Remains discovered in Art Van Atta Park on Monday morning have been identified as that of Aria Marie Spradling, the Eaton woman reported missing since late September.
The Eaton police chief confirmed the identification Tuesday night, News Center 7's Yuna Lee reports.
The confirmation comes hours after the Montgomery County coroner said he was still working to positively identify the body of a female found in the park.
"Due to the condition of the body, we are 'pending' the death certificate at this time," Ken Betz, director of the coroner's office, said Tuesday afternoon. "Additional testing, toxicology and investigation be necessary to determine the cause of death."
"The remains recovered from Van Atta Park are those of a female, race and age will be confirmed when positive identification is made," he said.
Vandalia police Lt. Dan Swafford said workers from Montgomery county were working in a sewer line when they came across the body.
"They located what looks like a badly decomposed body," Swafford said. "We can't tell (the gender), but there's female clothing, colors that a female would wear. We'll know more after the autopsy."
Swafford said officers were talking to neighbors who live near the park and that the investigation is in preliminary stages.
"If somebody might have seen something suspicious in this area, if they want to call the Vandalia Police Dept. at (937) 898-5868, we'd appreciate it," Swafford said.
Spradling, 20, was last seen Sept. 28. At 5 feet 6 inches tall, 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, she was last seen near the 5000 block of North Dixie Drive in Harrison Twp. where she worked as an exotic dancer.
Spradling's family declined an interview on Tuesday but have posted on Facebook that the dead woman is their daughter. Dozens of others have posted their condolences on the social media web site.
Eaton police and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office have been looking for Spradling after hair and clothing samples were found on Germantown Street, the scene of an apparent attack.
Spradling's body is adorned with several tattoos including a large flower and skull pattern on her upper right arm, the name "Maleigha" on her left forearm, the name "Timothy" on her upper right thigh, the word "Family" on one calf and "Life/Death" on the other, police said.
Anyone with information about Spradling or what may have happened to her is asked to contact Eaton police at (937) 456-5531 or the police department's anonymous tip line at (888) 456-2980. Confidential Web submissions can be made at www.eatonpolice.org/anonymous-tips.