MISSING MOM VANISHED 6 MONTHS AGO — NEW DIGITAL CLUE OPENS FIVE UNTAPPED SEARCH AREAS

Six months after a California mother disappeared without a trace, investigators say they have uncovered a major new lead that could change the direction of the search.

Amy Hillyard, 53, a mother of two and co-owner of Farley’s coffee shops, was last seen leaving her home in Oakland on March 25.

Now, a private investigator hired by her family says a detailed examination of Amy’s electronic devices has revealed that she researched eight hiking trails in the Oakland and Berkeley area shortly before she disappeared.

Investigators had already searched three of those locations.

But five of the trails had never been searched.

Steve Fischer, the private investigator working with Amy’s family, described the discovery as the “biggest break in the case” since he became involved.

For the first time in months, search teams now have specific locations to investigate rather than searching blindly.

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

Amy was last seen on March 25 after leaving her home in Oakland.

According to her family, she had a strong connection to hiking and often used it as a way to cope with difficult periods in her life.

She was last seen wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, light-colored jeans and white sneakers with black stripes.

Her family has previously said that Amy had been dealing with depression and anxiety and had been attending therapy.

However, authorities have not publicly established what happened to her after she left home.

Oakland police previously said there was no evidence suggesting that Amy had been abducted or that she had been the victim of a crime.

THE DIGITAL CLUE

The breakthrough came after investigators conducted what Fischer described as a deep forensic examination of Amy’s electronic devices.

The investigation found that Amy had spent roughly 30 minutes researching eight hiking trails stretching from Oakland’s Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park area toward Berkeley.

Some of the trails were familiar to investigators because they had already been searched.

Others were completely new.

Fischer said the discovery gives search teams a concrete reason to focus on specific areas.

The family now hopes drones and volunteers can help examine the newly identified trails for anything that could provide a clue to Amy’s whereabouts.

HER FAMILY HAS NEVER STOPPED SEARCHING

Amy’s husband, Chris Hillyard, has continued appealing to the public for information.

In a video marking six months since his wife disappeared, Chris said investigators and volunteers were reviewing drone images from the newly identified areas.

The family is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to Amy’s safe return.

A fundraising campaign has also collected money to support the continuing investigation and search efforts.

Despite months of searches involving police, private investigators and hundreds of volunteers, Amy has still not been located.

Her family continues to hold on to hope that the newly discovered hiking routes could finally provide the clue they have been waiting for.

“We’ll continue until we find her,” Chris has said.

For Amy’s loved ones, the latest discovery does not provide an answer yet — but after six months of uncertainty, it gives searchers new places to look and a new reason to keep going.