The remains found in an isolated, wooded area of southern Ontario on the weekend are those of schoolgirl Victoria Stafford, police confirmed Tuesday.

Victoria Stafford disappeared on April 8. (Family photo)

Forensic scientists in Toronto using dental records "positively identified the remains as those of Victoria Stafford," said Det.-Insp. Bill Renton, who headed the joint OPP-Oxford Community Police task force.

Victoria, also known as Tori, disappeared just after 3 p.m. on April 8, minutes after leaving her elementary school in Woodstock.

The last image of the child was captured on a security camera. It showed her being led away from the school by a woman with dark hair who was wearing a white coat.

For more than a month, police searched for Victoria. That ended in late May when police arrested two people and charged them with first-degree murder.

On Monday, OPP investigators confirmed the discovery of human remains in an area near the small farming community of Mount Forest, about 95 kilometres north of Woodstock.

They couldn't say conclusively the remains were those of Victoria, but hinted strongly that it was the likeliest outcome.

Police said an investigator working on the case acted on some information and checked an area southeast of Mount Forest on Sunday. During the search, police located the body of a child.

Terri-Lynne McClintic and Michael Rafferty are charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder. (CBC)

Forensic testing in Toronto confirmed the findings, identifying Victoria by her dental records.

During Tuesday's news conference in Woodstock, Oxford police Chief Rod Freeman said he hoped "returning Victoria to our community and to her family will bring some sense of relief to Tara McDonald [Victoria's mother] and Rodney Stafford [Victoria's father] and all the family."

Freeman said the next step is "bringing this case to court."

Family appeals for privacy

A handwritten note was taped to the screen door on the home of Victoria's mother on Tuesday morning.

It was signed by Tara McDonald, who held regular afternoon news conferences while there was still hope her daughter was alive, but has since shied away from the spotlight.

"Please respect my family's wishes today and give us peace and time to process everything that is happening. I will contact the media if I wish to speak to anyone," the note said. "Please do not knock on the door."

Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding said the horrific case has deeply affected the community.

"We're probably looking at our kids in a different light but we cannot give our lives over to fear. And I think that this has caused us to maybe second-guess whether our kids are safe," Harding said.

Two Woodstock residents, Michael Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, are charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in Victoria's disappearance and are slated to appear in court again next month.

Their trials are expected to begin next year.

With files from The Canadian Press