Ottawa police confirmed Monday that a body found over the weekend is that of Jennifer Teague, who disappeared on her way home from work 11 days ago.

An off-duty police officer and his family discovered the body Sunday off the parking lot near the Kiln Trail, about five kilometres from the Wendy's restaurant where Teague was last seen. The remains had been partially covered with branches.

Police said that dental records helped to identify the body and did not say whether Teague had been sexually assaulted. They added they had not determined a cause of death.

"It will take . . . extensive forensic testing to obtain more information,'' Staff-Sgt. Monique Ackland told reporters Monday. "That could take weeks.''

The body has been taken to Toronto for further forensic examination.

The 18-year-old Teague went missing in the early morning hours of Sept. 8, shortly after she finished working her night shift at the restaurant. Her friends last saw her at at a nearby convenience store about 1:30 a.m. ET, before she began her walk alone to her mother's house.

Witnesses reported hearing screams that night.

Neither her cellphone nor her debit card had been used since her disappearance.

Police say they have now begun a murder investigation. Everyone from forensics specialists to crime lab personnel and beat cops have been called in to help.

Another murder still unsolved

Investigators are not ruling out the possibility that a serial killer is responsible, but they said it doesn't immediately appear that the case is related to that of another murdered Ottawa woman.

Ardeth Wood, 27, disappeared more than two years ago while she was out biking near her parents' home in Orleans. Her body was discovered five days later near a creek. 

Witnesses reported having seen a man on a bike attempting to lure females into the woods along the bike path Wood had used. But no one was ever charged in that murder.

"At this point, I must stress that the two investigations do not appear to be related,'' said Ackland.

Teague lived with her family in a quiet, family-oriented Ottawa suburb called Barrhaven. The crime has had a big impact on local resident Sheila Mackintosh-Kassis, who has two teenaged daughters.

"Now, just going from the car to the front door my daughter, who is 17, is like, 'Don't leave me. Don't leave me,' and I'm only two feet away. It's really disturbing."

Wendy's Canada is rethinking its policy on ensuring employees get home safely. The company says it has a policy that forbids employees from leaving their place of work alone. But other fast food chains, including McDonald's, ensure employees are driven home in taxis or picked up by parents.

"We are now in the process of reviewing our policies and procedures,'' said Sharon Reid.

Ottawa police have set up an email address for anyone with information into the Teague investigation: infojennifer@ottawapolice.ca