The intense search that has gripped Washoe County for nearly a month came to an end Saturday when Reno Police announced that the body found Friday in southwest Reno is that of missing 19-year-old Brianna Denison.

Reno Deputy Police Chief Jim Johns told members of the media that an autopsy conducted earlier Saturday morning revealed that Denison had been strangled, turning the missing person case into a hommicide investigation.

Around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, an employee of a business at a nearby industrial complex discovered the remains of a woman in a brush-covered field on the south side of Sandhill Drive between Double R Boulevard and Prototype Drive. Investigators combed the area, which is about eight miles from the friend’s house where Denison was abducted on Jan. 20.

Johns said that other evidence was collected at the scene where Denison’s body was found but would not release details. Police estimate that the body had been in the field for more than a week but Johns said it was too early to tell how long Denison has been dead.

Using DNA evidence from the scene of Denison’s abduction, police have linked this crime to two previous sexual assaults in the area. Johns said that police believe the abduction and murder of Denison were sexually motivated and that the suspect is likely a serial rapist and still in the area.

Police describe the suspect as a white male, between 28 and 40 years of age, 5-feet 6-inches to 6-feet tall, with a long face and square chin, brown hair of unknown style. The suspect had soft facial hair in December, about a quarter-inch below his chin. The suspect also had a shaved pubic region, an “innie” belly button with an abdomin described as not excessively large or firm but not flabby. He is said to have normal speech with no accent or regional dialect.

The suspect’s vehicle is described as an extended-cab pickup truck or SUV with an interior dome light above the windshield. The vehicle is tall enough that it requires a step up to gain access but is not an aftermarket step. There is a floor-mounted console described as “fairly skinny” that opens in front. The radio has blue and red LED display. The seats are cloth and on the front seat floor there was a baby shoe and sheets of letter-size white paper with typing on them.

“Somebody in the community knows this suspect,” Johns said, urging the public to contact police if they notice anyone who shows strange behavior, such as a sudden change of appearance or residence, sells a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description or becomes inexplicably nervious or anxious.

“Make no doubt about it, we’re on the hunt now,” Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick said.

Flanked by officers from other local law enforcement agencies, a visibly upset Johns expressed sympathy for Denison’s family.

“Everyone up here is deeply touched,” he said, “but nobody is more touched than the family.”

Reno Police Lt. Bob McDonald arrived at Saturday’s press conference from the Denison house and spoke on their behalf in thanking the community for their help in the search.

“There will never be any closure for this family or for the community over this event,” McDonald said.