YERINGTON, NV - Authorities said 73-year-old Peggy Herlacher of Silver Springs, who disappeared in July, was likely strangled.

Lyon County Sheriff Alan Veil announced Thursday the findings at a press conference on the courthouse steps in Yerington. More tests are being done, but the autopsy showed signs of strangulation.

After weeks of searching by police, family, and friends, Herlacher's body was found Tuesday in the backyard of a home in Riverbank in Stanislaus County. The home is owned by the grandfather of James Masterson, who is suspected of robbing and murdering Herlacher, who is Masterson's grandmother.

The Riverbank home had been searched before without the help of cadaver dogs. But on Tuesday, an alert deputy noticed loose dirt on top of a sprinkler head next to a flower garden. It was there they found Herlacher buried, wrapped in bedding and plastic.

Masterson has already been charged with stealing Herlacher's car and using her credit card. Sheriff Veil said he expected formal murder charges to be filed by the district attorney's office soon.

Veil said news of finding Peggy Herlacher has deeply affected the community.

"Not only has this hit the family really hard, it was also brought the Silver Springs community to its knees," Veil said.