Remains Found in Pa. Over 50 Years Ago Identified as Missing Girl, 14, Who 'Never Returned Home' from School

Human remains found in Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania, in 1973 have been identified, officials in the state confirmed.

Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Josh Lacey announced in a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 21, shared by WHP-TV, that 14-year-old Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman of York County has been identified as the deceased girl found over 50 years ago.

He noted that her body had been found “decomposed” and “concealed under a plastic tarp” under some brush in a wooded area off of Moonshine Road — approximately 47 miles from where she was from — by two county game wardens on Oct. 10, 1973. The cause of death at the time was ruled “undetermined.”

Lacey noted that investigators tried to identify the girl by creating two busts — one through forensic analysis and another with the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children — of what she “could have looked like.”

However, it wasn’t until her body was exhumed from a Lebanon County cemetery in 2016 for further analysis that a match was finally found.

He said with the assistance of Astraia Labs and the Pennsylvania State Police they were able to positively identify her body this past October, through genealogy gathered after her remains were exhumed.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Lacey said Ruth was last seen “in the beginning of the 1973 school year,” noting that she had “left for school” one day and “never returned home.”

He noted that the Pennsylvania State Police were continuing their investigation into her death, and noted there was “some level of suspicion to her death” given the way she was found. He said the coroner’s office was still determining whether her death was a homicide.

State Trooper Ian Keck also shared at the press conference that identifying Ruth was a key step in the investigation, as it would help them get a better idea about who she “associated with” and her “different activities” leading up to her disappearance.

“Just because we identified her today, that doesn’t end our investigation,” Keck said, per the Associated Press. “Learning about her everyday life and who she associated with is a key part of this investigation.”

Lacey also shared a statement from the girl’s family during the press conference, in which they expressed their “gratitude” for the work the officers have done in helping to identify Ruth and noted that “their work has provided us some closure on questions that have lingered for the past 51 years.”

The Pennsylvania State Police have asked anyone with any information on the case to contact them at 1-800-472-8477, or t [email protected].