Police confirmed Tuesday that bones found earlier this month in Buckeye belonged to missing 10-year-old boy Jesse Wilson.
"It is with great sadness that we are here today to announce that we have identified the remains as those of Jesse Wilson," the Buckeye Police Department wrote in a release. "Like so many of you across our community, we are devastated by this news."
The bones were found March 8 by a Buckeye municipal employee near Highway 85 and Broadway Road, according to police.
A search uncovered more bones in the area, and after forensic analysis, police determined they were from the boy who's been missing since July 2016.
As soon as the bones were found, some speculated that they belonged to Wilson.
Members of the Buckeye community, as well as police and the FBI, rallied to search for Wilson for weeks after his disappearance, but found no sign of the boy.
In a release Tuesday, Buckeye PD said it would continue its homicide investigation to determine what happened to Wilson.
"While this is not the outcome for which any of us had hoped, we want to stress that this is not the end of our investigation," the release said.
"We believe this case will be resolved as Jesse deserves nothing less."
A Buckeye police spokesperson said that Wilson's mother, Crystal, has been communicating with police but she is out of state.
If you have any information about the case, call the Buckeye Police Department's tip line at 623-349-6411 or email bpdtips@buckeyeaz.gov.