AMY HILLYARD: SIX MONTHS AFTER MOM VANISHED, NEW DIGITAL CLUE OPENS FIVE UNSEARCHED TRAILS

Six months after California mother and coffee shop owner Amy Hillyard disappeared from her Oakland home, investigators have uncovered a major new lead that has sent search teams back into the surrounding wilderness.

Hillyard, 53, vanished on March 25, 2026, after leaving her home in Oakland, California.

For months, police, volunteers and her family searched for answers with little progress.

Now, a forensic examination of her electronic devices has identified eight hiking trails that she researched shortly before she disappeared.

Five of those trails had not previously been searched.

The discovery has given her family renewed hope that investigators may finally have a more specific area to search.

A MOTHER DISAPPEARS FROM HER OAKLAND HOME

Amy was last seen after leaving her home in Oakland at around 2 p.m. on March 25.

At the time, she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, light-colored jeans and white sneakers with black stripes.

Her family quickly became concerned because she left without her phone or wallet.

Amy is a co-owner of Farley’s Coffee, a business with locations in the Bay Area.

Authorities previously described her as being at risk because of medical conditions, while her family has said she had been dealing with depression and anxiety.

Hiking had also been an important part of Amy’s life.

Her family and investigators therefore continued examining the possibility that she may have travelled toward one of the hiking areas surrounding Oakland and Berkeley.

THE DIGITAL DISCOVERY

The latest breakthrough came from private investigator Steve Fischer, who was hired by Amy’s family.

Fischer and his team conducted what he described as a deep forensic examination of Amy’s electronic devices.

The review revealed that she had spent approximately 33 minutes researching eight different hiking trails in the Oakland and Berkeley area shortly before her disappearance.

The trails were located around Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park and extending toward Berkeley.

Investigators already knew about three of the trails.

But five had apparently never been searched.

That discovery has now redirected attention toward areas that had previously received little or no search activity.

“THE BIGGEST BREAK IN THE CASE”

Fischer described the discovery as the most significant development since he became involved in the investigation.

But he stressed that the information does not prove Amy went hiking.

Instead, it gives searchers a reason to concentrate their efforts in particular locations.

“This is the biggest break in the case since I’ve been on board,” Fischer told NBC Bay Area.

He also cautioned that there were no guarantees.

However, he said investigators were no longer searching completely blindly because they now had a reason to examine specific trails.

FIVE TRAILS HAVE NOT BEEN SEARCHED

The distinction is significant.

Despite months of searches involving authorities and volunteers, the newly identified locations had not previously been searched, according to Fischer.

Amy’s family and supporters have now begun organizing efforts to examine those areas.

Drones are also being used to survey the trails.

Her husband, Chris Hillyard, said investigators and volunteers are reviewing aerial images in the hope of finding anything that could provide a clue — from a piece of clothing to another object connected to Amy.

The goal is not simply to locate Amy’s possible route, but to determine whether she ever reached any of these areas at all.

HER FAMILY HAS NEVER STOPPED LOOKING

For Amy’s husband and children, the six-month mark has been particularly painful.

Chris has continued publicly appealing for information about his wife.

In an earlier interview with PEOPLE, he said Amy remained constantly on his mind.

The family has also maintained a $25,000 reward for information leading to Amy’s safe return.

The new evidence has therefore brought a mixture of hope and uncertainty.

It provides investigators with a concrete direction, but there is still no confirmation that Amy visited any of the eight trails.

A SEARCH THAT IS STILL UNFINISHED

The disappearance has remained unresolved despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, volunteers and Amy’s loved ones.

Investigators have canvassed areas around her home, examined available footage and searched hiking locations.

The newly discovered digital information has now opened another chapter in the investigation.

Volunteers were preparing to search the previously unexamined trails around Oakland and Berkeley, while drones were being used to inspect difficult-to-access areas.

For Amy’s family, every possible lead matters.

Six months after she walked away from home, they still do not know where she is.

And now, five previously unsearched trails have given investigators something they have been missing for months: a specific reason to look in new places.

The discovery does not yet explain what happened to Amy Hillyard.

But for a family that has spent six months searching for answers, it represents a new direction — and another reason to keep looking.