Mom of 3 Went Missing 2 Weeks Ago. A Man Was Just Arrested After Police Found Her Body

Amber Marie Schimmelpfenning, 36, a mother of three, has been found dead, and authorities have charged a man previously linked to another disappearance.

According to a Guilford County Sheriff’s Office press release, Amber was last seen on September 9. Five days later, deputies obtained warrants charging Ricky Lam, 40, with first-degree murder, felony concealment/failure to report a death, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Lam was already in custody in Davidson County on unrelated charges, including possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to jail records reviewed by PEOPLE.

On Friday, the sheriff’s office confirmed via Facebook that detectives had located human remains believed to be Amber’s. The remains, along with her champagne-colored Chevrolet Avalanche, were sent to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for further examination.

Amber’s father, Darwin Schimmelpfenning, described her as a devoted mother to three boys, ages 8, 11, and 14. He told FOX8 that she was “a very strong-willed, independent lady. She’s not afraid of anything. She usually doesn’t get herself into positions where she can’t get out. She’s usually a fairly good judge of character.”

Darwin shared the mixed emotions following the discovery of his daughter’s body. “It was a relief to know that they found her,” he told ABC45. “I can say that it’s not over yet. Because there’s an ongoing investigation and there’s somebody else involved.”

Lam had previously been named a person of interest in the 2024 disappearance of his then-girlfriend Nancy Bunly, 31, who was last seen that September, possibly driving a black Honda Pilot, according to WFMY, ABC45 and the Salisbury Post.

Three of Lam’s relatives were later arrested on obstruction charges in that case, though Lam himself was not charged in connection with Bunly’s disappearance.