The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of skeletonized remains that were found on Merry Island in the Strait of Georgia on Dec. 30, 2006.

The woman was Ms. Lan Ping Leung (who was known as Monica Tam) of Burnaby. Ms. Tam was 65 years old when she went missing earlier that year.

The lighthouse keeper from the Merry Island lighthouse near the Sunshine Coast community of Halfmoon Bay spotted human remains on the island and reported them to the authorities.

Ms. Tam was reported missing in 2007 by a friend concerned for her well-being. Intensive investigation into her disappearance at the time did not yield results, however.

The case remained unsolved until a recent review of historic cases between the BC Coroners Service Identification and Disaster Response Unit and the BC Police Missing Persons Centre led to the association of the cases. The identification was confirmed by DNA analysis.

The BC Coroners Service continues to investigate this case.

The family of Ms. Tam has been notified of her death. On behalf of family members, the BC Coroners Service asks that the media respect their privacy at this difficult time.