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Sometimes our worst fears do come true. In a heart-breaking piece of news, authorities have confirmed that human remains have been uncovered, and they are suspected to be that of UFC fighter Walt Harris' missing stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard. For weeks now, amid hopes and prayers from the MMA community, the police authorities have been searching for the 19-year-old girl and it finally ended on a horribly tragic note.
In a statement released to CBS 42 in Alabama, Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes confirmed that the human remains that have been discovered are indeed that of Aniah who was reported missing over a month ago. (h/t MMA Fighting)
“I can confirm that human remains have been found and we have good reason to suspect they are that of Aniah Blanchard.”
Her remains were found near Macon County Road 2 near Shorter, Alabama and Aniah's family have been informed about the same. The details of the search and discovery were released by the Auburn Police.
“During the course of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Aniah Blanchard, investigators obtained information regarding the possible location of a body. On November 25, 2019, at approximately 10:45 a.m., Auburn Police, along with members of the Task Force, Lee County DA’s Office, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, ALEA and Montgomery County Sheriff Office, responded to a wooded area in the 38,000 block of County Road 2 in Shorter, Alabama."
“After a brief search by Investigators they located what appeared to be human remains several feet into the woodline. A complete investigation is underway by ALEA and Auburn Police to determine the identity and how the victim came to be at that location. The examination will explore if the remains are those of Aniah Blanchard who went missing on October 24, 2019.”
A student of Southern Union Community College, Aniah went missing since 23rd October after speaking to a friend over the phone. She was later identified via surveillance footage at a local convenience store in Auburn, Ala. Aniah's stepfather Harris pleaded for help in the search for his missing daughter. UFC President Dana White and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones came out in support and contributed to a $105,000 reward offered for any information that would lead the Police to find Aniah.
We at Sportskeeda are deeply saddened by the news and extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to Walt Harris and his family in this time of grief.
