COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus police confirmed on Sunday that the body of Amina Alhaj-Omar, the Ohio State student who was reported missing by her family in June, was found at a quarry in south Columbus last week.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, 25-year-old Alhaj-Omar was found deceased on July 12 in the quarry near where she was allegedly once spotted last month.
In her obituary, Alhaj-Omar's family said the following:
"We are devastated by our immense loss, but we also thank God every single day for blessing us with the privilege of knowing and loving her beautiful soul for the last twenty-five years. We ask that you take a minute to pray for Amina and her late mother Theresa. At this time, we implore the aid of God to help us persevere this great loss as well as give us the patience and strength to endure this great hardship. We will be looking forward to opportunities arising from this horrible situation for we believe bad things happen for good reasons."
Alhaj-Omar was reported missing by her sister on June 10. Police said at the time the report was filed, there was nothing to indicate she should be considered a high-risk missing person.
Two days later, police found Alhaj-Omar's vehicle abandoned on Interstate 270 between I-71 and U.S. 23 in south Columbus. The vehicle was believed to be in a crash and there was minor damage to it.
Columbus Police Sgt. Joseph Albert said detectives obtained surveillance video from a BP gas station in the 4000 block of South High Street that same day. The video showed Alhaj-Omar inside around 3:55 a.m. Saturday carrying two knives. She didn’t leave the area of the gas station until after 6 a.m.
Albert said the quarry worker called police on June 10 at 8:20 a.m. to report a woman trespassing on the property.
Officers arrived at the quarry within 10 minutes, but the woman had already left the area. Police later determined that the woman seen on the property was Alhaj-Omar. A missing persons report was filed that evening, Albert said.
Officers searched the quarry and areas near it with horses, dogs and ATVs.
Albert said police received a report of Alhaj-Omar being possibly seen near the Walmart in the 3500 block of South High Street.
Alhaj-Omar was not seen when police arrived, but officers searched near the Walmart, the quarry and other areas for hours.
On June 29, Columbus police announced they ended the active search for Alhaj-Omar after exhausting all leads in her disappearance.
The family said a burial ceremony was held for Alhaj-Omar on Sunday.
The Ohio State University has issued the following statement:
The Ohio State University extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Amina Alhaj-Omar. This is a tragedy for the university community. Amina was a graduate student in the College of Social Work. Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this exceptionally difficult time. Students in need of support are encouraged to contact Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Service at 614-292-5766 or https://ccs.osu.edu/, and employees can contact the Ohio State Employee Assistance Program at 800-678-6265 or https://hr.osu.edu/benefits/eap/.