Remains believed those of missing woman found in Pope Co

HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) - Remains believed to be those of a missing Harrisburg woman have been discovered in southern Illinois not far from where she was last seen, authorities said.

Kimberly Stewart-Whittington, then 51, was reported missing in September 2019 and searches by authorities and volunteers failed to find her.

A deer hunter and his sons discovered remains in woods near the Saline-Pope county line, Pope County Sheriff Jerry Suits said.

No foul play is suspected at this time, Suits said. The cause of death is under investigation, WSIL-TV reported Thursday.

There's no DNA confirmation yet but all other evidence points to the remains being those of Stewart-Whittington, said her daughter, Sabrina Stewart. That evidence includes dental records, other health-related identifications and articles found at the scene.

'œIt's been a difficult 14 months, but being able to lay her to rest and knowing, just knowing that we found her and located her,'ť Stewart said.