CHICAGO | Now that Nailah Franklin's family members know the body found in Calumet City on Thursday is that of their missing loved one, they asked for continued prayers and remembrance.

"Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this sorrowful time," said a statement from Franklin's family e-mailed Friday to The Times. "As we move forward, the family asks that you respect this time of mourning as we plan the celebration of Nailah Franklin's life. She will be greatly missed by all."

An autopsy Friday confirmed the body found by Calumet City police the day before was Franklin, a 28-year-old Chicago woman whom relatives reported missing early last week.

Family members provided the dental records that confirmed a positive identification, and the Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death inconclusive, Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

Investigators have not determined where Franklin died, and department investigators are working with the FBI and the Calumet City Police Department, Bond said. The case is being characterized as a death investigation, not a homicide investigation, because the cause of death had not yet been determined, she said.

"This is a tragic loss. (The family is) trying to cope with it as best as possible," the Rev. Michael Sykes said after emerging from Franklin's sister's apartment building Friday afternoon.

Additional forensic evidence is being processed as police continue to piece together how Franklin's naked decomposed body came to be placed in a wooded area behind a group of vacant businesses in the 200 block of River Oaks Drive.

Police on Thursday obtained surveillance video from River Oaks Ford, which is across the street on River Oaks Drive.

Skip Solarczyk, an automotive consultant at the dealership, said Friday the business had two cameras facing across the street, but he wasn't sure how far they reached.

Franklin's body decomposed to the point that investigators couldn't determine the race or other factors that would aid in identification, and couldn't speculate on how long she had been there, police said.

"The biggest factors (in decomposition) are the temperature and the condition of the area where the body was found," said Calumet City police Investigator Marco Glumac, who has more than 25 years of experience in working crime scenes.

"The colder it is, the slower the process is. When it's warmer, the process is faster. We had three days in the 90s last week, which had an affect," said Glumac, who helped to process the crime scene Thursday.

In the e-mailed statement, Franklin's family offered thanks to those who have helped during the past nine days, including the numerous police agencies and the public.

"And very importantly, we express our thanks to the community, for all of their search efforts, prayers, and heartfelt expressions," the statement said.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.