Remains found are those of woman who called 911 to say someone was chasing her in the woods

CARTHAGE, Texas (KLTV/Gray News) – Skeletal remains found by a work crew in Texas are those of a mother who went missing nearly four years ago, officials said.

On Tuesday, Panola County Sheriff Cutter Clinton said the remains were positively identified as Lauren Thompson, who went missing in January 2019.

Skeletal remains were found in a wooded area by a work crew in July, and forensic anthropologists have been working for months to identify them.

Clinton said the remains were ultimately identified through dental records.

The investigation will now shift from a missing person case to a death investigation, Clinton said.

Thompson, a mother of three, made a call to 911 on Jan. 10, 2019, saying she was in the woods and thought someone was chasing her. Authorities say that was the last time she was heard from.

Investigators were able to use cell phone tower pings to determine where the call came from and search the area. Her vehicle was found stuck in a nearby ditch, but there was no sign of Thompson, who was 32 years old at the time.

Panola County is located in eastern Texas along the Louisiana border.

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