Police confirmed Thursday that the body found in Garden Ridge, Texas, was that of Leanne Bearden, who was missing since early January.
The 33-years-old Colorado native was last seen Jan.17 this year after she told her family that she was going for a walk. Police said a man found the body around 12: 15 p.m. in the woods behind his home on the 21,600 block of Fairview Circle and informed the officials, reports FOX 29.
Officials said they identified Bearden's body by a backpack, jewelry items and an identification document, reports The Inquistr. Police refused to comment on Bearden's death and autopsy results are yet come. However, they have not ruled out foul play.
A 77-years-old neighbor, Jay Hamm, told The San Antonio Express News that Bearden's family searched the Fairview Circle on Jan. 18.
"Leanne was a lovely and remarkable young woman," her family posted on Facebook. "We will all miss her greatly."
Bearden and her husband Josh were on a two-year trip around the world before returning to the U.S. to visit Josh's family. They also detailed their adventures on a blog. The couple visited a number of places from Israel, to Bolivia, Mount Kilimanjaro to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City. They were also planning to settle down in Denver.
Bearden's family had a hired a private investigator to look into her disappearance and had even offered $10,000 as award for any information about her.
According to Bearden's family, it was not easy for her to return to her native country after the world trip. "The pressure of transitioning from her two-year trip back into what we consider 'normal' life seems to have left her very anxious and stressed," the family told CNN.
