PUEBLO, Colo. — The Pueblo Police Department said it found evidence Friday in the case of Kelsie Schelling. The Denver woman has been missing since 2013.

Authorities have been excavating the backyard of where her ex-boyfriend once lived in Pueblo. They said late Friday afternoon they found evidence in that yard.

They wouldn’t say what the evidence is, but they added it is not a body.

“We appreciate all the very hard work that went into the excavation at Manor Ridge,” Schlling’s mother Laura Saxton said. “We appreciate the cooperation of the homeowner, the hospitality of the neighbor for letting us take refuge in their yard. They fed the workers and made sure we had anything we needed.

“We have many long-term supporters and searchers who stood for hours waiting for news. We love and appreciate everyone who has offered support and prayers in whatever capacity they could.

“Unfortunately, we still don’t have our Kelsie and Kadrie back, so we are devastated. We had so much hope. We prayed for a Good Friday or Easter miracle. It felt possible.

“So now, we will grieve and put ourselves back together to move on to the next step. … We will never give up.”

Police did not say if the evidence might lead to charges for the ex-boyfriend, who remains a person of interest in the case.