Missing woman's remains found in Missouri woods nearly 6 months after disappearance: Sheriff

A missing woman's remains were found in a wooded area in Missouri nearly six months after she disappeared, and now authorities are investigating how and when she died.

Emily Strite, 33, had not been seen since April when she vanished from Imperial, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri near De Soto, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Deputies found Strite in a wooded area in De Soto after receiving a report of human skeletal remains found by the property owner, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators with the Regional Medical Examiners compared medical and dental records and determined the remains belonged to Strite, the sheriff's office said. Strite's cause of death is undetermined, and investigators are working to determine how her body ended up where it was found, according to a news release.

Here's what to know about Strite's disappearance.

Emily Strite's mom had not spoken to her since April 12

Charlyn McClain, Strite's mother, told NBC's Dateline she has not spoken to her daughter since April 12. Strite had gone to go stay with a friend in De Soto after she traveled over the Missouri border to Cahokia, Illinois to visit her children at their father's home, according to McClain.

McClain said she became worried when Strite's children's father, Steve Fults, called her about a week later and asked if she had heard from her daughter.

"He has never called me and questioned anything about Emily or to tell me anything about Emily," McClain said, per NBC News. "That's why I panicked when he called me because he had never done that before."

McClain filed a missing persons report with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shortly after Fults' call.

'I’m waiting for answers'

Strite was last seen on the morning of April 12 leaving the De Soto area on foot, believed to be on her own free will, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shared in a Facebook post on April 25.

Christi Bauman, who identified herself as Strite's best friend, told KSDK that it was unusual for Strite not to contact anyone for days.

"It wasn't like her to never contact somebody within usually three to five days, especially her mom," Bauman said, per KSDK. "And when she hadn't contacted her mom, she had a gut feeling. I also knew in my gut something was wrong."

McClain spoke to KDSK after she learned of her daughter's death.

“I had hope, but then again as a mom, I really knew she wasn’t here, she never not called me," McClain said, per the St. Louis-based TV station. “I wanted her found. Now, new questions come up and now I’m waiting for answers.”

'She was bright, funny and larger than life'

Jessica Strite, Emily Strite's sister, lives in Canada but her heart and focus is in Jefferson County.

"I want justice for her," Jessica Strite said, per KDSK.

Jessica Strite also told the TV station more about her sister, who she said is "coming home."

"She was bright, funny and larger than life, She was loud, funny, huge bright smile, big mouth and a volume to match," Jessica Strite said. "We're not going to stop looking for answers, we're not going to stop looking for the truth and pursuing justice for my sister."

This story was updated to add a video.