NEW DIGITAL CLUE REIGNITES SEARCH FOR MISSING OAKLAND MOM AMY HILLYARD AFTER SIX MONTHS

OAKLAND, California — Six months after Amy Hillyard disappeared without a trace, a newly uncovered digital clue has given her family and investigators a new reason to search.

Hillyard, a 53-year-old mother of two and co-owner of Farley’s Coffee, vanished from Oakland on March 25. Despite months of searches, volunteer efforts and police investigations, no confirmed explanation for her disappearance has emerged.

Now, investigators are returning to the trails.

A DIGITAL CLUE FOUND AFTER MONTHS OF SEARCHING

Private investigator Steve Fischer, who was hired by Hillyard’s family, said a detailed forensic examination of her electronic devices uncovered a potentially significant lead.

The analysis showed that on March 24 — one day before she disappeared — Hillyard spent about 33 minutes looking at eight hiking trails through AllTrails.

She had not used her AllTrails account since January.

Of the eight trails she viewed, three had already been extensively searched. But five had not been searched at all, including several trails in Oakland and Berkeley.

Fischer described the discovery as the most promising lead his team has found so far, while stressing that it does not guarantee Hillyard will be found there.

The new information has nevertheless changed the direction of the search.

Fourteen volunteers and private investigators planned to begin searching the five additional trails, each stretching roughly three to eight miles.

Drones are also being used to examine areas that may be difficult to reach on foot, with investigators planning to scan approximately 200 feet on either side of the trails.

AMY WAS AN AVID HIKER

Hillyard was known to regularly hike in the Oakland hills, particularly around Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park.

Her husband, Chris Hillyard, previously said hiking had been an important part of Amy’s life.

The newly identified trails, however, were not places he considered her regular hiking routes.

That has made the digital discovery especially significant to investigators.

“At the same time, we don’t want to find anything,” Chris said, describing the emotional difficulty of searching areas where his wife might have gone.

THE DAY AMY DISAPPEARED

Amy was last seen on March 25.

Earlier that day, she had gone to a therapy appointment in Walnut Creek after being dropped off at a BART station by her husband.

She later texted Chris at around 1:40 p.m., telling him she was home.

Surveillance footage from a neighboring property showed Amy taking the couple’s dog for a walk and speaking with a neighbor.

When Chris returned home at approximately 3:15 p.m., however, he found the back door open.

Amy’s cellphone, wallet, handbag and car keys were reportedly still inside the home.

Police later reviewed additional surveillance footage and said Amy was seen in the area of Dimond Park, near Dimond Canyon and its hiking trails, at around 4:30 p.m. that day.

Despite extensive searches, investigators have not located her.

NO CONFIRMED EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY

Oakland police have previously said there was no evidence at that stage indicating that Amy had been abducted or that a crime had occurred.

The department has also investigated reported sightings and reviewed surveillance footage as part of the ongoing missing-person investigation.

Amy’s family has continued to ask the public to keep sharing her photograph and information.

A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to her safe return.

Amy is approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes.

A FAMILY STILL WAITING FOR ANSWERS

Amy’s disappearance has left her husband and two daughters facing months of uncertainty.

The family has continued organizing searches while investigators examine every possible lead.

Now, six months after Amy vanished, the newly uncovered AllTrails activity has given search teams five more locations to investigate.

It is not proof that Amy went to any of those trails.

But after months with few concrete clues, investigators now have something new to follow.

And for a family that has spent six months asking where Amy went, even one new lead can bring renewed hope.

The search for Amy Hillyard continues.