The heartbroken mother of a woman whose remains were found after a desperate Outback search has broken her silence.
Jessica Louise Stephens, 35, last spoke to her family on October 17, before disappearing near Nourlangie Rock in the Northern Territory’s Kakadu National Park where she’d gone camping.
Intensive searches for Ms Stephens which had been ongoing since Tuesday concluded on Saturday after her human remains uncovered near Nourlangie Rock about 1pm.
Her mother, Karen Evans, shared a heartbreaking post to Facebook after police notified her of the grim news.
‘Our beautiful Jess has been found. Her soul released to the peace of the Dreamtime and Heaven,’ Ms Evans wrote.
The heartbroken mother of Jessica Stephens, 35, (pictured) has paid tribute to her ‘beautiful’ daughter after her remains were found in Kakadu National Park
Ms Evans shared the tribute to her daughter alongside a video of Saturday’s sunset, writing: ‘Tonight the sunsets on our broken hearts’.
‘The Sunset tonight is a reminder of how brief our lives can be.
‘We will miss our beautiful daughter, sister, mother and granddaughter.’
Speaking to the ABC, Ms Evans thanked the search and rescue team for working through intense weather conditions.
‘I also want to thank all the search crew, the traditional owners of Kakadu and the police for the extensive search and eventual finding of Jess,’ Ms Evans said.
Human remains believing to have been Ms Stephens were found near Nourlangie Rock (pictured) on Saturday after searches for the missing camper started on Tuesday
Ms Stephen’s mother revealed her daughter had recently been discharged from a mental health ward at the Darwin Royal Hospital
A total of 30 rangers, 14 police officers, two helicopters and drones had scoured a 140 square kilometre area hoping to track down Ms Stephens.
Kakadu is one of ‘s largest national parks and covers almost 20,000 square kilometres of land.
Ms Stephens’ mother revealed her daughter had recently been discharged from a mental health ward at the Darwin Royal Hospital.
Police are speaking with the camper’s family and a report will be prepared for the coroner.