The Columbia Police Department confirmed Tuesday that human remains recently found at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park belong to missing woman Mengqi Ji.
The department announced the news Tuesday afternoon. Joining Mayor Brian Treece were police Chief Geoff Jones and Assistant Chief Jeremiah Hunter. The remains were found March 25 by a hiker in an isolated area of the park.
Dental records were compared to the remains and were a match, Treece said.
He recognized the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and other public entities that aided the investigation, as well as the public.
"It is the public that ultimately helped bring closure to Ji's family," Treece said. "This identification is the next step in a very thorough and continuing investigation. Because (investigators) never gave up, the victim is named."