After four years and three months of relentless hope, unbearable silence, and countless sleepless nights, the family of missing Belgian woman Céline Cremer has finally spoken out as authorities prepare to release long-awaited DNA test results that could confirm the identity of human remains discovered last week near the French-Belgian border.

Céline Cremer, 35, vanished without a trace on the evening of November 12, 2021, after leaving her apartment in Liège to meet a friend for drinks in the city center. CCTV footage captured her walking toward the meeting point at 8:47 p.m.; her phone went offline shortly after 9:15 p.m., and her bank cards were never used again. The case quickly became one of Belgium’s most high-profile disappearances, with nationwide searches, volunteer groups, billboards, and her mother Marie Cremer’s tireless media appearances keeping the story in the public eye.

On January 28, 2026, Belgian police announced that skeletal remains found in a shallow grave in a remote wooded area near the border town of Virton had been recovered during a routine forestry survey. The site is roughly 40 kilometers from Liège. Initial forensic examination suggested the remains belonged to a woman in her mid-30s, with signs of blunt-force trauma to the skull consistent with homicide. Dental records and preliminary DNA comparisons pointed strongly toward Céline, but full genetic confirmation was pending.

In an emotional statement released through their lawyer on January 29, the Cremer family broke their public silence for the first time since the discovery. Marie Cremer, Céline’s mother, spoke in a short video message: “We prayed every single day for Céline to walk through our door again. Now we face the unimaginable truth that she never will. If these are her remains, we want justice. If they are not, we will keep searching. Either way, our hearts are shattered beyond repair.”

The family’s lawyer, Isabelle Dupont, added: “The discovery brings a form of closure, but it also opens a wound that will never heal. We are preparing for the possibility that Céline was murdered. We ask for privacy as we wait for the final DNA results, which we expect within days.”

The chilling detail that has gripped the public and investigators alike is a small handwritten note found tucked inside the pocket of the jacket still clinging to the remains. Written in black ink on a torn piece of notebook paper, it reads: “Je suis désolée. Il m’a trouvée.” (“I’m sorry. He found me.”) Handwriting experts are analyzing whether the note was penned by Céline herself in her final moments or placed there by her killer. The message has transformed the case from a cold missing-persons mystery into a high-priority homicide investigation with a potential dying declaration.

Police have re-interviewed two men previously questioned in 2021: a former romantic partner Céline briefly dated and a local delivery driver whose route overlapped with her last known movements. Both were cleared at the time, but are now back under scrutiny. A dedicated tip line has been reopened, and authorities are reviewing old CCTV from the border region, hoping to match vehicles or individuals to the burial site.

Marie Cremer concluded her statement with a plea: “Céline was kind, funny, and full of life. If someone took her from us, they need to be held accountable. That note means she was scared. She knew he was coming. We need to know who he is—for Céline, for our family, for every woman who disappears and is never found.”

As the nation waits for the DNA results, the small scrap of paper has become a haunting symbol of Céline’s final thoughts. Whether it was her last desperate cry for help or a cruel message from her killer, it has reignited hope that the truth—however devastating—may finally emerge after four long years.

For the Cremer family, the wait is nearly over. For Belgium, the question lingers: who was the “he” that found her—and why did it take so long to bring her home?