One lady searching for her lost dog in Youngstown, Ohio, last month discovered human remains wrapped in fabric.
The dog owner took the bones home and alerted police, who initiated an inquiry and sent them to the coroner.
Authorities revealed at a news conference on Tuesday that the remains belonged to Amy Hambrick, a 29-year-old woman who went missing in November 2017, People reported.
Although Hambrick's cause of death is unknown, dental records assisted in identifying her. Investigations into the case are ongoing.
Chief of Detectives Captain Jason Simon stated during the news conference that the investigators would be speaking with and re-speaking with anyone who may know the case and Hambrick's cause of death.
Authorities are certain that at least one person knows what happened to her, he claimed. According to Simon, it is uncertain how long her remains have been in the region or how long she has been deceased.
How Did Authorities Identify the Remains?
Hambrick departed Youngstown on November 11, 2017, to see a friend in North Jackson but was never seen or heard from again. Hambrick was the mother of Jayden.
Hambrick's mother Debby Dolin said during an interview with WKBN in 2018, "She and Jayden were like two peas in a pod, always together... She misses her mommy so much."
Inside Edition reports that since Hambrick vanished in November of 2017 her family has tried offering a reward and created a Facebook page, a website, and a billboard to find their loved one for more than 5 years.
Meanwhile, it took some effort for the authorities to identify the remains. Dr. Loren Lease of the anthropology department at Youngstown State University put the bones together. The experts first concluded that the bones belonged to a female person. Using dental data, authorities concluded that the jawbone and teeth in the skull belonged to Hambrick.
To find Hambrick, many law enforcement agencies collaborated with her family. According to Simon, who noted that the investigation finally went cold, every investigative option was explored over the previous five years, including many interviews, inspections of dwellings, the employment of cadaver dogs, and the serving of legal process on digital and cellular data.
More Questions To Be Answered
Even though Hambrick's bones have been discovered, there are still unanswered concerns regarding her specific cause of death and how she ended up in the woods, per NBC News. Given the state of her remains, the cause of death will be classified as "undetermined" while the inquiry is still ongoing, according to Simon.
Simon asked the public for information about her last known location. The officer believes there are individuals aware of what happened to the victim. He added that the authorities would like to talk with that person to know the other sides of the story or if someone else knows what Hambrick uncovered.
Three members of Hambrick's family were present at the news presentation, but they made no comments about the finding.
Youngstown Police may be reached at (330) 746-CLUE or (330) 746-8YPD if you have any information on the case of Hambrick.