CITRA, Fla. -- The Marion County Sheriff's Office has found human remains it believes are those of a missing woman.

Detectives responded to a home on Street Road in Orange Lake on Thursday after receiving reports of something buried in the back yard. Part of the yard was excavated and human remains were discovered, the sheriff's office told WKMG-TV.

The sheriff's office said it believes the remains are those of Heather Strong, 27, who last seen alive on Feb. 15 after leaving the Petro truck stop where she worked.

A news release was issued by the sheriff's department earlier Thursday indicating that it suspected foul play in Strong's disappearance.

Strong's cousin reported her missing after not hearing from her for several days. Strong's supervisor at Petro also reported that she did not show up for work on Feb. 16, which was unusual.

The case was initially treated as a missing-persons case, and detectives looked into whether Strong may have been staying with friends, according to the sheriff's office. After exhausting all resources, the investigation was handed over to the major crimes unit, the sheriff's office said.