Body Found on Rural Nebraska Farm Identified as Mom of 3, Who Was Missing for Over 18 Months

Remains discovered on a rural farm in Nebraska have been identified as Jerica Hamre, a mother of three who had been missing for more than 18 months.

The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) said in a news release and a press conference on Monday, Dec. 22, that Hamre’s body was found on Wednesday, Dec. 17, on a farm in rural Furnas County.

After months of extensive but unsuccessful search efforts involving multiple agencies, community groups, and Hamre’s loved ones, a man working in a field alerted authorities on Dec. 17 after coming across human remains in an “old farm shed,” LPD Capt. Ben Miller said during a press conference streamed by 10/11 News. Two days later, investigators confirmed the remains were Hamre’s.

“The effort of searching over a thousand square miles of timber, lakes, rivers and farmland was daunting and never ended as the commitment to find her was unwavering,” Miller said.

Hamre was 30 when her parents reported her missing in Lincoln on July 3, 2024. Police said she was last heard from on June 25, 2024.

Miller said the remains appeared to have been at the location “for a long period of time.” As of Dec. 22, authorities had not yet received final autopsy results, and Hamre’s cause of death had not been determined.

Police said they are investigating Hamre’s death as a homicide. A person of interest was in custody as of Dec. 22, though authorities noted the individual was being held on unrelated charges. Investigators also said they do not believe the person has any connection to the farmland where the remains were found, and that there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Hamre was a certified nursing assistant and the mother of three daughters, according to social media posts. Her parents have been raising her daughters since her disappearance, according to CBS affiliate KOLN.

“It’s not the outcome any of us wanted — our hearts are broken for her family and loved ones,” the LPD said in its announcement. “Our condolences go out to them as they learned this news just days before the holidays.”