A Washington mother of three, who vanished after going mushroom hunting with an unfamiliar man, has been discovered dead.
Hailey Athay, 33, was last in contact with friends just before Thanksgiving in 2024, when she mentioned her plans to forage in the wilderness.
Residing in Longview, Athay was reported missing in January, having not been seen since her last communication.
Earlier this week, her remains were found by shocked hikers in a remote part of Kelso, as confirmed by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
The discovery, made on April 12, included “nearly complete skeletal remains” alongside clothing and personal items.
Investigators had previously searched the area, identified as a point of interest, but had not recovered any evidence at that time.
Hikers alerted police and sent pictures of the bones to a forensic anthropologist, who identified them as human.
Officials compared the skull’s teeth to Athay’s dental records and confirmed its identity.
Hailey Athay went missing after Thanksgiving in 2024. She told friend that she was going to pick mushrooms with an unidentified man
Athay, 33, was a mother of three. Her daughters are now being cared for by family members
Athay’s remains were turned over to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office to determine her cause and manner of death.
Athay’s mother, Nicole Brooks, told KPTV that this was not the news the family hoped to hear, but the outcome was unsurprising.
‘It’s not that it was unexpected that this would be the outcome, but it certainly isn’t what we wanted in our hearts,’ Brooks said.
‘You don’t know, and you hold out hope—and the longer it goes, the harder it is.’
The grieving mother last spoke to her daughter on the phone in November 2024.
At the time, Athay said she ‘was doing well’ and seeing a man her mother didn’t know, per Fox13 Seattle.
In 2025, Brooks told KGW that her daughter struggled with addiction and often floated from place to place.
It would occasionally be several days or weeks between phone calls.
‘Even though she struggled, she would stay in contact,’ Brooks said. ‘She would let me know that she’s OK, she would give me a call. She would ask about her daughters.’
Athay’s mother Nicole Brooks (right) told the press that she suspected foul play in her daughter’s disappearance
Athay’s mom said she was kind, thoughtful and a loving mother. Her cause of death has not been released yet
Brooks told KPW she doesn’t think her daughter’s death was an accident. Now that Athay has been found, she hopes someone will be held accountable.
‘Somebody took her through the woods. They left her in November in freezing temperatures, unprepared,’ she said.
‘You know, no parent should have to bury their child. And still, I want to ask him why. Why would you do that to somebody? Who does that to a human being?’
The family started a GoFundMe to aid with search efforts, but the money raised will now be allocated toward Athay’s funeral costs.
In the updated tribute, the family called the last year and a half of searching ‘an unrelenting nightmare.’
‘Hailey was a vibrant, 33-year-old woman who leaves behind a legacy of love as a mother of three, a devoted daughter, a sister and a granddaughter,’ it read.
‘To those who knew her best, she was a beautiful contradiction—a “tough girly girl” who possessed a fierce exterior but a heart defined by kindness and thoughtfulness.
‘She was the person you turned to for the best advice, the one whose spitfire attitude and bubbly personality could light up any room.’
On Friday, family and friends held a candlelight vigil to honor Athay after her fate was confirmed, reported KGW.
Athay’s family said they are working on getting justice after confirmation of her death
‘I guess the best way I could put it today is that she’s not lost in the woods anymore,’ Brooks told the outlet at the ceremony.
‘Now that she’s home, we’re going to shift our focus to getting justice.’
Athay’s three daughters are now living with family members. No criminal charges have been announced.
The Daily Mail contacted the Cowlitz Sheriff’s Department, the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office and Athay’s family for comment.
