Mystery deepens after missing 18-year-old's remains identified
Chris Virdell. From the Help Find Chris Virdell Facebook Page.
CENTRALIA -- Partial human remains found along a rural road on Feb. 28 have been identified as a 18-year-old Spanaway man missing since 2012.
The Lewis County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that the remains found by a person walking their dog in the 2800 block of Little Hanaford Road in Centralia are "strongly believed" to be that of Cristopher D. Virdell.
Virdell was reported missing by family members in Feburary 2012, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said.
According to the Help Find Chris Virdell Facebook page, Virdell -- also known as 'Lil K' -- was last seen Feb. 9, 2012. The family believes Virdell was murdered, the Facebook page states, but investigators are still trying to determine his cause of death.
Once found, the remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification and the DNA matched those supplied by the family, officials said. Further dental testing will be conducted, but officials are almost certain the remains were Verdell's.
Anyone who has information on Virdell's disappearance should call the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.