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‘It's Equally As Likely That She Was Intercepted By Someone’: Family Of Missing Hawaii Yoga Instructor Fears Foul Play
A family spokesperson says that with every passing day, the likelihood that Amanda Eller is simply lost or hurt in Maui's Makawao Forest Reserve grow slimmer.
The family of a missing Hawaiian yoga instructor has expressed fear that she may have been the victim of foul play.
Amanda Eller, 35, was reported missing Thursday, according to the Maui Police Department. Her white Toyota RAV4 was found by police in the parking lot at the Makawao Forest Reserve one day later. Her phone and wallet were located inside the vehicle, KHON 2 in Honolulu reports.
Eller, a Maui resident, works as a physical therapist and yoga instructor and has been described as an experienced hiker. Her boyfriend reported her missing after she didn’t return home Thursday night.
“Generally speaking, it’s highly likely she’s lost or injured in this forest, and its equally as likely that she was intercepted by someone in the parking lot or on her run,” family spokesperson Sarah Haynes told The Maui News. “As the days go by, and more and more people are in the forest, we get closer and closer to foul play.”
Haynes told KHON that Eller typically leaves her phone behind when she goes for a run or a hike.
“Her car was there and her belongings were in her car,” she said. “Her phone was in her car. That was common for her. She likes to unplug when she runs.”
Search crews have been using everything from drones to ATVs to dogs to try to find Eller. More than100 people had been searching for her until those efforts were suspended on Sunday. However, volunteers still appear to be searching.
Over the weekend, Hayes told The Maui News that she put out a call for people with experience in the forest off-trail.
The family is offering $10,000 for Eller’s safe return.
Haynes urges the public to get involved by visiting the official Amanda Ellers Missing Facebook page. They are currently asking all residents and businesses along the route Eller last traveled to secure their security footage if it captures cars on the road. “We would like to see if Amanda was alone and what she was wearing,” the page says.
Eller is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 145 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact the Maui Police Department at (808) 244-6400.
