A Nova Scotia community is in mourning after a young woman who disappeared last month was found dead in Heathbell, Pictou County on Saturday.

Police have confirmed 19-year-old Amber Kirwan was murdered and while they try to solve the mystery of her death, the small community is left feeling shocked and saddened.

"It's not the outcome we had hoped for," says resident Michele Ferguson. "It's a very sad day. It's been hard on the whole community."

Posters of hope appealing for Kirwan's safe return that were plastered across a volunteer centre in New Glasgow have now been taken down. More than 70,000 images of Kirwan were distributed around the community by friends, family and residents after she disappeared over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Kirwan was last seen leaving Dooly's pool hall in New Glasgow around 1:30 a.m. on October 9.

She had been out with friends that night and planned to meet her boyfriend, Mason Campbell, up the street at Big Al's convenience store, but he says she never showed up.

A surveillance tape from Dooly's shows Kirwan leaving the pool hall and making her way up the street towards Big Al's.

Surveillance tapes from Big Al's shows Campbell's car in the parking lot, but Kirwan is never seen on the tapes.

Police, RCMP and ground search and rescue teams scoured parts of Pictou County and dive teams also searched for clues in her disappearance.

One area where police focused their search was Heathbell, where Kirwan's body was eventually discovered on Saturday.

Investigators say they were executing a search warrant on a farm property in the area, in relation to her disappearance. They say they found her remains in a wooded area on the property.

"There was no one single thing that led to us or the police being here," says Const. Bill Rudolph, a spokesman with Pictou County RCMP. "It was the result of many factors."

Police won't say what led them to seek a search warrant on the unidentified property, or say how she died, but they do confirm she is a homicide victim.

"Total shock, total shock," says resident Ann Louise Stright in reaction to the news. "There's no words even to describe what the community is going through."

"It makes you very, very happy and blessed to have your kids close to you and know they're home and they're safe," says resident Kim Crawford.

Over the past month residents in Pictou County have held vigils and fundraisers for the teen and her family, and plastered posters pleading for information on her disappearance and whereabouts in the windows of cars, businesses and store fronts.

Kirwan's smiling face peered out from telephone polls across the county and a wall of hope was established in downtown New Glasgow, across the street from Dooly's. Dozens of candles, pictures and notes were laid on the wall, offering words of hope and encouragement. But now the wall of hope has turned into a memorial site, where people stop to reflect and mourn a woman most never even met.

"She became everybody's daughter," says Mariea Leil-Bowser, a family friend of the Kirwans. "Everybody's little girl…now she's everybody's angel."

Last week, Kirwan's parents appealed to the public, pleading for people to come forward with information that could help bring their daughter home safely.

But last night they issued the following statement, expressing their sadness over the loss of their daughter and thanking the community for its unwavering support.

"It is with overwhelming sadness and grief that our worst fears were realized yesterday. Our beloved Amber will not be coming home to us. Words cannot express the sorrow and sense of loss we feel.

Amber was an amazing daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, girlfriend and friend.

We cannot imagine life without her. She was so young and it breaks our hearts to think of all of the good things in life she will not get to experience.

Her time with us was so special. To have it taken away so needlessly is something we will never get over.

She was our special girl and we would do anything to bring her back.

We would like to thank the people of New Glasgow, Pictou County and beyond, who have supported us during this tragedy. We would also like to thank the police services, search and rescue groups, businesses and so many others who worked so diligently to locate Amber."

The Kirwan Family

Anyone with information is being asked to contact New Glasgow Police, Pictou County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh