The remains of a woman who went missing almost three years ago near Denver have been identified, the victim's family members said in a Facebook posting Thursday.
Amy Ahonen was last seen on July 8, 2011, according to a Facebook page set up by friends dedicated to finding her. Now, a bone discovered last November has now been linked to her.
"Today is a sad day, as we are relieved to finally have some closure regarding Amy, however it is hard news to bear,” a post believed to be from Ahonen's family read.
“Some remains that were found have been confirmed to be those of our beloved Amy. That is all the information we have at this time. Please keep us in your prayers, but respect the family's privacy as we deal with this hardship,” they added.
The "Find Amy Ahonen" twitter feed repeated the claim.
Ahonen vanished the day before her 38th birthday according to the Denver Post.
Her 2005 Jeep Liberty was found abandoned on Highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon, according to NBC affiliate KUSA, but despite a massive search of the area, no trace of her was found until the discovery of the bone last fall. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office told the station that it was found in Clear Creek in Wheat Ridge.
The bone was sent to Texas for a DNA test, where it was positively identified as a match to Ahonen, Jon Cline, an investigator with the Jefferson County Coroner's Office told the Post.
The Denver Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that nothing had been confirmed and promised more information at a later time.