After more than four years of unanswered questions, the search in the mysterious disappearance of Shannon Orton has ended in heartbreak as Indiana authorities discovered her remains.
Forensic testing identified the remains as Orton's on Wednesday, police announced.
The 37-year-old disappeared from Cressmoor Mobile Home Park in Hobart, Indiana, in the summer of 2020. Portage, Indiana, where her remains were found, is roughly 40 miles outside Chicago and about seven miles from where she was last seen.
Authorities have not disclosed details about how or where her remains were found.
Orton was officially reported missing on Sept. 30, 2020, after family members had not heard from her since July 5 of that year. Family members initially believed Orton may have relapsed into addiction, which delayed their decision to report her missing.
Surveillance footage showed Orton at a CVS pharmacy in Portage on July 12, 2020. She was seen wearing orange pants and a light-colored tank top and entered the store with an unidentified woman in a dark skirt, per Region News Source. It's unclear if investigators ever determined the identity of that individual.
"Unfortunately, the update on our niece is not what we had hoped for," Orton's uncle, Tony Blejski, wrote in a Facebook post. "The pain this brings to all of us is just horrible as you can imagine. We will miss you, Pooh Bear, but you'll always be in our hearts. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers."
Over the years, police followed numerous leads, but none led to breakthroughs until now.
Hobart Police previously urged those with knowledge of Orton's disappearance to come forward. "Someone in her social circle knows her whereabouts," authorities stated early on. "The question is: Do you have enough courage to do the right thing?
The investigation remains open. Multiple suspects are being considered.
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