Larimer County Coroner’s Office investigators have identified human remains found near Red Feather Lakes Road as those of 28-year-old Andrea Bartmess of Fort Collins, and on Monday they ruled her death a homicide.

While the cause of death is unknown and will take weeks to determine, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office is in involved in an ongoing investigation.

A Sheriff’s Office press release Monday said the agency received information about possible human remains on Thursday, and on Friday investigators located the remains near mile marker 10 on County Road 74E.

Later on Monday, Bartmess’ mother talked about the struggles her daughter faced.

“Andrea was a very energetic, outgoing, fun-loving kid who wanted everyone to like her,” Wilma Cotten said from her home in Aurora. “But she had a dark side; she suffered with bipolar. We struggled to find the right combination of therapy and medications for her.”

The Sheriff’s Office would not release additional information surrounding Bartmess’ disappearance or what led the investigators to the remains. However, Cotten believes that drugs were involved.

“Her big flaw was her judgment of other people’s character,” Cotten said. “She openly trusted people that she really shouldn’t.”

While Bartmess was last known to be living in Fort Collins, Cotten said she had spent some time in Loveland before that, and had lived with her in Aurora until Easter because of her bipolar disorder. The month before she moved out, she was sent to the hospital by four men who attacked her, slamming her against the sidewalk and fracturing her skull.

When asked if she thinks the incident is connected in Bartmess’ disappearance, Cotten could not say.

“That particular incident, I don’t know,” Cotten said. “I know she has been afraid for a long time.”