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the western side of the mountain range. She said she would go over Sonora Pass on State Route 108, and would return by evening and report to work the next day. Mayo is believed to have left her home at 11:00 a.m. She did not arrive at work as planned and has never been heard from again. Two days after Mayo was last seen, her silver 1997 Mercury Sable or Ford Taurus station wagon, which has a Marine sticker on the back window, was later found at Donnell’s Vista, a lookout point on State Route 108 just outside Sonora. The keys were locked inside the car, which could also be opened with a keypad. Mayo’s cellular phone, wallet and purse were also inside the vehicle; only her camera was missing. There was no sign of her at the scene. Authorities determined that Mayo’s car had been at Donnell’s Vista since the day of her disappearance. The lookout point overlooks a river canyon 1,000 feet below. In September 2005, authorities announced they were seeking Jewel Jeanne Rice in connection with Mayo’s disappearance. Photographs of Rice are posted with this case summary. She is not being called a suspect in Mayo’s case, but investigators believe she may have valuable information. Police stated Rice’s vehicle had mechanical problems in the Sonora area on the day Mayo disappeared, and she was going around asking people for help with it. On August 12, she left Sonora without the car. Her current whereabouts are unknown. Mayo was employed as a licensed practical nurse at the Mt. Grant General Hospital Clinic in Hawthorne at the time of her disappearance. Her loved ones stated she was physically and mentally healthy in August 2005 and it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office 209-694-2900 Source Information NamUs Federal Bureau of Investigation America’s Most Wanted KOLO TV My Motherlode The In-Forum The Modesto Bee The Union Democrat Channel 4 KNRV Let’s Bring Them Home Find Nita Mayo California Attorney General’s Office Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated July 29, 2010; five pictures added, details of disappearance updated.