The remains of a Kentucky teenager have been found nearly 10 years after she disappeared, officials announced Wednesday.
Police in Covington, Kentucky, say human remains were found in a wooded area near Williamsburg Township on Sunday, and the Hamilton Coroner's Office later identified them as Paige Johnson.
A cause of death has not yet been determined, officials said.
The 17-year-old was reported missing after going to a party in Covington on Sept. 23, 2010. The last person to see her was Jacob Bumpass. He has not been named as a suspect.
Johnson's parents were immediately notified after the remains were identified, police said.
Donna Johnson, Paige's mom, told WLWT that she's been waiting for this day.
“I’ve been wanting to bring my baby home for so long. This is a day I was worried I would go to my grave without ever getting this day," she said.
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Paige Johnson had a young daughter, and her family says she has grown up missing her mom.
No one has been arrested in connection to her disappearance, but police say the latest development could bring new hope to the case.
"We want to be hopeful that this will lead to more information," Covington police chief Robert Nader told WLWT. "We still have work to do."
