Popular Hiking Influencer Hannah Moody Found Dead Near an Arizona Trail After 25 Hours Missing in the Desert Heat

Hannah Moody, 31, was reported missing on May 21, causing an extensive search.

A missing social media influencer who lived in California was found dead last week near a hiking trail in Arizona, according to authorities.

The body of Hannah Moody, 31, was found around 12:05 p.m. on May 22 near the Gateway Trailhead of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, according to a Scottsdale Police Department news release. Moody was reported missing the previous night around 7:50 p.m. after her friends said they had not heard from her, sparking an extensive search.

Scottsdale police officers went to the trailhead where she was last seen and found her car in the parking lot, according to the release. Calls and pings to her cellphone weren’t successful in tracking her.

Officers then searched for her on foot, with help from Phoenix Police Department helicopter and drones. The search was called off for the night around 11:30 p.m.

Officers resumed the search the next morning with the help of the Maricopa County sheriff’s search and rescue team and air unit, according to the release. The air unit found her body about 600 yards from the trail. Officials said there were no obvious signs of foul play or trauma.

“Scottsdale detectives and crime scene personnel will now conduct a thorough investigation to piece together what happened to Hannah and how she died,” according to the release. “Our investigation will be in cooperation with the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, which will ultimately determine the cause of death.”

According to public records, Moody has lived in Los Angeles, Alameda and Orange counties as well as South Carolina.

Her family members told news outlets that she moved from Charleston, S.C., to Scottsdale because she missed hiking in Arizona.

Moody frequently posted about her love for hiking on her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Her Instagram account has about 45,000 followers. She posted a video to her Instagram on May 18 showing her hiking along a trail and discussing her love of sunsets.

Temperatures in Scottsdale exceeded 100 degrees by Thursday afternoon, around the time Moody’s body was found.

via: LA Times

Hiking Influencer, 31, Found Dead Hundreds of Yards Away From Popular Arizona Trail

Hiking influencer Hannah Moody has been found dead hundreds of yards from a popular Arizona hiking trail.

The Scottsdale Police Department confirmed in a press release on May 22 that the 31-year-old’s body had been discovered near the Gateway Trailhead of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale.

“Hannah was first reported missing around 7:50 p.m. on May 21 by concerned friends who had not heard from her,” the release read. “Scottsdale officers responded to the trailhead where she was last seen and located her vehicle still in the parking lot. Efforts to reach her by phone or ping her cellphone were unsuccessful. Officers began search efforts on foot, with drones and assistance from a Phoenix Police Department helicopter. Search efforts continued for Hannah for approximately four and a half hours until around 11:30 p.m., when the search was called off for the evening.”

The statement noted that the search efforts resumed on the morning of May 22, with more than 20 officers on bicycles, foot and with drones being assisted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team and air unit.

“The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Air Unit located Hannah’s body around 12:05 p.m., about 600 yards off-trail. Scottsdale detectives and crime scene personnel will now conduct a thorough investigation to piece together what happened to Hannah and how she died,” the statement read. “Our investigation will be in cooperation with the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, which will ultimately determine the cause of death.”

The release concluded, “The investigation is in its early stages, but there are no obvious signs of foul play or trauma at this point.”

Days before her death, Moody — who amassed more than 45,000 followers on Instagram as she documented her life in Arizona — shared a video documenting her hike on a trail. In the clip, Moody explained that she was given the day-shift at a restaurant — which she was initially not thrilled about, until she changed her mindset.

“I just realized God is literally blessing me with the day shift because he knows how much I freaking love the sunset and I love being able to go for sunset hikes,” Moody said. “I haven’t really been able to do that and it’s just so sweet and so thoughtful.”

Moody gave a kiss to the camera before turning her phone around to share the sunset behind a mountain range.

“HIKES W/ HAN | part 1 ????,” she captioned the May 18 Instagram post. There can always be something positive in every situation, if you just look for it ? what are you focusing on? God uses all things for good ?? Romans 8:28.”

via: UsWeekly

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