The Collin County Medical Examiner confirmed a body found in a small Texas town last week was that of missing Pascagoula woman Jessie Bardwell.

Bardwell, 27, was reported missing on Mother's Day by her father.

Richardson, Texas, police arrested her boyfriend, Jason Lowe, on a murder charge May 16, three days before authorities found the body in a field in rural Farmersville and 10 days before officials confirmed it was Bardwell.

Family members had held out hope the body wasn't Bardwell.

Sgt. Kevin Perlich said investigators said they relied on tips and "investigative work" to find the body.

Farmersville is about 35 miles northeast of Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, where Bardwell lived with Lowe.

Detectives believe Lowe took Bardwell's in his black 2010 Audi Q5 to the Farmersville field.

Damage to the SUV's front end and the appearance of mud on it led police to believe he might have been stuck in a remote location, requiring assistance.

Police found blood in the Audi's trunk.