Four months after she vanished without shoes and without a trace, 36-year-old mother of two Tomis Hoyt has been confirmed as the person whose remains were discovered in northern Maine. The announcement, made by the Maine State Police on November 12, closed a painful chapter for her family—yet opened new questions about how and why she ended up in such a dire situation.
Tomis, who lived in Presque Isle, about 15 miles from the site of her disappearance, was last captured on surveillance footage on July 13 walking barefoot and alone along Robinson Road in the small town of Mars Hill. She wore ripped jeans and a pink-orange tank top, and it was believed she had no money and no shoes when she vanished.
Her family, painfully aware of her past struggles with addiction and mental-health challenges, said that Tomis had been sober for nearly a decade—until the day she simply stopped in touch. Her sudden departure was so unlike her that her aunt, Selena Hoyt Belser, publicly pleaded for her to come home: “For the love of God, come home,” she said.
The remains were discovered late October in the town of Blaine, and the medical examiner’s office officially identified them as Tomis’s on November 12. Officials have not yet determined the cause or manner of her death, and the investigation remains active.
Her family described her as someone who loved being a mother, who maintained sobriety despite difficult days, and who simply vanished without explanation. They held out hope for months—scouring every tip, pleading for leads, and refusing to let go of the vision of Tomis walking back to them.
Now, in the wake of confirmation, the grief is heavy. The unanswered questions loom large: What led her alone and barefoot into that rural road? What happened between July and October? Why did silence replace her once─steadfast voice? As investigators continue to dig, the family remains in that painful space between closure and ongoing anguish.
In her hometown and beyond, Tomis’s story reminds us of the fragility in the lives of those who battle addiction, mental-health crises, or simply the weight of burdens unseen. While Tomis is now home in body, the heart of her story—her life, her struggles, her love for her children—lingers in memory. And as the investigation carries on, her family continues to ask for the one thing they hope for most: answers.
