Remains Of Missing Hillsborough Woman Identified 2 Years Later: Police

FLORIDA — Remains found by Polk County authorities have been positively identified as a missing woman, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.

Hillsborough authorities say the remains were identified as Kelly Vazquez, who was reported missing on May 21, 2021. Authorities did not specifically say where the remains were located.

The remains were not found until more than two years later on Sept. 25, 2023, and in the past week, they were identified as belonging to Vazquez, authorities said.

Vazquez's family has been notified, authorities said.

"After years of committed investigation, we bring closure to a chapter of uncertainty that has haunted this community since 2021," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news release. "Through collaborative efforts, we have located the remains of Kelly Vasquez, and we hope that in this discovery, we've given her family a measure of closure amidst their profound grief."

Vazquez was a 21-year-old Valrico woman, ABC Action News reported. She disappeared from her home without her belongings, but never returned after stating she would be back, the outlet reported.

Sunshine State Sonar, a sonar search and recovery team, participated in ground and water searches for Vazquez in 2022 and 2023, the group said in a Facebook post Saturday.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to her mom, dad, grandmother, friends and family. Taken too soon. Kelly will not be forgotten and justice will be served," the group wrote.

Hillsborough and Polk authorities are working to determine a cause of death, they said.