The mysterious disappearance of Nicholle Coppler has been solved.
There's new developments in the case that bring some closure to the family that had been hoping she would be found alive.
At a news conference at city hall, police chief Kevin Martin reported what many had feared.
"The Lima Police Department received confirmation from the Lucas County Coroner's Office, that the victim discovered at 735 S. Elizabeth on February 8th was Nicholle Coppler.
Coppler was 14 when she was last seen in May of 1999.
A person of interest in her disappearance, Glenn Fryer, committed suicide while in prison in 2002. While demolishing Fryer's old home on Elizabeth street, investigators found Coppler's remains.
Diana Coppler, Nicholle's grandmother told reporters that "I'm glad that we have an answer now about Nicholle. we all did feel that she was definitely gone for many years, because as her brothers married and had children, we knew if she was alive she would be coming home."
Originally it was thought Coppler just ran away from home. Now there's more attention from law enforcement to find missing children before something bad happens to them. Nicholle Coppler's mother Krista says she's not sure that everything was done originally to find her. "The investigation at the beginning, I don't feel was handled right. Now what's come about with the changes on how they handle it, is because of Nicholle. So if, you know, in Nicholle's name she can save some other girls, you know at least something good has come out of it."
Nicholle Coppler's disappearance is now a homicide investigation and there's no guarantee that Fryer was the person who killed her. There may be others involved. Lima police department Major Richard Shade says they need the help from the public. "We will accept all information and bits of information you have, you have to think back in your memory data base. Did you get information that you now know was false? That may help us to bring people in to interview or re-interview and maybe build on that bit of information."
Krista Coppler added, "I want anybody who was involved prosecuted and the family and I will (come) back up. We will be here as soon as we get more news."
If you have any information about Nicholle Coppler's death, contact the Lima Police Department at 419-427-4444.
