Body of missing 20-year-old from Oregon identified
Allyson Watterson was last seen on Dec. 20, 2019 with her boyfriend.
An Oregon family is mourning after a six-month search for an "incredible" 20-year-old woman came to an end.
The last time anyone saw Allyson Watterson was on December 22, 2019 walking with her boyfriend Benjamin Garland in a wooded area near North Plains, about 18 miles northwest of Portland, police said at the time of her disappearance.
Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to a property on June 20 where the owner found a body while clearing brush.
The day before the discovery, Watterson's mother Misty posted an emotional plea on Facebook.
"This is my beautiful, amazing courageous incredible daughter Allysön Watterson. The day she was taken out of my life will forever be the worst darkest day any mother could experience," wrote Misty Watterson. "To whom is responsible for taking my daughter out of my life I want you to know that you took my life my breath my soul my everything has been ripped away from me and my life and those lives around me that love and adore this child will forever be dark until she comes home to us."
A day after Allyson Watterson was reported missing on Dec. 23, Garland told police he got separated from her during their hike, police said.
Garland, 21, was later arrested on several charges unrelated to her disappearance and is serving time in prison, police said.
"There is no evidence pointing directly to him, except that he was the last person seen with Allyson," Brian van Kleef, public information officer with Washington County Sheriff's Office, told ABC News on Saturday.
The Washington County Medical Examiner announced on Friday that the body was identified as Allyson Watterson. No final cause of death has been determined, authorities said.
Van Kleef said the investigation is ongoing as they follow any tips and await the results of Allyson Watterson's autopsy report that may take a few weeks.
"The Sheriff's Office offers our sincerest condolences to the family as they have faced unthinkable circumstances for the past six months since Allyson was first reported missing," the sheriff's office said in a statement.