Search crews find missing woman’s body after she vanished while going for a morning hike

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a death investigation is underway after search crews located the body of a woman who vanished after going hiking on an area trail early Wednesday.

Scottsdale police announced early Thursday afternoon that 31-year-old Hannah Moody was found dead.

Police didn’t indicate the circumstances of her death but said that she was spotted earlier in the morning, about 600 yards off trail by a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.

Moody was last seen alive Wednesday morning in the Gateway Trailhead area of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, but never returned to her vehicle or checked in with friends or family.

Investigators called her disappearance “unexpected and uncharacteristic.”

Officers began searching the area using drones on Wednesday night but did not locate her. Search efforts resumed the next morning, which ultimately led to the discovery.

“We just want our friend back,” Victoria Garza, Moody’s friend, said. “I don’t think it’s still real for us. For any of us. It feels like a dream that we can’t wake up from. We just ask that she’s safe somewhere.”

Alexa, another friend of Moody, added, “She’s so bubbly. She is so funny. She so sweet. If we had a bad day at work, she was the person that we would go to.”

Scottsdale police said if anyone has any further information regarding the investigation to them at 480-312-5000.

The Maricopa County Office Medical Examiner is working to determine Moody’s cause of death. Authorities said they don’t believe there was foul play involved, but their investigation is ongoing.

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