SHOSHONE COUNTY, Idaho — Human remains found earlier this month along the St. Joe River have been identified as Chantel Williams, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
The remains were discovered July 5 by a kayaker, who initially believed the bones belonged to an animal. After taking a closer look, the kayaker realized they appeared to be human and called authorities at about 12:26 p.m., according to Shoshone County Sheriff Shawn Wehr.
Deputies and the county medical examiner responded to the scene and recovered the remains, which were sent to the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification.
Williams was reported missing Dec. 13 in Washington.
Investigators previously said they believed she may have been in Shoshone County, where she was last seen walking with a blanket near Marble Creek on St. Joe River Road.
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