Oct 25, 2014 12:05 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Authorities have confirmed that the human remains found last week on an abandoned property in Albemarle County do belong to Hannah Graham.

An 18-year-old student at the University of Virginia (UVa), Graham was missing since Sept. 13 and police have since arrested the last person seen with her with abduction with the intent to defile. Jesse Leroy Matthew, 32, is currently being held without bail.

According to NBC Washington, police found the remains on Oct. 18 and had reason to believe they were Graham's. Authorities still needed to wait for forensic analysis to confirm their discovery.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Hannah. Over recent weeks Hannah has been described by those who know her as bright, witty, thoughtful, loyal and fun to be around," Hannah's parents, John and Sue Graham, said in a statement. "She was all those things and more. Put simply, Hannah lit up our lives, the lives of our family and the lives of her friends and others who knew her. Although we have lost our precious Hannah, the light she radiated can never be extinguished. We will hold it in our hearts forever and it will help sustain us as we face a painful future without her."

John and Sue also expressed gratitude toward Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo, who had investigated Hannah's disappearance from start to finish. They also thanked the numerous law enforcement officers, the UVa community and anyone who aided in the search for their daughter or offered support.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I write to inform you of the confirmed death of second-year UVa student Hannah Graham, who had been missing since early on the morning of September 13," the school's president, Teresa A. Sullivan, said in a statement. "Hannah showed great promise as a student and as a young woman. She brought immense energy and delight to her learning at the University, and she was a source of friendship and joy for so many people here at the University and abroad, particularly her friends on the ski team."

Hannah Graham was working toward a career in global public health, according to her parents, because she wanted to help people.

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