A missing mother of three who disappeared in 2024 has now been found in a heartbreaking turn of events after hikers made a disturbing discovery in a remote area.
The case, which had left her family searching for answers for over a year, has resurfaced with new developments that are both tragic and unsettling.
As the news spread online, many people shared their condolences with the family.
Highlights
- Hikers exploring remote timberland near Kelso, Washington, discovered skeletal remains of a 33-year-old mother missing since November 2024.
- Athay was last known to be heading into the woods for mushroom picking with an unidentified man shortly before Thanksgiving 2024.
- After nearly a year and a half of searching, forensic anthropologists used dental records to confirm the identity of the remains.
“Prayers for the family and loved ones,” one user wrote.
A missing mother’s case took a tragic turn after hikers made a grim discovery
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
Haiely Athay, a 33-year-old mother of three from Washington, had been missing since late 2024.
Her disappearance was first reported in January 2025 after her family lost contact with her shortly before Thanksgiving the previous year.
According to reports, she had last spoken to her mother, Nicole Brooks, from a store and said she was with a man her family did not recognize.
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
Brooks revealed her daughter told her she “was doing well”, per Fox 13 Seattle.
Athay had also told a friend she was going mushroom hunting with that man before she vanished, raising early concerns about her safety.
More than a year later, on April 12, 2026, two hikers exploring private timberland near Kelso, Washington, stumbled upon what appeared to be human remains. They found two bones and a piece of clothing.
Image credits: Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office
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Because of the timing, authorities could not immediately access the site, but the hikers photographed the findings, which were later reviewed by a forensic anthropologist and confirmed to be human.
After hikers found bones and a piece of clothing, the forensic team discovered that it belonged to a human
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
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The following day, one of the hikers guided officials back to the location. A search team recovered “nearly complete skeletal remains” along with clothing and personal belongings.
The area had already been marked as an “area of interest” during earlier searches, though nothing had been found at the time.
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
Authorities later confirmed the remains belonged to Athay by comparing dental records.
Her mother shared her grief following the confirmation, “I can hear her—‘Hi, Mama’—and it just breaks my heart that I won’t hear that again,” Brooks said.
She added, “It’s not that it was unexpected… but it certainly isn’t what we wanted in our hearts.”
Image credits: Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office
Athay’s cause of passing has not yet been determined, and officials revealed the investigation is still ongoing.
She leaves behind three daughters, who are now being cared for by family members.
Several missing person cases have also surfaced years later with unexpected outcomes
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Cases like Athay’s have drawn attention because they echo other incidents where missing individuals were found years, sometimes decades later, often under very different circumstances.
One such case reported by Bored Panda involved Christina Marie Plante, who disappeared in 1994 at the age of 13.
At the time, her case was treated as a suspected abduction, and extensive searches were conducted.
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
However, more than 30 years later, authorities confirmed she had been found alive.
Investigators were left “dumbfounded” after learning she had voluntarily run away and built a new life under a different name.
In another widely reported case, a woman in Poland, identified as Mirella, was believed to have gone missing as a teenager nearly three decades ago.
Image credits: Hailey Athay/Facebook
Years later, she was discovered alive inside her parents’ home.
Neighbors had assumed she was long gone, but police intervened after reports of unusual noises.
When she was found, she was severely weak and required hospitalization. Authorities began investigating the situation as potential ab*se.
"So glad her family is getting the closure she deserves," one user wrote
