Body Of Missing Chicago Mom Had Been In Morgue For More Than A Year

CHICAGO (CBS/AP) – The family of a Chicago woman missing since January 2010  has received some bad news: Her remains had been in the Cook County morgue for more than a year.

The identification of Carmelita Johnson's remains was made after her family provided her dental records last week to a detective, the Chicago Tribune reports. A family member confirmed to CBS 2 that Johnson had been identified and that her remains had been pulled from Lake Michigan in April 2010.

The dental records were needed because the body was so badly decomposed it couldn't be identified through DNA, Johnson's daughter Leslie Jackson said.

Jackson says she's angry because she believes the police dragged its feet. Police say they did what they could to find Johnson.

Jackson had told CBS 2 her mom had a turbulent relationship with an ex-boyfriend.

The medical examiner's office says a cause of death hasn't been determined.

(Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)