OREGON, Wis. -- Authorities said the body they found in a Fitchburg field Monday morning might be that of a college student who vanished last month after a night of drinking.

Authorities were searching for Kelly Nolan, 22, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student when they found a body.

About 100 law enforcement officers searched a three-square-mile area near the intersection of Highway 14 and MM in the village of Oregon beginning at daybreak. Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said they were looking for articles connected to Nolan's disappearance.

Police said that a K-9 officer led searchers to the body in a heavily wooded area just a few feet off a residential yard. Police found the body around 8:45 a.m., four hours after officers began searching the area, WISC-TV reported.

DeSpain declined to describe the condition in which the body was found, but said it was obvious to detectives that the person had been slain.

The body was found in a Fitchburg field about 10 miles south of where Nolan vanished. Dane County Coroner John Stanley said the body is a young female and it might be Nolan's but they haven't made positive ID yet.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said they consider the death a homicide and they do believe a suspect is at large. Authorities are releasing few details, saying they don't want to jeopardize the investigation.

Wray said that cell phone technology led investigators to search the area where the body was found, WISC-TV reported.

Wray didn't elaborate on the cell phone technology used, but Dane County has the ability to pinpoint the exact location of cell phone calls, WISC-TV reported.

Stanley called the investigation and scene "complex" and said that various agencies are working with Madison police in a "slow and tedious" process to gather evidence at the scene. Wray said that investigators are taking their time searching because the area is so big.

Stanley said that authorities won't be able to positively identify the body until Tuesday or Wednesday, WISC-TV reported.

Stanley said authorities could tell by the body that it has been there for a while.

Nolan's friends and family have been searching for her since she disappeared June 23 after becoming separated from her friends. They had been partying on State Street in downtown Madison.

Police said the area where the body was found had been searched before, but not to the extent it was Monday morning. Authorities said dogs trained to recognize Nolan's scent were involved in the latest search.

The body was found off a wooded road dotted with homes. Police closed off the area, and DeSpain said it will remain closed for several days as investigators search for evidence and interview residents.

A $10,000 reward is being offered by Nolan's family for information leading to her return or the conviction of anyone responsible for her disappearance.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.