The body of 44-year-old Danielle Hart of Lockport was discovered by volunteers in the woods near Woodlands Mobile Home Park over the weekend, bringing a tragic end to the search efforts.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) -- The body of 44-year-old Danielle Hart of Lockport was discovered by volunteers in the woods near Woodlands Mobile Home Park over the weekend, bringing a tragic end to the search efforts.

Hart, who had been missing since January 17, was found by a search party made up of volunteers from Western New York Missing and Unidentified Persons. The search took place in bitterly cold conditions.

"Not knowing is worse than anything and being able to help provide some closure it's not the outcome we wanted," said Salvatore Scime, a volunteer who participated in the search.

Scime emphasized the need for more resources to assist in finding missing persons, suggesting a dedicated agency to bridge the gap between police and fire department services.

Melissa Strang, a long-time friend of Hart's, expressed her gratitude to the searchers, saying, "Every boot on the ground mattered."

Strang shared that Danielle had faced many challenges recently and was shocked to learn of her friend's disappearance through a missing person poster on Facebook that her niece shared with her.

Police said the Bureau of Criminal Investigations is awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death.

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