TerriLynn St. John Update: Alvin Keyser Arrested After Missing Woman's Body Found

The search for missing 23-year-old mother TerriLynn St. John ended Thursday after her body was found in a wooded area of Virginia. The mother of two went missing Tuesday from the front yard of her house "under suspicious circumstances."

Alvin B. Keyser, 21, was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree murder and concealing a dead body in connection to the St. John's killing. Investigators said Keyser, an acquaintance of St. John, lived near the young mother's house.

“Keyser stated to detectives he confronted St. John at her residence about statements that were made about Keyser. Keyser stated that St. John struck him, and he struck her back he then pushed her out of the van Keyser was driving,” Middlesex Sheriff’s Maj. Michael Sampson said in a statement Thursday.

According to local reports, Keyser admitted he strangled her until she stopped breathing. Police had also initially suspected that St. John was strangled as her broken necklace was found in the yard.

St. John's body was taken to the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death.

“The sheriff’s office would like to offer condolences to the friends and family of Miss St. John,” Sampson said, adding: “We do know that Mr. Keyser was an acquaintance. To what degree we don’t know.”

St. John was reported missing by her father Tuesday after he found out from his daughter’s co-workers that she did not show up for work. Sampson said Wednesday in a press conference that St. John’s father visited his daughter’s home in Wake to check on her. He found the door open and saw that her children were alone inside the house. St. John's father was concerned about his daughter and alerted the sheriff’s office.

Family members told local media that they believe there were signs of disturbance in the front yard.

"They looked through the woods and you could definitely tell there has been a struggle beside my daughter's car," father Terry St. John told CBS-affiliated WTVR. "Jewelry was all around, like it had been broken off, her cell phone was found in the bushes."

St. John's boyfriend Mac Kennard was one of the last people to see her alive, local media said.

At a press conference Thursday, the sheriff’s office said more charges could be filed against Keyser and more persons of interest will be interviewed.

Keyser, who is being held without bond at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center, will make his first court appearance on Monday.

"The closure on this is not good closure, but it is closure," Sampson said as he thanked multiple law enforcement agencies, social media tips, and the media for helping with information.