Tucson police confirm the remains of Isabel Celis, who had been missing since April 2012, have been located.
Isabel Celis UPDATE: @ChiefCMagnus addressing media. Human remains located in Tucson sadly identified as Isabel Celis through DNA analysis pic.twitter.com/YFM6TANbH0
— Sergeant Pete Dugan (@SgtDugan) March 31, 2017
The young girl's remains were found recently in a remote area of Pima County, and have been DNA tested, Tucson's police chief said in a Friday press conference. Police did not indicate how long Celis had been dead, and would not be specific about the location of the discovery.
Police say they are still actively investigating leads and have not named any suspects.
Celis disappeared in April 2012 from her family's home near Broadway and Craycroft in Tucson. She was 6 years old at the time. A bedroom window that was closed the night before the disappearance was found open the next morning, the family said in a police report. The window’s screen was damaged and on the ground.
Through a third party, the girl's family has released the following statement:
We want to thank the community for the support they have continued to show for Isa over the years and for refusing to give up hope. Now is our time to mourn. We ask for our privacy during this time so that we can do that.
Her disappearance and massive multi-agency search made national headlines since 2012.
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