JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — A Jefferson County family held on to hope and now, they want answers about their loved one Emily Strite.
Emily Strite was reported missing from the De Soto area on April 12. Strite was last seen on foot and was believed to have left the area where she was last seen of her own free will.
That's when the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office got involved after Emily's mom, Charlyn McClain, called. Her mother hadn't heard from Strite in a couple weeks, which she found unusual.
Capt. Matt Moore with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said, "I think moms know best."
As time passed, the family's concerns only grew and so did a Facebook group with more than 8,000 people pushing to find her. It was called HELP FIND EMILY STRITE!
Christi Bauman, Emily's best friend, echoed the same sentiments as her family: this was not like her.
"It wasn't like her to never contact somebody within usually three to five days, especially her mom. And when she hadn't contacted her mom, she had a gut feeling, I also knew in my gut something was wrong," Bauman said.
After five months of waiting, Strite's family heard horrific news this week.
On Sept. 28, deputies responded to a wooded area near the 4100 block of Frissell Road in De Soto for a report of human skeletal remains found by the property owner.
"We got a call from the property owner, who has a rather large property, and he checked his fences and stumbled upon skeletal remains," Moore said.
Through comparison to medical and dental records, the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the remains matched Emily Strite.
At the time, Emily was living with an acquaintance in De Soto. Her skeletal remains were found about two miles away.
Moore said this new discovery is a new area to dig into and a place to discover details about her death.
"We're always looking for tips on this. If you happened to see Emily walking in the area or gave her a ride, feel free to give us a call," Moore shared.
Strite was 33-years-old and a mom of four kids, ages 17, 11, 9, and 4.
Her mother spoke to 5 On Your Side the day after the news broke to her family.
“I had hope, but then again as a mom I really knew she wasn’t here, she never not called me," McClain told 5 On Your Side. “I wanted her found. Now, new questions come up and now I’m waiting for answers.”
McClain believes there is foul play.
Christi Bauman and her sister Amanda also have a lot of questions.
"We want to know how she got there, how long she's been there, just because it's a little suspicious that she's just now found in an area that was residential," Amanda Bauman said.
The last time McClain saw her daughter was April 12 in the morning around 10:45. She said Emily was going to see the kids and was excited.
She described Emily as vivacious, very caring, giving, a beautiful soul and a wonderful mom and daughter.
McClain said, “I’m so proud, so blessed.”
Emily's sister, Jessica Strite, also spoke to 5 On Your Side. The sisters are about two years a part.
"I want justice for her," Jessica shared.
While miles apart, her heart is at home.
Jessica lives in Canada, but her focus has been finding her sister in Jefferson County.
"She was bright, funny and larger than life. She was loud, funny, huge bright smile, big mouth and a volume to match," Jessica shared.
Jessica isn't home, but she's comforted knowing her sister is.
"At least she gets to come home, she’s coming home," Jessica told 5 On Your Side. "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."
The Baumans said no matter what, Emily was always there for the people in her life.
"I've always loved her, even when I didn't agree with her life choices. I mean, you can't just not love Emily," Christi said.
Police said at this time, her cause of death is undetermined and investigators are working to learn how her body ended up where it was found.
"It’s unusual in the sense she was located in the woods, but it’s not the first time we’ve experienced that in Jefferson County, there are more rural areas especially in the De Soto area," Moore said, "Without a crime, I can’t say there is a suspect."
While there are remains, the medical examiner's office told 5 On Your Side without a full body, it makes it more difficult to determine several factors.
A normal case turnaround is eight to 12 weeks and the details surrounding this may be released at the same time or later.
If you have any information about this case, call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 636-797-5515.