Police believe that Lori, a stockbroker's assistant who had been married to Mark Hacking for five years, had discovered her husband's deceptions and that her slaying was precipitated by an argument between them.

Mark Hacking is now charged with first-degree felony murder and three counts of second-degree felony obstruction of justice in connection with the killing. A week ago, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will be arraigned on the charges on Oct. 29.

At last week's hearing, Stott said that attorneys had not discussed a plea agreement.

Hacking's attorney, D. Gilbert Athay, reportedly plans to take the matter to trial. A telephone call to Athay from the Deseret Morning News was not returned Friday.

Mark Hacking's family also issued a statement Friday. Like the Soares family, the Hackings expressed their gratitude to volunteers for their efforts.

"We hope today's discovery will begin to bring closure to both our family and the Soares families in this tragic event," the Hacking family statement reads.

The investigation

Police have yet to locate the rifle, which is believed to have been put in a separate Dumpster.

Prior to the identification of the body, Dinse said Friday the search at the landfill would be over if the body was indeed Lori Hacking's. Investigators would not continue searching for the gun Mark Hacking is alleged to have used, he said.

Lori's body will remain at the medical examiner's office as the investigation continues, including the official determination of cause of death, Eslinger said. It was not known when her body might be turned over to her family.

Dinse did not know if it would be possible for medical experts to determine if Lori Hacking was pregnant at the time of her death. Mark Hacking had told Lori's mother that the couple had just learned Lori was pregnant. One of Mark Hacking's sisters had also told family that she had seen the results of a home pregnancy test.

Salt Lake Deputy District Attorney Bob Stott, the lead prosecutor in the case against Mark Hacking, called Friday "a good day all the way around for prosecutors."

Although confident of their case even without the recovery of a body, finding Lori Hacking's remains would only strengthen the prosecution's case, Stott said.

"Now we can prove a murder took place," he said. "Now we will be able to establish for sure that there was a death, a homicide, and probably be able to determine for sure how the death occurred."

Stott also said it was "a great day for the family."

"Now they know that (her) final resting place is not the bottom of the landfill."

The landfill