YORK COUNTY, N.C. -- A Gaston County family is grieving the loss of a 17-year-old girl after a body found on a York County creek bank last Thursday was identified as Heather Marie Catterton of Gastonia.

Family members had last seen her on Oct. 18, but they had not yet notified authorities to report her missing.

Her father, Nicholas Catterton, told Eyewitness News he was devastated to hear what happened.

"I knew in my heart that something was bad," Catterton said. "In my eyes, you don't do that to a dog."

York County sheriff's deputies were able to identify the teenager through fingerprints after releasing pictures of the clothes she was wearing and other clothes found off Robinson Road near the state line. Those pictures were shown on local TV news stations throughout the weekend.

"We put the press release out Friday. Then we got a call Saturday from a relative," said York County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jerry Hoffman.

Hoffman wouldn't talk about how Catterton died and declined to say anything about possible suspects. He also would not say if she was raped.

Eyewitness News learned that Catterton was found wearing a sweatshirt and socks, but her jeans were found near a bridge more than a mile away. Investigators are still awaiting a full toxicology report that they hope will tell them more.

Catterton was not enrolled in school and had been arrested twice on drug charges in Gaston County. In November 2008, at 16, she was charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Her brother, Barry Holland, said through tears that someone needs to come forward and tell the truth.

“I can't believe that someone would do this to her. She didn't deserve this. She was just a kid," he said. "She was a 17-year-old that never hurt anybody."

Deputies are now looking for two pickup trucks seen in the area where the body was found in the days before the discovery.

One is a newer model red Ford F-150 with tinted windows and a flat bed liner cover. It was seen on Robinson Road between noon and 1 p.m. on Tuesday and had a white male driver and a white female passenger, investigators said.

The second is a two-toned Chevrolet S-10 pickup that may have been blue on top and tan on the bottom. It’s believed to be a 1987 to 1990 model. It was seen on Robinson Road on Sunday, Oct. 25, and last Monday between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Hoffman said they're most interested in anyone who knows where Catterton was in the days before she died, from Oct. 18 to Oct. 28.

"We need to speak to anyone who can tell us anything about her activities or her whereabouts," Hoffman said.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the York County Sheriff's Office at 803-628-3059 or Crime Stoppers at 877-409-4321.

• IMAGES: Woman's Body Found In York County Field Evidence