The body of a graduate student who went missing last month was found in a quarry behind a petrol station.
Amina Alhaj-Omar, 25, was last seen in Columbus, Ohio, close to I-270 and US Route 23, and she was reported missing on June 10.
Police reported that Alhaj-Omar had been seen carrying two kitchen knives four days after she vanished. In a neighbourhood in south Columbus, her automobile was discovered abandoned and with only minimal damage.
Alhaj-Omar’s family on Sunday stated that Franklin County detectives had informed them ‘they had found Amina’s body in the quarry behind the BP gas station on S High Street where she was last seen’, WCMH reported.
‘We are unaware of the details at this time as we have not yet received the autopsy report,’ the family stated. ‘We would like to ask the public for their prayers for Amina.’
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office later confirmed that the body found on July 12 was that of Alhaj-Omar. Police have not yet released her cause of death.
Alhaj-Omar was a master’s degree student at Ohio State University’s College of Social Work.
‘The Ohio State University extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Amina Alhaj-Omar. This is a tragedy for the university community,’ stated the university on Sunday.
‘Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this exceptionally difficult time.’
Police suspended the search for Alhaj-Omar 19 days after she vanished.
‘Despite their efforts, the investigation has slowed, and they have exhausted all leads to this point,’ Columbus police said on June 29. ‘While the investigation is still ongoing, the active search for Miss Omar has concluded.’
Alhaj-Omar earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology from Ohio State University. She interned with the nonprofit Community Refugee & Immigration Services ‘working closely with the victims of ongoing crime cases’, according to her obituary.
‘Amina was a soft and kind soul that demonstrated the utmost compassion and empathy for any person that crossed her path,’ states her obituary.
‘She would always remind her friends of how important family was to her and that “family trumps everything”.
‘No matter how intense or silly a fight, she would always say “that’s my family, I’ll always have their backs no matter what”‘.