95-year-old Belva Day (left); Belva Day’s car.Photo:Mountain Home Police Department/Facebook
Mountain Home Police Department/Facebook
A 95-year-old woman who went missing at the beginning of February is believed to have been found dead on an Air Force base, authorities said.
Day hailed from Mountain Home, a small town located near the state’s northern border with Missouri, and the base is located approximately 135 miles south. Mountain Home Police Department, which began the investigation, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The Jacksonville Police Department, which is leading the investigation, confirmed they are still awaiting the identification of the body from the local coroner’s office.
While Griffin told KTLO they can’t make an “absolute, positive identification” of the recovered woman’s remains, authorities have no reason to believe it isn’t Day.
“Our heart goes out to the family,” Griffin told the outlet. “They have been notified of the current situation and investigation.”
Day’s car, last seen on Arkansas' Highway 62 East on Feb. 6.Mountain Home Police Department/Facebook
MHPD investigator Sam Seamans previously told CBS affiliateKTHVthat their search efforts included helicopters, drivers and police on foot.
“It’s just like she just disappeared into thin air,” the investigator said at the time.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I mean she could be lost. She could be just still wandering the streets and driving around,” Grubbs told the station. “We don’t know exactly where she’s been since she doesn’t have a debit card and we can track her that way."
While the search was still ongoing, Day’s daughter, Patti Ades, spoke with NBC affiliateKARKto thank the local Arkansas community for their support in searching for her mother.
“I wouldn’t wish this [on] my worst enemy,” she said in part. “This is a horrible thing for a family to go through.”
source: people.com