BAY AREA, CA — Thursday marked three months since Amy Hillyard disappeared, and her family is asking the community to stand with them once again during a Community Awareness Walk on Friday evening at Lake Merritt.
The event begins at 5 p.m. Friday at the Pergola, also known as The Arches, at Lake Merritt, a place where Hillyard frequently walked with family and friends. Organizers said supporters will gather to reaffirm their commitment to finding the missing mother of two and to continue raising public awareness.
Hillyard, 52, owns the popular Farley's coffee shops in Oakland and San Francisco. She disappeared on the afternoon of March 25 and was last seen around 2 p.m. near the 500 block of Radnor Road in Oakland, according to the Oakland Police Department.
While volunteers continue searching on the ground, private investigators hired by the Hillyard family are pursuing new leads made possible through donations to a GoFundMe campaign.
Investigators with Search Investigations are reviewing surveillance videos that were either previously unseen or recently obtained through search warrants, according to the They believe the footage could help determine where Hillyard went after she disappeared.
The investigative team recently completed a new analysis of surveillance footage from Dimond Park, an area previously searched by police, volunteers, and search dogs. Investigators concluded the person captured in those videos was not Hillyard.
Using drones, canines, and additional investigative resources, the team continues searching other locations, including areas around Lake Merritt, while systematically ruling out and identifying locations that warrant further investigation.
Hillyard's husband, Chris Hillyard, has increased the reward to $25,000 for information leading to her return. The family hopes the expanded investigation, public support, and renewed awareness will generate the information needed to bring her home.
Since Hillyard vanished, hundreds of volunteers have searched neighborhoods, distributed flyers, and gone door-to-door across Oakland in an effort to locate the well-known business owner. Family members say they remain determined to continue searching until they have answers.
MORE: Army Of Volunteers Knock On Doors In Search For Missing Bay Area Coffee Shop Owner
Family Of Missing Bay Area Coffeeshop Owner Offers $10K Reward For Her Return
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