(CNN) — Human remains discovered last weekend in Albemarle County, Virginia, belong to University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, authorities said Friday.
Graham, 18, went missing before dawn on September 13 after being last spotted on several surveillance cameras in Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall area.
The remains were discovered last Saturday on an abandoned property eight miles from where Graham was last seen.
Graham’s parents, John and Sue, acknowledged the confirmation of the remains’ identity, announced by the Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office and the Albemarle County Police Department.
“When we started this journey together we all hoped for a happier ending,” the couple said in a statement. “Sadly that was not to be, but due to the tenacity and determination of (Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy) Longo, Hannah is coming home to us and we will be eternally grateful to him for this.”
