The search for an autistic teen missing since Sunday has come to a tragic end after Jarrett Bortscher was found dead, his family tells CBC News.

“Words cannot express the family’s loss," family friend Jodine Thrasher said in a statement on behalf of the teen's family.

"Jarrett was a wonderful son and brother — he was dearly loved and will be forever missed.”

Bortscher, 18, went for a walk after dinner Sunday night and never returned to his home in Duggan. He was without medication and his father wasn’t sure if he was wearing a coat.

The family says the teen was suffering from Asperger's Syndrome and catatonia — he had been released from the Glenrose Hospital in June. He was awaiting transfer to adult care.