DECATURVILLE, Tenn. -- A suspect in the disappearance and murder of a Tennessee nursing student who vanished in 2011 has been indicted on murder and kidnapping charges, officials said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Zachary Adams' indictment comes a day after Monday's announcement that a human skull found near property owned by his family is that of Holly Bobo. Her remains were found Sunday in Decatur County, not far from her home in the town of Parsons, about 110 miles east of Memphis.
Wailing and crying could be heard as Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director Mark Gwyn announced that Adams, 29, has been indicted on charges of first-degree felony murder and especially aggravated kidnapping.
The indictment was handed down after investigators presented a specially impaneled Decatur County grand jury with facts and evidence in the case, Gwyn said.
Officials said they believe they can prove that Bobo was taken forcefully from her home without her consent, and that she was killed during the kidnapping.
Gwyn has said the Bobo investigation has been the most expensive and exhaustive in TBI history, and is not over yet. The case had involved thousands of investigative hours, hundreds of ground searches, and $450,000 in reward money has been offered for information.
'It's very important that we keep the Bobo family and the county of Decatur in our thoughts and prayers as this investigation continues,' Gwyn said.
Bobo was 20 when she disappeared. Her brother told police he saw a man dressed in camouflage leading her away into the woods.
Since Bobo disappeared, the small town of Parsons - population about 2,400 - and surrounding areas in West Tennessee tried to support the family, putting up pink ribbons on lamp posts, mailboxes and storefronts. Bobo was wearing a pink shirt and carrying a pink purse before she disappeared.
Two men found a skull Sunday about six miles from property owned by the family of Zachary Adams, who has been charged with Bobo's kidnapping and murder. He has pleaded not guilty. The area near his family's property was searched in March.
A second man facing murder and kidnapping charges, Jason Autry, also has pleaded not guilty.
Recently elected District Attorney Matt Stowe said his office was preparing to seek a possible death penalty in the case. A decision is expected in coming weeks, after he consults with the Bobo family, he said.
Adams is being held without bond.
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