Human Remains Found amid Search for Missing Woman Last Seen More than 2 Years Ago, Weeks After Her Phone Was Discovered

Weeks after a phone belonging to a woman who’s been missing for more than two years was recovered, human remains have also been found.

On Wednesday (January 28), the Tasmania Police confirmed in a news release that what are believed to be human remains were found during an ongoing search for missing Belgian tourist Celine Cremer, who was last seen in the Australian suburb of Waratah on June 17, 2023.

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Per the release, a bushwalker involved in the search for Cremer made the discovery while searching near Philosopher Falls.

“While forensic testing is yet to be completed, a pathologist has reviewed images and confirmed the remains are human,” inspector Andrew Hanson said in the statement.

He continued, saying, “The volunteer contacted police immediately after the discovery, and officers from the Western District, along with specialist forensic personnel, are attending the scene.”

Cremer‘s family was alerted about the latest discovery, which comes weeks after Tasmania Police confirmed that her phone had been recovered by a member of a private search party.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Company, the phone was located roughly 1,000 feet off the trail.

The discovery of the phone was the first advancement in the missing persons case since the search began in 2023. It also spurred the Tasmania Police to “formally join” the ongoing search efforts.

In a December statement, Hanson said that the phone’s recovery supported a theory about Cremer‘s disappearance: “That Celine may have, using an app on her phone, elected to leave the Philosopher Falls track to take more a direct route back to her car as daylight faded.”

Continuing, he said, “We suspect she dropped her phone and continued without it, becoming disoriented in dense terrain.”

Speaking to the ABC, the discovery of the remains was made by Jarrod Boys.

Recalling that he’d been “praying for a miracle,” he said that he looked down and saw what appeared to “a couple of human bones.” Per the outlet, the latest discovery was made about a two hour’s walk away from where Cremer‘s phone had been found.

Per a previous news release, Cremer, then 31, was reported missing on June 26, 2023. The following day, her car was found in the parking lot for the Philosopher Falls Track.

That July, Western District Commander Stuart Wilkinson confirmed that the a cadaver dog had been used in the search as the group “faced extremely poor weather conditions.”

“While every effort was made during this latest search, sadly, Celine remains missing,” Wilkinson said, adding, “When a person remains missing, the case is never closed. We will continue to follow up any new information we receive in relation to Celine’s disappearance so we can provide closure to her family, and our thoughts remain with them and Celine’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

In the latest release, Hanson said, “We understand how distressing this development may be for her loved ones, and while everyone involved hopes it will help to provide answers, formal forensic analysis is required before we can determine whether the remains belong to Celine.”