Remains discovered in Casey County, Kentucky have been identified as missing woman Whitney Copley, according to family members.
Sarah Copley, Whitney's youngest sister, posted the news on Facebook Wednesday afternoon. Family members believed the remains were those of Whitney ever since they were discovered last week near the Dog Walk Market in Dunnville, Kentucky. A positive identification was made through dental records.
A cause and manner of death have not yet been released. Preliminary reports indicate no trauma to the remains, according to the Kentucky State Police.
The area had been a focus point in the search for the mother of two. Pieces of what is believed to be the clothing Whitney was last seen wearing were discovered last November in a barn not too far from the site.
"14 months of searching, grieving, and keeping hope," Sarah posted on Facebook several days after the remains were found. "We made a promise as a family we would never give up until you were brought home, and today are hearts are heavy, our eyes full of tears, we are so thankful God answered our prayers."
Related: Sisters Pushing for Answers in Whitney Copely's Disappearance
It's unclear the last time Whitney, 24, was seen. Family members said the young mother was picked up at the home she shared in Dunnville with her sisters and her two little girls on the afternoon of September 29, 2015. She stuffed some clothing she borrowed from her sister Sarah into a bag, saying she was going out for the night with some friends and would return.
The following morning she told her sister over Facebook messenger that she had slept at a friend's and would be home in a few hours. She never returned and has not been since.
"We had been a bit worried about her because she used to have a problem with drugs," Whitney's sister Sarah told Dateline earlier this year. "She had gone to rehab and was doing much better, but we worried maybe she was going back to that life."
The investigation continues into the case. Anyone with information is urged to call the Kentucky State Police at 1 (800) 222-5555.
Whitney Copley was featured in Dateline's Missing in America series in January 2016.