Woman missing for nearly 6 months found dead in Ohio

Human remains found in West Price Hill, Ohio, were identified as a woman who had been missing for nearly six months, officials said.

Mercedes Southard's remains were found in a wooded area off Minion Avenue on July 30, CBS affiliate WKRC reported. Investigators confirmed her identity from dental records. 

A cause of death for the 31-year-old woman was not immediately released, WKRC reported. The Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit is investigating the woman's death. 

Cincinnati police said in a social media post from April that the 31-year-old woman was last seen Feb. 3 around 3 p.m. Police said she walked away from her home in the West Price Hill area and did not return. No other information surrounding her disappearance was released at the time. 

Southard's family told WKRC she had four kids and was "the best mom."

"We can't sleep at night and we're just thinking like, was she trafficked? Was she kidnapped? Did something happen to where she was just left?" Mindy Shelton, a family friend, told the news outlet in June. 

Southard's family had been offering a $2,000 reward for information about her whereabouts. Anyone with information on Southard's case can call Cincinnati police at 513-263-8300.