A search team found human remains in Franklin County on Sunday morning while looking for a woman who has been missing since December, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said.

A cadaver dog found the remains in the Walnut Knob section of Franklin County at 10:25 a.m., Lt. Steve McGuire said.

Letisha M. "Tish" Faust, 50, of Stuart was last seen at a Floyd County pharmacy Dec. 9, the sheriff's office said. Her car was found in late December unoccupied in Walnut Knob near the Floyd County line.

The primary search area was in and around a pond near which Faust's vehicle and shoes were found. The remains were found about 350 yards from the pond, at the bottom of a steep ravine.

McGuire said weather conditions had previously hampered efforts to extend the search. Nothing about the remains at this time suggests foul play, McGuire said.

He did not say whether the body was male or female.

The remains have been sent to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke for further examination.

-- Lerone Graham