36 year old woman's remains identified in Bates County

Human remains found last week in western Missouri's Bates County have been identified as 36-year-old Nicole Mallatt.

The Bates County Sheriff tells News Talk KZRG that, Mallatt lived in Butler with her longtime boyfriend and children and had been missing for nearly a year. Her cell phone and a backpack were found last December near her home, but there was no sign of her whereabouts.

Forensics could take 14-18 weeks to determine a cause of death