ANTHEM, AZ — The search for an Anthem woman who has been missing for two years has come to an end.
On Tuesday, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office officials confirmed a skull belonging to 64-year-old JoAnn Dudek was discovered.
Officials say the skull was found in New River, Arizona, on November 6 and is confirmed to be Dudek's.
Family told ABC15 that they were not immediately made aware of how the remains were found or their exact location.
ABC15 reported on Dudek's disappearance after she was reported missing on Nov. 13, 2022.
"The timing of this has been absolutely insane, to say the least," said Erin Murtha, Dudek's niece. "This morning, one day before that two-year anniversary, we did receive notice from MCSO that JoAnn's remains have been located and identified."
Dudek's family said she was last seen at her Anthem home near Meridian and Belfair Way. At the time, she was living with her daughter, her daughter’s partner, and her husband, Walter, who died earlier in 2022.
At the time of the disappearance, MCSO told ABC15 that Dudek's disappearance was suspicious and had been handed over to their homicide unit.
Murtha said that the day before she was reported missing, she was planning a trip to New York to visit her sisters.
"We are not of the opinion that she walked off and fell, or was hit by a car, or anything like that," said Murtha. "We very strongly believe that this is something that was done to her and that her remains were put in that location."
Murtha also told ABC15, "We were told from people inside the home, the last people to speak with or have seen JoAnn...that the night that JoAnn went missing, there was a violent altercation inside the home."
They told ABC15 they are "very confident" Dudek was killed inside the home that night.
Detectives are still working on the case and trying to figure out the cause of death and identify any possible suspects.
While the family was left "devastated," they are now hopeful more answers are around the corner.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact MCSO at 602-876-TIPS (8477) and reference report # IR 220-304-781
