Missing California influencer found dead near Arizona hiking trail after extensive search, officials say
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- A social media influencer who promoted hiking and her faith was found dead near a hiking trail in Arizona.
- Hannah Rose Moody was reported missing May 21 in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale.
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 shortly after noon 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 about 7:50 the previous night 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 on foot, with help from a Phoenix Police Department helicopter and drones. The search was called off for the night around 11:30 p.m.
While many have praised the tenacity of 28-year-old Tiffany Slaton, others have expressed doubts about the veracity of her shocking survival story and have criticized her family’s fundraising motives.
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,” the release said. “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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