UPDATE: The brothers have been arraigned in White Cloud

NEWAYGO, MI – After 25 long years of waiting, wondering and grieving, the father of Shannon Siders, who was murdered in 1989, has some closure.

Two brothers were charged Tuesday with the murder of Shannon Siders.

Matthew Jones

It was a bittersweet day for Robert Siders who for years heard the names of brothers Matthew Jones, 44, of Grant, and Paul Jones, 42, of Newaygo tossed around as possible suspects in his daughter's death.

Shannon Siders, then 18, was last seen alive on July 18, 1989. Her badly decomposed body was found on Oct. 15, 1989 in the Manistee National Forest off M-82 and Thornapple Road in Newaygo County's Brooks Township.

Both brothers have been charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the death of Siders. A press release issued Tuesday indicates the case will be jointly prosecuted by Attorney General Bill Schuette's criminal division and the Newaygo County Prosecutor's Office.

Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Robert Siders said he wasn't surprised when he learned the names of the two suspects.

Paul Jones

"Those two names have been circulating since day one. They were on the short list. I've always been kind of suspicious. The names do not surprise me. She knew them in the circle of friends she hung around with. One of them, I had passed many times in a party store," Robert Siders said.

The Jones brothers were arrested Tuesday in Newaygo County by Michigan State Police. Both are charged with one count of first-degree murder, premeditated, a felony punishable by life in prison, without parole.

In a statement issued from Schuette, the attorney general expressed condolences for the Siders family.

"There is no statute of limitations for the peace of mind of a parent who lost a child to murder," Schuette said. "Today's arrests confirm that our work is never done while a cold case remains unsolved. We will secure justice for the Siders family."

"I would like to thank Newaygo County Prosecutor Robert Springstead, Newaygo Police Chief Pat Hedlund, Newago County Sheriff Mike Mercer and the Michigan State Police at the Sixth District Headquarters for their tireless efforts in seeking justice in this once cold case," Schuette said.

In the same press release, Newaygo County Prosecutor Robert Springstead said Siders was "never forgotten" since her 1989 murder.

"This case remained open for many years but Shannon Siders was never forgotten and law enforcement's resolve to hold those accountable for her death never diminished," Springstead said. "This case is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when multiple agencies cooperate, collaborate and share resources."

Here are some points of interest about the case, included in a press release by the Attorney General's office:

On July 17, 1989, 18-year-old Shannon Siders went out with friends for the night. Her father, (Robert Siders) who worked midnights, last saw her at 10:30 pm. When he arrived home from work the next morning, Shannon had not returned home. Shannon was allegedly last seen riding in Paul Jones' car with his brother, Matthew.

Shannon was reported as a missing person to the Michigan State Police by her father the following day after she did not return home.

In October 1989, Shannon's decomposing body was found by a hunter in the Manistee National Forest in a place known as, "Hole-in-the-Woods." Her death was later ruled a homicide.

In 2011 a Cold Case Task Force was assembled to reinvestigate the death of Shannon Siders. The task force consisted of members of the Michigan State Police, the Newaygo County Sheriff's Department and the Newaygo City Police Department.

"Homicide cases are never closed," Michigan State Police Detective First Lieutenant Mike Anderson, of Michigan State Police Sixth District Headquarters, said in the release.

"Through diligent police work and a great deal of effort and cooperation from a multi-jurisdictional team of investigators, including the Newaygo County Prosecutor and Attorney General's office, probable cause was established to make these arrests. These arrests mark the first step in the process for obtaining justice for Shannon."

Siders' body was exhumed from the cemetery on July 26, 2012, as part of the criminal investigation.

Heather Lynn Peters covers police and fire, and writes a statewide food column, The Spunky Kitchen, for MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Email her at hpeters@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @HLPNEWS.