Police: Remains of California teen Amber DuBois found

The remains of Amber DuBois, a 14-year-old San Diego, California-area girl who was missing for more than a year, have been found, police said Sunday.

Human skeletal remains found early Saturday in Pala -- a rural, rugged area in northern San Diego County, California -- have been positively identified as those of DuBois, Police Chief Jim Maher of Escondido, California, said at a news conference.

DuBois was last seen walking alone to school on February 13, 2009. Her family lives in Escondido, a suburb of San Diego.

Maher did not take questions at the brief news conference, saying the investigation of DuBois' death is ongoing. "Any detail, no matter how slight, would be inappropriate at this time," he said.

The investigation is being handled by Escondido police, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, and the FBI.

Amber DuBois' parents, who police said were notified of their daughter's found remains Saturday, attended the press conference. "We'd like to thank everybody involved in the search for Amber... and above all, our huge volunteer corps," her father, Moe DuBois, said. "They are the most dedicated people you can ever imagine."

"Without them we cannot have done anything," he said.

Authorities said last week they were investigating John Albert Gardner III, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday to raping and murdering Chelsea King -- another San Diego-area teen -- to determine whether he was connected to Amber DuBois' disappearance.

"We have been working closely with San Diego Sheriff's Office, and our investigators are working with theirs in case there is a connection," Lt. Robert Benton with the Escondido Police Department said last week. "We are involved in the daily briefings on the King investigation."

Amber DuBois' father attended Gardner's arraignment on Wednesday.

Maher did not mention any suspects during his brief news conference Sunday.