2 families, 2 missing daughters, 2 sets of remains, both fighting for closure

Editor's note: The Belton, Missouri police and Kopetsky family confirmed to ABC News on Aug. 16, 2017, that the second set of remains that were found in April were positively identified as Kara Kopetsky.

The family of a 21-year-old Missouri woman whose remains were found this week say they won't have closure until they get answers for the family of another young woman who vanished in the same area nearly 10 years earlier.

Two sets of human remains were discovered this week in a rural area south of Kansas City, Missouri. The Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office identified one set as Jessica Runions, 21, who was last seen on Sept. 8, 2016. Her family says friends told them Jessica was last seen giving her boyfriend's longtime friend Kylr Yust, 28, a ride home from a party.

Authorities say a mushroom hunter came across one set of remains on Monday and police found the second the next day. The second set has not yet been identified, but there is speculation that the remains could be those of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, who disappeared in Kansas City in May 2007.

No arrests have been made in connection with either disappearance, but the two women share a common connection. They are both reported to have been in contact with Yust shortly before they disappeared.

"My heart still hurts for [Kara's family].I got answers for Jessica, but we don't have them for Kara," Jessica's mother Jamie S. Runions said. "[They] deserve to know. It's almost been 10 years."

Kansas City Police Capt. Stacey Graves told ABC News Runions' death is now being investigated as a homicide.

"It's a tragedy because ideally we would like to find missing persons alive and well, but we are glad she has been located. Now it's time to get into the investigation and figure out what happened to her," Graves said.

Authorities say it could take up to a year to identify the second set of remains.

"Waiting is the hardest part," Kopetsky's mother Rhonda Beckford told ABC News. "My feeling in my heart is that the other remains are Kara."

With a common link to both of their daughters' cases, Rhonda Beckford and Jamie Runions say they decided to work together to search for their daughters and spread awareness about both girls.

"We're stronger as a team," Jamie Runions said. "We've become a family."

Now that Jessica Runions' remains have been found, police are investigating her death as a homicide, and Kansas City Police Capt. Stacey Graves told ABC News said the police are working with the medical examiner to determine her cause of death.

"It's a tragedy because ideally we'd like to find missing persons alive and well, but we're glad she has been located and now it's time to get into the investigation and figure out what happened to her," Graves said. "And if someone's responsible we want to make sure that person is charged."

The Runions family first began their search for their missing daughter nearly seven months ago. Her boyfriend and family grew concerned when she did not come home after leaving the party and they were unable to reach her.

Jessica's father John Michael Runions previously told ABC News that his daughter's cellphone kept going straight to voicemail when they tried calling her.

"Jessica's not a runaway girl," John Michael Runions said. "Jessica would reach out to her family. She loved her job, she loved her friends, she loved her family ... and there's nothing from her."

Jessica, who was working as a pastry chef in the restaurant at a senior living community, had recently been promoted to a manager position. Her mother said Jessica was hoping to go to college to pursue a journalism degree.

Her mother and boyfriend reported Jessica missing the night of Sept. 9, 2016. Hours later, Jessica's 2012 black Chevy Equinox was found burned in a desolate, wooded area around 2 a.m. Sept. 10, police said. But she was nowhere to be found.

After police found Jessica's car, they arrested Yust who was found in a small town two hours outside of Kansas City. Yust was arrested and is accused of setting Jessica's car on fire and has been charged with "knowingly burning" a vehicle. Yust pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Jessica's mother told ABC News that she did not know Yust and researched his name online. Through her search, she discovered Yust was connected to the case of his missing ex-girlfriend Kara Kopetsky. She said she then reached out to Kopetsky's mother Rhonda Beckford.

"People don't really know what it's like to have missing children." Jamie Runions said. "They help[ed] me. It's nice to talk to people that understand"

Yust has been a person of interest in Kopetsky's case since she disappeared nearly ten years ago, according to police in Belton, Missouri.

Lt. Brad Swanson told ABC News earlier this year of the Kopetsky case, "We've been able to eliminate a lot of people...We have not been able to eliminate Kylr."

According to Belton police reports, Kopetsky had filed a protective order against Yust days before she went missing. In her protective order obtained by ABC News, Kopetsky wrote Yust had kidnapped, restrained and choked her. She wrote she was "unsure of what [Yust] will do next because the abuse has gotten worse over time."

Kopetsky was last seen on surveillance video leaving her high school and was never heard from or seen again.

Despite the years that passed, Kopetsky's family continued to search for their daughter and for answers.

"Kara loved her friends [and] loved being around people. She always had a smile." Kopetsky's stepfather Jim Beckford said.

Her mother Rhonda Beckford added, "You know it's just a horrible feeling, and as a mother, you hope that your daughter is out there, that she's alive and [that] maybe she is being held somewhere...Maybe you have the hope of getting her back alive."

Both families made signs with "Justice for Jessica and Kara" and posted them around the Kansas City area to bring awareness to both missing girls.

John Michael and Jamie Runions families searched every week both in the Kansas City area and in the town where Yust was found and arrested. Kansas City Police Department teamed up with Missouri Search and Rescue to help with their search efforts and private citizens volunteered their cadaver dogs to help with the search.

The Beckford and Runions families say they believe that their daughters brought them together.

"I believe that the girls [Jessica and Kara] and God were putting us together. They got us together to deal with this together. We wouldn't have been able to come back from this if we didn't have each other," Jamie Runions said.

"After 10 years of doing this, I'm a firm believer that nothing happens by chance and that everything happens for a reason," Rhonda Beckford added.

Yust hired attorney Molly Hastings to represent him in his case for "knowingly burning" Jessica Runions' vehicle. His trial is set for October.

In a statement to ABC News on the discovery of Runions' remains, Hastings said, "Despite developments made over the course of the past week, Mr. Yust remains charged with only one count of knowingly burning a vehicle. He has pled not guilty to that offense, and the defense will continue to prepare for trial in that case, currently scheduled for October, 2017." She continued, "There are too many unknown factors to comment further, but I can assert that Kylr has not been charged with any further crimes."

The Cass County Sheriff's department and surrounding law enforcement agencies continue to search the area where the remains were found. KCPD Capt. Graves said police are taking their time.

"As long as it takes, a day, a week you just never know," Capt. Graves said. "We want to scour that area and discover any other evidence or potential remains."

United in grief and determination, the families say they are just beginning a new chapter in their fight for justice for their daughters.

"This is just the beginning... We are in this for the duration. I'm Kara's voice and she is Jessica's voice. And we are going to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear," Rhonda Beckford said.

"Our girls [will have] the last word. That's all I pray for," Jamie Runions added.

ABC News' Jake Lefferman contributed to this report.