Her cause and manner of death have not been determined.
Detectives are waiting for additional reports regarding the remains before filling charges related to Slusser’s death, Kettering police said Friday.
“While this is a crucial component to the case and marks an important step toward closure for the victim’s family, the investigation is still ongoing,” a statement from the department read.
A missing person report was filed for Slusser on June 2 and during the investigation police identified her ex-boyfriend, Shane Smith, as a suspect.
Smith was also being investigated in a domestic violence case, according to police.
On June 17, multiple law enforcement teams, including Kettering police and Kettering and Dayton SWAT crews, responded to Smith’s Mini Court home to serve search and arrest warrants.
The SWAT standoff lasted for more than eight hours before crews found Smith and took him into custody. He was hiding in a closet with safes.
Kettering police Chief Christopher Protsman said there were hoarding conditions in the house, which made it harder for crews to find Smith.
While searching the house the next day, crews found human remains in the back yard, according to police. The remains were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for identification and confirmed to be Slusser about four months later.
“The Kettering Police Department recognizes the profound effect this case has had on our community and is committed to pursuing justice on behalf of the victim and her loved ones,” a police statement read.
Smith is facing two counts of having weapons while under disability and one count of aggravated possession of drugs in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
The charges are tied to a gun, fentanyl and methamphetamine investigators found in the house, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
On Friday, a grand jury indicted Smith on two counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor.
The charges came about during course of the investigation into Slusser’s disappearance, according to Kettering police.
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