A family's heartache: remains identified as Taylor Almond

A decomposing body found in the NSW Hunter Region last week, has been formally identified as missing teenager, Taylor Almond.

The 16-old schoolgirl vanished from her family home in the Newcastle suburb of Dudley on October 12.

Her disappearance triggered a state-wide search, although it was initially treated as a runaway case with sightings reported as far as Kempsey on the state’s mid-north coast.

The search failed to find any trace of the popular Whitebridge High School student, but a badly decomposed body was discovered at the bottom of a cliff in Awabakil Nature Reserve, just kilometres from Taylor’s home on Thursday.

Nail polish on the body led Taylor’s family to fear the worst, and today forensic testing today confirmed those fears.

Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious.

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