Human Remains Found at Rock Bridge Park Identified

Human remains found March 25th at Rock Bridge State Park are now identified.

In a press conference this afternoon (Tuesday), Columbia Mayor Bryan Treece confirmed that the remains were those of missing Columbia woman Mengqi Ji Elledge.

Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones said the remains were identified by dental records by a forensic odontologist and that further investigation would be conducted by an anthropologist through the Boone County Medical Examiner’s office.

Chief Jones also commended the hiker that discovered the remains for alerting authorities.

No cause of death has been determined and according to authorities could take some time to determine.

The identification was made late Friday afternoon and wasn’t released publicly until Elledge’s parents overseas could be notified by investigators this morning (Tuesday).