Update: Remains confirmed to be missing woman

The Pine County Sheriff’s Office says remains found Saturday, Nov. 27, have been confirmed to be those of Ashley Lynn Carlson, who had been missing for two months.

The positive identification was made by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Anoka County. The cause of death has not been released.

The remains were found Saturday morning by the Christian Aid Ministries volunteer search and rescue group. Carlson’s body was located near the Lake Lena community on the Mille Lacs Band’s Reservation, about 25 miles east of Hinckley.

Carlson, 33-year-old mother of four, had last been seen in the area on Sept. 23 and her vehicle was found in nearby Graces Lake. Previous law enforcement news releases have referred to her as Ashley Miller Carlson.

The discovery of the body was first announced by a private investigation firm, Applied Professional Services, on Saturday. The scene was processed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s Mobile Crime Scene Team.

"This is a sad day our family hoped would not come, and there are still many questions that need answers, but the important thing is we now have Ashley," said Krista Struck, Ashley’s mother, in a Saturday news release.

"Our family received incredible support from the community these past many weeks, and we thank them, the Christian Aid Ministries volunteer search and rescue team, the many involved law enforcement agencies and Applied Professional Services for helping locate Ashley."

There had been multiple community led search efforts to locate Carlson since the time of her disappearance. Applied Professional Services said it received more than 70 calls to its tip line, many of which were valuable in helping locate Carlson.

The Pine County Sheriff’s Office is the lead public agency in the investigation.