A body found in a remote area of Kings County, P.E.I., is believed to be the remains of 27-year-old Summer Kneebone, according to Charlottetown police.

In a news release Friday, police said detectives found the body at 11:40 a.m. The Kings County location was not disclosed.

“I have a hard time calling this a victory,” said lead investigator Detective Sgt. Darren MacDougall told Breaking:. “The family’s sadness, when you see it firsthand, is really hard.”

The remains were found outdoors on a rural property and police have declared the area a crime scene.

Detective Sergeant. Darren MacDougall says there are still many questions that need answering related to Summer Kneebone’s death. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC)

The Prince Edward Island Native Council issued a statement about the development on Friday afternoon, saying: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the recovery of remains believed to be Summer Dawn Kneebone.”

The organization, which said Kneebone had accessed its services in the past, had previously launched a ground search for signs of her with the help of friends, family and volunteers.

“We will continue to support the family and remain an active supportive presence,” the statement continued. “In times of pain, a community chooses to come together and unite as one. The Native Council community will stand united for Summer and her family.”

MacDougall said the police investigation has yet to find answers to many questions about Kneebone’s death.

A search volunteer looks at a map of the Montague area. — The PEI Native Council helped coordinate the search for Summer Kneebone in early September, saying she had accessed some of the council’s services in the past. (Stacey Janzer/CBC)

“This is not over. We’re still rebuilding a lot of this,” he said. “As we rebuild this, we will continue to notify the public through the media and other sources… There is still a lot of work to be done here.”

Two previously arrested

Earlier this week, police arrested and charged two PEI residents in connection with Kneebone’s disappearance.

Donald Roy Holmes, 44, and Samantha Jemima Parlee-Buell, 32, face charges under Section 182(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada of interfering with a corpse or human remains.

MacDougall said police had issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.

Both are from Pembroke, just north of Murray Harbor in southeastern PEI, but were arrested in New Glasgow, NS.

This is an image released by Charlottetown Police from surveillance video showing Summer Kneebone walking down University Avenue with a companion the night she was last seen. (Submitted by Charlottetown Police)

Kneebone had been missing since August 7. Police, family, friends and volunteers had been searching for her since she was reported missing a week later.

Kneebone’s phone and bank cards had not been used since the night he disappeared.

Last Saturday, PEI’s Missing Persons Act came into effect allowing police to access a missing person’s phone and internet records, information they could previously only obtain during a criminal investigation.