July 25 (UPI) -- Police in Colorado announced that the remains of a 12-year-old girl who went missing 35 years ago have been found.
Greeley Police Department Sgt. Joe Tymkowych announced that human remains discovered on Tuesday in a Weld County area being renovated for a pipeline were identified as Jonelle Matthews, who had been missing since 1984.
"This case has weighed on the hearts of the Greeley Police Department, the family and the entire city of Greeley," the department said.
Police said the case remains active and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
Tymkowych said Matthews' mother, Gloria Matthews, and stepfather, Jim Matthews, who retired to Costa Rica, were informed that her remains had been identified, The Greeley Tribune reported.
Jim Matthews had long been a suspect in her disappearance, but Tymkowych declined to comment on whether he remains a suspect or not.
Matthews disappeared on Dec. 20, 1984, and was last seen when a friend and her friend's father dropped her off at her home after performing in a Christmas concert.
On Tuesday, oilfield workers digging a pipeline informed law enforcement that they had discovered human remains.
The Weld County Sheriff's Office, coroner's office, Greeley police and Weld District Attorney's Office inspected the scene and identified the remains as Matthews.
