SALISBURY, N.C. (WCNC) - After more than three years of searching, Erica Parsons is finally laid to rest.
A memorial service was held at Salisbury's First Baptist Church Saturday afternoon.
More than 100 family, friends and law enforcement officers were in attendance where they prayed and sang in Erica's memory.
"We all loved her. It's obvious," Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten said. "We all feel a love and a special place for this child."
The then-15-year-old was first reported missing back in 2013. Her remains were later discovered in September 2016 at a site in Chesterfield County, S.C.
FBI and Rowan County Sheriff's Office said Erica's adoptive father, Sandy Parsons, directed them to the location.
Parsons is currently in federal prison for fraud charges related to Erica's disappearance.
Sheriff Auten also commented on the ongoing investigation, saying there will be new developments, but he encouraged people to be patient.
The memorial service's program lists Erica's death as December 17, 2011, more than two-and-a-half years before a relative first reported her missing.