Missing California influencer found dead near Arizona hiking trail after extensive search, officials say
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.
Read more: Missing woman was 'miraculously' found in California's mountains. Then came the chorus of skeptics
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.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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