Six days after 20-year-old Anarae Schunk disappeared, police said Saturday that they have evidence that she is dead.
Police declined to identify the evidence, but said that they are continuing to search for the Burnsville woman's body.
It was confirmation of "the worst," her family said Saturday after holding out hope all week that the University of Minnesota student was hiding in fear of her felon ex-boyfriend, who remains in jail on charges of killing another man.
"It's gut-wrenching," said her brother Tyson Schunk, who was with other family members Saturday. "It's hard to stomach. But we're here together."
Police went to their home late Friday night and when asked how certain they were that Schunk was dead, they said, "we wouldn't be here if it wasn't 100 percent," Tyson Schunk said.
There are many unanswered questions, but the family said they're trying to focus on the positive mark Schunk left as a mentor, U sociology student and graduate of Burnsville High School, where she excelled at math and chess and played tenor sax in the marching band. She had recently returned from a trip to Germany where she was studying the education system.
"She really was driven to improve the process … and make a difference in the world, especially with young people," her brother said.
The family used a Facebook page, which had been dedicated to finding Schunk, to thank the community Saturday for all the support. The page will remain up so family and friends can share their tributes. They're also collecting donations at an Anarae Schunk Fund set up at all U.S. Bank locations.
