A 57-year-old Indian-origin woman who went missing last week was found charred to death in Virginia.

Vanlata Patel had left her home last Thursday to board a plane to Toronto where she was supposed to visit her son but she never boarded the flight.

While the cause of Patel's death has not been released, officials said they are treating it as a homicide.

 The charred remains found last week by firefighters battling a brush fire in Mecklenburg County were identified on Tuesday as those of Vanlata.

"Our prayers are with Patel's family and friends during this very sad and difficult time," Captain Dave Wulff of the Cary Police Department said.

"No resource is being spared as we work collaboratively with Mecklenburg County and numerous other law enforcement agencies to solve this horrific crime.

On January 16, fire-fighters responded to a brush fire. Once the blaze was extinguished, crews found the remains of the woman.

The body was identified Tuesday by Virginia medical examiners as Patel.

''When I learned that she was really missing, I was shocked. I was really shocked, her estranged husband,'' Harish Patel, was quoted as saying by media her.

Harish said he has been separated from his wife for a while and was devastated to hear she had disappeared.