Nearly two years after 14-year-old Chyenne Kircher disappeared, her stepfather was arrested and charged with murder.
Online court records from Jo Daviess County show Terry Abbas, 40, was charged September 19, 2013 with two counts of murder. Court records show an offense date of October 13, 2011, which is the same date Chyenne Kircher vanished from her home in East Dubuque, Illinois.
The day after Abbas was charged, authorities confirmed human remains were found by crews excavating land behind the home in East Dubuque. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday, September 23.
KCRG reports a year after Chyenne disappeared, investigators analyzed a runaway note and the results of the analysis did not point to any foul play.
Abbas’ arrest was announced at a news conference held by law enforcement Thursday, September 19. A spokesperson confirmed Abbas has been under investigation by a state Critical Incident Response Team for six months.
Police said they did not think anyone but Abbas was involved in Chyenne's death.