Mickey Shunick: Human remains positively identified as missing Louisiana college student, police say

(CBS/AP) LAFAYETTE, La. - Lafayette police say a body found this week is that of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick, a college student missing since May.

Pictures: Body of missing La. college student identified

Dental and medical records were used to help identify remains as those of Shunick, according to Keith Talamo of the Lafayette Parish coroner's office.

It could be two to four weeks before investigators are able to determine a cause of death, he said.

Lafayette Police Department spokesman Paul Mouton said there will be no further comment on the Shunick investigation at this time.

Shunick vanished on May 19, days before her 22nd birthday. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette student was last seen riding away from a friend's house on her bicycle.

Tuesday, investigators acted on a tip that led them to a private, unpaved road in Evangeline Parish. This is where they found her body buried in an overgrown area behind a cemetery, Mouton said.

Shunick's parents released a statement Thursday night thanking the thousands of strangers who have shown support for the family.

"Today, we begin our lives without Mickey," said the statement. "We have not just lost our daughter, and our children have not just lost their sister; but all of us have lost a part of ourselves."

Complete coverage of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick on Crimesider