The Bizarre Disappearance of the 'Naked Hiker Girl'... What REALLY Happened?

The bizarre disappearance of Maureen "Anu" Kelly, the naked hiker, in Washington state.

Edited by: @LeviSpangler

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[warriorra]

I was in the Army statationed at JBLM. I called the Sheriff's office on Wednesday and offered to bring 75 Sappers, Rangers and Engineers from Triple Nickel to assist in the search. I was told they had plenty of help. I was pissed when they cut the search short because it was too dangerous when a search dog split its paw and they only looked across 3 square miles. When I questioned this was told she was barefoot. I responded she is from the islands she has been walking barefoot over terrain her whole life, and I was ignored. Since we didn't have a formal invite or request, we could not participate.

[alligatorhorse]

With 23 years in law enforcement I would be suspect if tracking dogs would lose the scent of someone who is walking barefoot ... I think the scenario where she was picked up on the service road is likely the best lead. Tragic all away around.

[MackenzieNerdyEMT]

I grew up with Anu. I wasnt close with her as we got older but id known her my whole life nonetheless. I frankly always felt she got picked up by someone with dark motives and it was weird to me how quickly that idea got swept away. This whole case is extremely sad and confusing. I appreciate the video immensely.

[KSprospector]

I’ve been on hundreds of K-9 searches and when the track suddenly dries up at a road, it normally means the person got into a vehicle. Sometimes other variables, but usually they got a ride out of there.

[WendyW]

Its a miracle most of us survive.our teen years and early 20s. We all wanna be so free, individual, and do all the things we have been told to never do. We have " itcanthappentomeitis". Only when we stumble our way to actual adulthood do we shudder at our own behavior. She didnt make it. And im so sorry for her family. I hope they have found a sliver of peace.

[michelleannenoel]

I have a hard time understanding how the police could so easily dismiss foul play etc. I mean, let’s be honest… she was young, pretty, and walking around naked. Her tracks stop at the road. You mean to tell me that there’s no possible way someone lured her into the car, took, hurt or killed her?!?!

[micahjones]

That's absolutely the behavior of someone on psychedelics. In the mid 90s when I did a lot of them and I wasn't the walk away naked sort of trip buddy but they were always around. One bad trip was enough to scratch that kind of activity right off of my list of trip activities. It would be terrifying to start peaking way too hard in the dark woods all alone. thanks

[jedediahpelland]

Shrooms.... the fact she stripped naked to go on a "spiritual journey" in the middle of the wilderness leads me to believe this. As for her disappearance I would say she was picked up on that forest service road.

[erikschultz]

A young girl walking naked anywhere near an access road and in an altered state of mind is a predators wet dream.

[bobbercam]

No way those dogs lost her trail on something so easy as a road...she was picked up...if her trail ended at a creek somewhere remote then yes she wondered off but the trail ending at the road means only one thing no matter what those police say!

[Elevendyeleven]

As a hippie who knew many hippies that acted just like Anu, someone taking hallucinogens, getting naked and going into the woods barefoot is not uncommon in that culture. Teenagers lack a fear of mortality. She probably thought "mother earth" would take care of her and didnt know the area at all. Her friends probably felt the same and were probably all trippin ba**s. I am certain she got lost/stuck and died of hypothermia. Im guessing authorities didnt do the best job of looking for her. Scavengers probably scattered her bones as mother earth took her home. Id say it was a "stupid hippie" mistake, but really, she was a beautiful, very young girl who must have been so loved and secure, she took a leap of faith in the universe and danger never occurred to her, until it did. I am sure she is in a better place now.

[vaughnanderson]

I knew her. She was a student in my class at Lewis and Clark High School.. She had interesting tendencies. She went by the name "Anu." She played music all the time at school. I could see her "going on a quest" as she seemed to have a "pure soul.". She was overly trusting of people in general so I can see her being picked up by someone driving on the road. I know that she mentioned joining a commune as well while she was attending Lewis and Clark High School.
I have hiked a lot in that area. A number of roads in the area have been closed due to vandalism so her being picked up on the road is certainly not out of the question. There are quite a number of intersecting trails in the area so it would also be easy to find your way out. Signage is good so finding trails out to a trailhead shouldn't have been too difficult.

[ningboy]

15:36 the mushroom hemp necklace and the glassy eyed stare in this picture, combined with the drug rug she's wearing in another picture, and the fact that she walked off naked into the woods to go on a "spirit journey" all kinda points to her probably tripping when she disappeared. I could totally see her friends just saying no drugs were involved because they also might have been on or had drugs, she might have had drugs on her as well, and they just didn't want anyone to get in trouble.The information that she was on drugs at the time really doesn't do anything to help in the search anyways, it's not like the cops knowing she was on a 10 strip of acid would have pointed them in the direction she was heading or told them where she ended up. To me it makes more sense then just randomly getting naked around all your friends to go venture off into the woods alone, this whole thing just sounds like something someone would do if they were tripping balls.

[dwaynespence]

There was another guy who left from Vancouver, Wa, that survived for over a week on backside of Mt St Helens with flip flops and no supplies at all.

He went on a hike to Blue Lake, which was less than a mile from his car. He was found in a ravene nearly dead over a week later, but he survived. A rescue helicopter had to pick him up because of his condition.
.
The person who found him said he was lying in the ravene, letting bee's sting him and picking them off for food. He still had his flip flops on, over a week later!

Apparently, he doesn't remember much after the first day. Only that he walked a lot and lost his small backpack after falling down a hill. The backpack was found eventually too.

We searched for him for seven days and we were on the last day when he was found.

[drironmom]

I got hypothermic during a trail run - even though I was wearing appropriate clothing- it began to rain and I became chilled without realizing it - then I became confused and ended up way off the trail. I was fortunate in that I stumbled upon a hunting cabin in the woods. The people took me in, gave me a blanket and let me sit by the fire, then helped me find my way back. I can easily see how that could’ve ended up other me passing out and dying in the forest

[jelyfisher]

So glad you're covering this! We lived in WA when this happened and it practically disappeared from the news circuit soon after. It was so sad nobody cared enough to look for her!

[tballstaedt]

Being naked and lost, she could easily die of exposure even in the summer.

[cyrusblackwood]

There are dangerous people (and other things) in the woods, all kinds. The wilderness is not a playground, it's not Fern Gully, it's a very dangerous place. A naked and attractive woman strolling through the wilderness alone (and probably on lsd or shrooms) is a disaster waiting to happen. That poor woman...

[ElSantoLuchador]

Walking naked through the Gifford Pinchot at night? Here's a crazy guess -- hypothermia.

[marcwilburn]

Look at Jason Landry missing in Texas a couple of years back. He wasn’t really on a hike, but the circumstances are similar-naked-drugs? - cold night- hypothermia? - body never found!