MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The mother of a Minnesota boy who went missing in 1989 and whose buried remains were recently found says her family is grieving.

In a statement Monday, Patty Wetterling says they "are deeply grieving and are pulling our family together," and that they are not ready to speak to the media.

A masked gunman abducted Jacob Wetterling in October 1989 near his St. Joseph home, about 80 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Saturday that a person of interest in Jacob’s abduction took authorities to a field in central Minnesota. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing case, said buried remains and other evidence were recovered.

Patty Wetterling is now an advocate for missing and exploited children.