Joseph Mellin stumbled on the remains of Stephanie Condon, a 14 year old who disappeared in 1998.

GLIDE, Ore. -- Joseph Mellin took his dog for a walk on an abandoned logging road Friday, March 13, when he took a break -- and gave police a huge break in a decade-old case.

"A white, gleaming white thing caught my eye," Mellin said.  "I walked over to see what it was and it was a skull."

Mellin had found what appeared to be human remains.

Mellin returned home and called the sheriff, who collected the remains and sent them to the Oregon State Police crime lab for identification.

On Wednesday morning, the Douglas County sheriff announced the results of that analysis: the remains belong to Stephanie Condon, a 14-year-old girl from Riddle, Ore., who disappeared in 1998.

Sheriff John Hanlin said it was the most important break in the case.

On Wednedsay morning, Mellin was still processing his role in the discovery. 

"I don't know, it's kinda hard," he said. " I'm actually just finding out, so it hasn't hit me yet."

The Stephanie Condon has weighed on southern Oregon for a decade.

"I'm just glad the Condon family can put this to rest and get some sort of closure out of this," Mellin said.

The spot is just a quarter-mile behind Mellin's house.  Mellin regularly runs his dogs on the logging road.  Friends say they picnic nearby.