Authorities announced that human remains found in Washington state have been identified as 21-year-old Aidan Spear, who was reported missing four years ago in 2022.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement on Thursday, April 9, that Spear’s remains were found in a wooded area near Spanaway in January.
Spear was previously reported missing on February 22, 2022, after she didn’t meet up with her mother the month earlier.
“The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is sad to announce that human remains were located in January 2026, in an isolated, wooded area of [Joint Base Lewis-McChord] JBLM near Spanaway, Wash., accessible to the public,” the sheriff’s office’s statement read. “The remains have been identified as our missing person Aidan Spear from a 2022 missing persons case.”
The statement continued, “Our condolences go out to Aidan’s family and friends as we navigate the next steps. This discovery opens up new leads and avenues for the joint investigation with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. If you know anything about Aidan’s disappearance in 2022, we encourage you to reach out and speak with a detective.”
Officials also shared several photos of Spear in the announcement, alongside a description saying she was a “Native American female, 5 ‘6″, 120 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes.”
Spear’s mother, Jessica Brown, spoke to FOX 13 Seattle about her daughter, who she said struggled with substance abuse. She added that she had watched Spear’s mental health decline prior to her disappearance.
“You just watch somebody you love so much, and you know they’re doing something that is so terrible, but there is nothing you can do about it,” Brown said, per the outlet.
Brown also shared that Spear told her in January 2022 that she was ready to get help, but she had to “say goodbye” to someone first.
“That was the last time I’ve ever seen or talked to her,” Brown said.
Officials from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said that the discovery of Spear’s remains were suspicious, according to FOX 13 Seattle. However, they need to further investigate the situation before they are able to rule if the case will be considered a homicide investigation.
A cause of death has not yet been publicly shared.
Those who would like to keep up with the case can receive updates through this Facebook page that was previously dedicated to the search to locate Spear, according to Brown.
