Richardson police said a female body was found Thursday during the investigation into the disappearance of Jessie Bardwell, but positive identification has not been made on the body.
Friday, the Collin County Medical Examiner Office confirmed the manner of death was homicide.
Police and the FBI were led to rural northeast Collin County, near Lavon Lake and south of Farmersville, where the body was found in a wooded area just before 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Police said it appeared the body may have been there for several days.
The identity of the body could be released as early as Monday and will be confirmed by the medical examiner, who took custody of the body before 10 p.m. A federal evidence recovery team remained on the scene Thursday night.
Two people at a mobile home on the property were arrested Thursday night. Robert Guinn and Teresa White were arrested for an outstanding warrant and a parole violation, respectively.
Richardson police have been searching for 27-year-old Jessie Bardwell, who has not been seen April 29 when police said she appeared on surveillance video at the gym at her Richardson apartment complex.
Bardwell's boyfriend, Jason Lowe, has been charged with her murder.
Richardson police say Lowe knows Guinn and White. They have not been charged in connection with the alleged murder but police haven't ruled out the possibility.
On Wednesday, Richardson police released photos of a 2010 black Audi Q5 SUV with the front bumper broken off that they believe was used to "dispose" of Bardwell's body. They hoped someone would recognize the damaged SUV that had been covered in mud and lead police to a crime scene.
"There's the possibility the vehicle may have become stuck in the mud and somebody may have assisted him," Richardson Police Department's Sgt. Kevin Perlich said.
Perlich said tire tracks were found near the crime scene in Collin County, but couldn't say the type of vehicle from which they came.
Police said they discovered blood and the smell of decaying flesh inside the SUV when they searched the garage of the Richardson apartment the couple shared.
Police have been tracking down leads in the case including a park in Anna on Thursday. Police say nothing was found at the park.
Dozens of family and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil this week on the beach in Bardwell's hometown of Pascagoula, Mississippi. Family members said the woman moved to Richardson in December to be with Lowe.
NBC 5's Kevin Young contributed to this report.
