UPDATE: Person found dead in car identified as missing Camas teen

The person found dead inside a car Friday in Chehalis matches the description of a missing Camas teen, a police sergeant said Monday.

Cole Burbank, 16, was last seen April 13, 2017, leaving Camas High School in a black 2010 Honda Accord with Washington plates.

Cole Burbank drove a black Honda Accord away from Camas High School on April 13 and was reported missing the same day. The body was found inside that car, which was found in a shopping center parking lot, police said.

The results of an autopsy are pending, and officials haven't positively identified Burbank. But they believe the body is his, and a memorial service is scheduled for Saturday.

A family friend of the Burbanks found the car while searching for the teen and vehicle, said Sgt. Scot Boyles of the Camas Police Department. A robust group of civilian searchers canvassed Clark County and eventually expanded to areas including Chehalis, he said.

"It was the biggest volunteer search effort I've ever seen" in Camas and the Clark County area, Boyles said, noting that it was helpful for police to have volunteers working toward a shared goal.

Well-wishers and loved ones have flooded a Facebook group -- now named "Remembering Cole Burbank" -- with remembrances of the teen. The page was initially used to help coordinate volunteer efforts and provide links to an online crowdfunding page set up to fund search efforts and help Burbank's family.

Some users posted photos, messages and links to music.

Some said they were wearing red and black -- the color of the shirt Burbank was wearing when he left his high school April 13.

And one of Burbank's middle school teachers posted a heartfelt email the boy had sent her.

"Thank you for putting time and effort into my education, and impossibly, making it enjoyable," Burbank wrote, in part.

The teacher wrote that the email brought her to tears.

A memorial for Burbank is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Camas High School, according to a Facebook post.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Tony Hernandez of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report