Who was Hannah Moody and what happened to her? All about hiking influencer found dead near popular Arizona trail

Hannah Moody, a 31-year-old hiking influencer, was found dead about 600 yards off-trail from the parking lot at the Sonoran Mountain Preserve.

AZ Central has reported that the Scottsdale resident, who regularly uploaded videos from her hikes, likely died of heat exposure. Authorities do not think there was any foul play involved. The Scottsdale Police Department said in a press release on May 22 that Moody's body was discovered near the Gateway Trailhead, according to Us Magazine.

Hannah Moody had over 45,000 followers on Instagram. She had been missing for over a day before search and rescue teams discovered her body at the preserve, which is a 30,000-acre region located just northeast of Phoenix.

Hannah Moody's shocking demise explored as family says she just wanted to spread "warmth" online:

Hannah Moody likely began her trek at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, as seen in a video she shared on Instagram. In it, she could be seen sporting black athleisure wear and a pink backpack.

“Conquering this trail as a last hurrah before summer hits,” the caption said.

By 7:50 p.m., friends who were expecting contact from her reported “unexpected and uncharacteristic” vanishment to the Scottsdale Police Department. SFGate reports that authorities came across her car at the parking lot as they tried to track her cellphone. They also launched ground, drone, and helicopter searches.

The Phoenix Police Department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office also lent a hand in the search. Come 11:30 p.m., officers had still not found Moody. The following morning, search teams came back, and Hannah Moody's body was found at 12:05 p.m. on May 22.

“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, according to Us Weekly. “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 also notes that Scottsdale detectives and crime scene personnel will now execute a thorough investigation to know more about what happened to Hannah Moody and how she died.

“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.”

Hannah Moody grew up in California, though she shifted to Arizona and South Carolina later in her life. Her older brother, Joel, said that her Instagram and TikTok accounts were just her attempt to make an impact on all the lives of people who had come across her, according to AZ Central, noting that she just wanted to share "warmth and light with folks."

"She was somebody who really enjoyed meeting people and didn't like remaining strangers with folks," he said, adding Hannah "really wanted to make sure not only that she met people, but that when she did that they felt loved." And "if she loved you, she loved you hard," said Hannah's mother, Terri Moody, said.

Moody’s father, John Moody, told local news station KPNX-TV hours before his daughter's remains were found:

“She really likes the desert … she likes to experience that and see all the beauty of God’s creation."

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At the time of writing, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner has yet to release the cause of death.

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