Julia Christine Devlin.Photo: Shenandoah National Park Service
Park officialsannounced in a press releaseon Saturday that they had found a female body at 10 a.m. in an “extremely steep and rough terrain in the southernmost part of the park.”
Based on a preliminary identification of the remains, authorities said they believe the body belongs to 55-year-old Julia Christine Devlin, who was last seen close to two weeks ago on July 14.
The body is now being transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Augusta County for “positive ID and determination of [the] cause of death,” according to park officials.
A spokesperson for the park tells PEOPLE that the remains were found about 600 meters from Devlin’s car, and that after the vehicle was wrecked, she crossed Skyline Drive and headed to the other side of a cliff face.
Shenandoah National Park Service
AsPEOPLE previously reported, Devlin was last spotted on security footage when her white Lexus sedan entered Shenandoah National Park in Charlottesville on July 14.
Park officials saidher her vehicle was found wrecked and abandoned in the southern part of the park three days later, prompting an investigation.
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Brian Coy, a spokesperson for UVA, also issued a statement toNBC affiliate WVIR, saying the university was hoping for her safe return and urging anyone with information to contact authorities.
Since the discovery, Coy has not publicly commented on the matter. He did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
At this time, it is unclear what caused Devlin’s disappearance, or if foul play was a factor. An investigation into her death is ongoing.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Medical Examiner in Augusta County did not return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
