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Medical Examiner Confirms Body Found Is Missing Va. Firefighter

LURAY, Va. (WJZ) -- Investigators have a body and a suicide note in the case of a missing Virginia firefighter. For days, search crews combed the Shenandoah National Park looking for her.

Now, as Gigi Barnett explains, investigators don't believe her death involved foul play.

Police have made a preliminary identification of the body found in that park: they are 31-year-old Nicole Mittendorff's.

One mile up the canyon trail and 300 miles into the rugged wilderness, the search for Fairfax County firefighter Nicole Mittendorff came to an end.

"It was in a very treacherous, rocky area," said an official.

With a search chopper overhead, a team of six searchers spotted the remains on the ground. That sparked nine Virginia State cruisers to race to a desolate parking lot on the eastern boundary of the Shenandoah National Park.

"It's away from the hustle and bustle," said a local resident.

Mittendorff was reported missing a week ago when she didn't show up for work.

Officials say a suicide note had been found in her car. That's why they don't believe foupl play played a part in Mittendorff's disappearance.

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