Human remains found in Love County, Okla., on Feb. 18 have been identified as Molly Miller and Colt Haynes

Miller and Haynes disappeared in 2013 after they were involved in a car chase with a third person, who has since maintained his innocence in connection to the couple's disappearance

Authorities are actively investigating the circumstances of their deaths and pursuing justice for the couple’s families

Two sets of human remains found in Oklahoma earlier this year have been identified as a couple who disappeared in 2013.

The remains were discovered in Love County on Feb. 18 during a new search for Molly Miller and Colt Haynes led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA) and the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department (CLPD), the BIA previously said.

According to the BIA, the search was launched after "new information" came to light surrounding Miller and Haynes' disappearances.

The BIA announced on Monday, April 6, that the remains have been confirmed to belong to Miller and Haynes, whose families have been notified. Miller was a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

“While no outcome can ease their loss, we hope this identification provides a measure of closure and allows them to begin the process of healing," the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department (CLPD) said in a news release.

Miller and Haynes “were passengers in a vehicle driven by James Con Nipp” when they were “involved in a police pursuit July 7, 2013,” according to missing persons flyer for Miller previously shared by the CLPD.

The vehicle involved in the pursuit “was discovered two weeks later in Love County, Oklahoma, in the area south of Oswalt Road, between Pike Road and Long Hollow Road,” police said. Miller and Haynes were never seen again.

The BIA said Miller and Haynes’ remains were found by search teams “operating in an area between Oswalt Road, Pike Road and Long Hollow Road” — near where the vehicle was previously found.

“Investigators said the search area had not been previously examined and was identified after new information emerged and access to the land was obtained,” the BIA said in its latest release.

Nipp allegedly walked home after the car crashed in the woods, but authorities believe Miller and Haynes stayed behind and called friends to come get them, according to KXII, which reported that their phones died the morning after the crash. Miller was 17 and Haynes was 21 when they disappeared.

Nipp was later convicted for the car chase, but has maintained his innocence in the disappearances of Miller and Haynes, per KXII.

BIA MMU Acting Unit Chief Micah Ware said the agency “will continue to pursue every lead and stand with every family we serve as we confront the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis,” according to the agency’s news release.

“This effort reflects the Department of the Interior’s unwavering commitment to public safety and justice across Indian Country, and we will not waver in that mission,” Ware said.

An investigation “into the circumstances surrounding Molly and Colt's deaths” is active and ongoing, according to the CLPD.

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“We are committed to pursuing all leads and ensuring a thorough and complete investigation,” they added.

In a statement, District Attorney Melissa Handke said her office will be pursuing justice after the investigation is complete.

"My prayers are with the families today as we seek justice for Colt and Molly," Handke said after promising to "present this case to the Multi-County Grand Jury for formal charges."

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