STUART, Va. — The case of a Stuart woman who was missing more than three months has ended tragically with the apparent discovery of her body Sunday, according to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.

Remains believed to be those of Latisha “Tish” Faust were located at the bottom of a cliff about 350 yards from where her 1994 Honda Accord had been found in early January. They have been taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for positive identification, the sheriff added Monday.

There has been no official word on a cause of death.

Faust, 50, who resided on Iron Bridge Road in the Fairystone section of Patrick, disappeared in early December and county authorities launched a missing-person investigation.

The probe shifted to an area near the Blue Ridge Parkway in neighboring Franklin County after Faust’s vehicle was found, and the remains were located Sunday in the Walnut Knob section of Franklin near the Floyd County line.

Smith said the Franklin Sheriff’s Office is investigating Faust’s death.

“This has been a trying time for everyone involved, especially Tish’s mother — our thoughts and prayers are with her,” the sheriff said.

Faust is one of two Stuart-area women reported missing recently.

The whereabouts of Delene Curry, 49, were unknown for more than a week until Curry was discovered dead in her car on March 5. It had plunged down a steep embankment along Route 103 south of Stuart.

An autopsy revealed that Curry died from wreck injuries.