Body Found on Rural Nebraska Farm Identified as Mom of 3, Missing for 18 Months

Remains found on a rural farm in Nebraska have been identified as belonging to a missing mother of three, over 18 months since her loved ones last heard from her.

The body of Jerica Hamre was discovered on a farm in rural Furnas County on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Lincoln Police Department (LPD) announced in a news release and an accompanying press conference days later, on Monday, Dec. 22.

In the wake of months of unsuccessful search efforts for Hamre, who was 30 years old when she was reported missing by her parents, the woman’s body was found by a man working in a field, police said.

The man called authorities on Dec. 17 to report that he discovered human remains in an “old farm shed,” LPD Capt. Ben Miller said in a press conference streamed by 10/11 News. Two days later, the remains were confirmed to be those of Hamre.

The discovery followed search efforts led by several different agencies and community groups, as well as Hamre’s loved ones, said Miller.

“The effort of searching over a thousand square miles of timber, lakes, rivers and farmland was daunting and never ended as the commitment to find her was unwavering,” he said during the presser.

Hamre’s parents reported her missing in Lincoln on July 3, 2024. She was last heard from on June 25, 2024, according to police. (That was the same date the woman shared a final post on Facebook.)

Miller said Hamre’s remains had been at the location where they were found “for a long period of time.” Her cause of death is not yet clear, as police had not yet received final autopsy results as of Dec. 22.

Police are investigating Hamre’s death as a homicide, and a person of interest was in custody as of Dec. 22, police said.

They added that “there is no ongoing threat to the community” and the individual detained was “already in custody on unrelated charges.”

Miller also said investigators do not think the individual has “any connection” with the farmland on which the Nebraska mom’s remains were found.

The Lincoln Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Dec. 28.

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Hamre was a certified nursing assistant and mom to three daughters, according to social media posts viewed by PEOPLE. Hamre’s parents have been raising her daughters since her disappearance, according to CBS affiliate KOLN.

“It’s not the outcome any of us wanted — our hearts are broken for her family and loved ones,” the LPD wrote while announcing that Hamre’s body had been discovered. “Our condolences go out to them as they learned this news just days before the holidays.”