The skeletal remains of a missing Valrico woman have been found and identified.
According to a release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the remains of 21-year-old Kelly Marie Vazquez were found by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and confirmed through DNA within the past week. The remains were found on September 25, 2023.
“After years of committed investigation, we bring closure to a chapter of uncertainty that has haunted this community since 2021,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a written statement. “Through collaborative efforts, we have located the remains of Kelly Vasquez, and we hope that in this discovery, we’ve given her family a measure of closure amidst their profound grief.”
Vazquez originally went missing in 2021. She left her home in Valrico on the morning of May 24 without any belongings. She told her family she would be back, but never returned.
The investigation is still active and ongoing. HCSO and PCSO are still working to determine a cause of death.