Kelly Dwyer's body found in Jefferson County
A gruesome discovery on a dead end street in the small town of Concord in Jefferson County turned out to be the worst fear realized by the family of Kelly Dwyer.
Thursday, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office confirmed the remains found last Friday night are that of the missing 27-year-old woman.
\"The remains were located approximately 20 feet off the road along a tree line,\" said Deputy Chief Jeffrey Parker with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.
No clothes were found on or near the body.
Exactly how long Dwyer was outside is unclear, but Jefferson County medical examiner Nichol Wayd admits the elements made analyzing her body difficult.
\"In general, we look for the tissue remaining as well as the way the bones look,\" she said.
In the end, dental records given by the family helped make a positive identification. But one question remains: how did Dwyer die?
\"In order to get a better idea if there were any injuries, we would go ahead and send her to a forensic anthropologist to do some analysis so we can see if there are any injuries we can find,\" said Wayd. \"That's the next step.\"
Parker said one of the best forensic anthropologist labs is located in Texas. In fact, he said Milwaukee has worked with this location before, so it's possible that's where they will send Kelly's remains.
He added it's unknown how long it would take to get answers on a cause of death.
The Milwaukee police department is the lead investigative agency in this case. Jefferson County law enforcement will work with them to help get justice for the Dwyer family.
But, Jefferson County district attorney Susan Happ said it's too early to classify the investigation as a homicide.
\"The reality is she's a young woman who went missing and now has been found deceased,\" said Happ. \"I guess I can say that's something that's suspicious in nature.\"
Dwyer had been missing since October 2013.
As difficult as this day has been, all parties involved hope her family can now begin to find closure.
\"I have a 27 year old daughter,\" continued Parker. \"I can't imagine ever having to be faced with that reality that I'm never going to see her again. So my heart goes out to the family.\"