Family of April Carpenter have confirmed the missing 23-year-old woman's body was found in the Red River in Winnipeg Wednesday.

Police divers recovered Carpenter's body from the river near the intersection of Kildonan Drive and Henderson Highway around noon Wednesday.

Manitoba NDP MLAs Nahanni Fontaine and Bernadette Smith arranged for Carpenter's family and a family spokesperson to speak to media after question period at the Manitoba Legislature Thursday afternoon.

Billy Dubery spoke on behalf of the family.

"The news that was received this morning was not how we wanted this to end up," said Dubery, who addressed reporters with Carpenter's mother, Carolyn, and sister, Cheryl, by his side.

"She was a young woman with a lot of hope, she had goals, she had visions, she had dreams.

"This is very sad for everybody."

Police had asked the public for help finding Carpenter Tuesday, nearly three weeks after she went missing.

Billy Dubery holds up a missing poster with photos of April Carpenter. (Cameron MacLean/CBC)

Family said Carpenter had last been seen at the Health Sciences Centre around 8 p.m. on April 26.

Her mother reported her missing the following day, said Dubery.

"It was very unlike her to be gone," he said.

Carpenter lived on her own in the West End, said Dubery, and was working to finish her high school education at the time she went missing.

"She loved children, she wanted to be a social worker," said Carolyn.

Dubery said the family doesn't "believe that it was April's choice to be in the river" and are calling for anyone with information to contact police.

April Carpenter's mother, Carolyn Carpenter, spoke briefly to media Thursday. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

"The message that we want to say here today is that somebody knows something and that we want somebody to come forward with any kind of information to give this family closure," he said.

"We're pleading for anybody who might have any information on what happened in between the time April was last seen and when she ended up in the river to please come forward."

Police said Carpenter's cause of death has not been confirmed and an autopsy is pending.

Investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Carpenter on the evening of April 26 and beyond. Anyone with information should call police at 204-986-6508.

The family of the woman pulled from the Red River yesterday believes she's the victim of a crime. They want to speak with anyone who may have had contact with April Carpenter in the time she was reported missing. 1:21

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