FAIRFAX, VA — (CNN) The body of a Fairfax County firefighter has been discovered at a national park nearly a week after she failed to show up at work, authorities say.
A search team of National Park Service and Virginia State Police officers discovered the remains in a remote location more than a mile from the Whiteoak Canyon parking area and about 330 yards from the trail in treacherous rocky terrain, the two agencies said.
Nicole Mittendorff’s 2009 Mini Cooper was found Saturday night, a day after she was reported missing.
In addition to the remains, police said they found a suicide note in her vehicle, according to the affiliate. It said authorities have ruled out foul play in her death.
A posting on the family’s Find Nicole Facebook page said, “Our hearts are broken. We thank you for your support and ask that you keep our family in your prayers in the challenging days ahead.”
Relatives and colleagues of Mittendorff had appealed to the public for help in finding her.
“As you can imagine, the pain of not knowing where a loved one is can be unbearable,” Mittendorff’s husband, Steve, said in tears during a news conference Tuesday at a Fairfax County firehouse.
Mittendorff, 31, was last heard from in text messages last Wednesday, family and friends have said on social media.
She was reported missing Friday after failing to show up at work, her father, Robert Clardy, said in a Facebook post.
State, federal, and volunteer search and rescue teams had combed the national park.
At the news conference Tuesday, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Bowers called for the public’s help in locating Mittendorff — a “motivated and dedicated” firefighter and paramedic for three years who was “respected and well-liked” by her colleagues.
The 31-year-old was last heard from via text messages April 13, family and friends have said.
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