UNION, S.C. — A sheriff said Thursday afternoon he is "99.9 percent sure" human remains found in a wooded area in northern South Carolina are a nurse who's been missing for four months.

Union County Sheriff David Taylor and several other law enforcement officials broke the news to the family of 31-year-old Maria Fernandez before heading to talk to reporters.

"We're 99.9 percent sure it's her," Taylor told Fernandez's mother, Susie, who broke down in tears and hugged a relative. Fernandez, the mother of a 5-year-old boy was last seen Sept. 3.

When one relative asked Taylor how she died, the sheriff said he did not know, but promised to find whoever was responsible.

Police have said Fernandez's boyfriend is a person of interest in her disappearance and is not cooperating. He has not been charged with a crime.

Union is about 55 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C.

Before he left, Taylor told the family: "Don't do anything stupid, don't do anything to get in trouble. Let law enforcement handle it."

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Fernandez's family has complained that police weren't doing enough to find her.

Later at a news conference, Taylor said a utility worker fixing downed power lines during a storm found her body Wednesday night and called police.

With the help of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, they identified the decomposed body. She was identified using dental records, Taylor said.

Taylor said investigators were still collecting evidence from the crime scene, but declined to discuss details. He said an autopsy would be performed this week to determine her cause of death.

"We suspect foul play and we're trying to determine ... how long she was in the woods," he said.

Taylor also said he hasn't had a chance to question Maria Fernandez's boyfriend, Jamel Good. The last time investigators talked to him, Good showed up with his lawyer, Thomas White. A telephone message left at White's office wasn't returned Thursday afternoon, but he has said his client had nothing to do with her disappearance.

Maria Fernandez's body was found about 100 yards from railroad tracks. Police had searched near the area before.

After hearing that her daughter was dead, Susie Fernandez said the pain was "just too hard to take.

"No family should ever go through this," she said. "No family."