Police say they have found remains at Rocky Butte, believed to be the body of Yashanee Vaughn. A student at Helensview High School, she went missing March 19. Her mother Shaquita Louis and family members have been searching for her ever since.
While the identity of the body has not been confirmed family believe it is the missing girl.
Mayor Sam Adams was at the scene and comforted her mother with a hug before telling reporters he hoped this would bring a small amount of closure to the family after their tragic loss. 
Parrish Bennette, a 16 year old friend of Vaughn's is in custody charged with murder. Bennette's lawyers say he panicked after accidentally shooting her. Prosecutors paint a grimmer picture, saying forensic evidence suggests she was beaten and that the gun was shot twice. The Oregonian reported that the defense team and the judge met earlier this week privately, and family believe Bennette disclosed the whereabouts of the body.  After the bail hearing Shaquita Louis wrote a public letter to Bennette begging him to disclose the location of her daughter's body. 

At a press briefing 11 am, Lt. Robert King said searchers are confident they will find her body today. Previous searches at the spot near 92nd Avenue and Rocky Butte Rd., did not succeed. Portland Police, Multnomah County District Attorney's Office and state police were among the search team.

King said: because it is an ongoing homicide investigation he could not share details about the search, but he said searchers would continue until they could bring Yashanee's body home to her family.

The team of 20 searchers has two goals:
"Number one is to conduct a thorough, professional and complete homicide investigation that results in holding those responsible, accountable for their crimes," he said. Numebr two we're here to bring Yashanee home to her family so that they have closure."
We all know that this is a terrible tragedy. A young woman has lost her life and our hearts break for Yashanee's family. We know that they are suffering and our ultimate hope is to bring closure to them and to bring Yashanee home to her family."

"We are here today conducting additional searches and we're here for as long as it takes. We are going to take time, the time that we need to conduct the search. It likely will be a slow and ongoing process."
Ultimately, we know you all understand that we want the investigation to be thorough and to be have conducted right and we want the information we gather to result not only in arrest but in a successful prosecution."

Police charged 16-year-old Parrish Bennette, a friend of Vaughn's, with murder. In the bail hearing, his lawyers said that he shot Vaughn in a gun accident. Earlier prosecutors told the bail hearing, that the forensic evidence points to murder. Bennette was denied bail and remains in custody.

After the bail hearing, Shaquita Louis, the missing girl's mother sent Bennette a public letter, begging him to reveal the location of her daughter's body.
The search comes after, Bennette's lawyers met privately with the judge earlier this week, according to the Oregonian.


Vaughn's grandmother, Reynelda Hayes, said Friday morning in a statement:



"The family of Yashanee Vaughn has not heard anything this morning regarding the search efforts for their daughter and have confidence in the investigators and searchers that hopefully later today the whereabouts of Yashanee will no longer be a mystery and we will have the closure we have wanted the past 3 1/2 months.
"We have appreciated all of the ongoing support from all of the media, investigators, and the district attorney's office during these very difficult months of searching for Yashanee."


Watch The Skanner News Video as friends and family transform their grief to express Yashanee's exuberant love of life as they dance to a song written specially for Yashanee.

PHOTOS FROM TOP: Three views of Yashanee Vaughn from the flyer her family issued after she disappeared, courtesy of family; a memorial placed near the police precinct at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and NE Killingsworth Street; Shaquita Louis soon after her daughter disappeared; Friends and Family attended a candlelight vigil for Yashanee (Julie Keefe photo); a tee-shirt tribute to Yashanee, also known as Bonnie B (Julie Keefe photo)