The skeletal remains of a mother-of-three have been discovered buried in a farmer's field ten years after she disappeared and seven years after her ex-husband was found guilty of her murder.

Debbie Hawk, 46, vanished from her home in Hanford, California, in June 2006 while her three children were away on a custodial visit with their father and her former husband David Hawk.

Three years later, in August 2009, Hawk was sentenced to life in jail after being found guilty of her murder and embezzling $300,000 from a trust fund set up for their children.

Hawk's lawyers claimed the absence of a body meant Debbie was still alive, but on Monday a farm worker found remains that police say are a '100 per cent match' for her, the Fresno Bee reports.

Police in California say they have found the remains of Debbie Hawk, 46, who disappeared in 2006 while her three children were away on a custodial visit with their father and her ex-husband

Detectives said the remains were buried under three feet of soil at the edge of a field that was largely out of use until 2010, when the owners began leveling it and digging furrows.

The churning of the soil eventually exposed a jawbone which was spotted by a farm worker on Monday who called his boss, who in turn alerted the sheriff's department.

David Hawk was found guilty of murdering Debbie in 2009 after a jury ruled he killed her to cover up embezzling money from their children's trust fund

Detectives immediately identified the bones as belonging to a middle-aged woman before a dental expert matched the jaw to records already on file for Debbie. Acrylic nails also found alongside the bones further confirmed the match.

Hanford Capt. Karl Anderson said Debbie's family were relieved to learn of the discovery, and said the discovery proves what he already knew - that Hawk killed her and buried the body. 

He said: 'We are just as convinced today as the day we arrested him, took him to trial and the day he was convicted that Dave Hawk is guilty of the murder of Debbie Hawk.'

The remains will now be handed over to the family so they can carry out a burial.

The disappearance of Debbie Hawk began on June 13, 2006, when her three children Chelsa, Conrad and Savannah, returned from a custodial visit with father David, a 20 minute drive away.

According to police reports from the time, the trio discovered the house in disarray, blood in the kitchen, and their mother's car missing from the driveway.

Two days later the vehicle was discovered parked on a downtown street in Fresno with blood inside, the windows down, the key in the ignition, and a stolen licence plate on the back.

After weeks of intense searches, on July 11, police reclassified the case from a missing persons investigation to a murder probe.

In October Hawk was named as the prime suspect in his wife's murder, and the lead detective announced police are working to build an 'airtight' case against him.

A farm worker found a jawbone buried at the edge of a field on Monday and alerted the police, who later used dental records from Debbie in order to identify the remains, which they say are a '100 per cent match'

The couple's children Chelsa (left), Conrad (right) and Savannah are 'relieved' their mother's remains have finally been found and are planning a burial for her, according to police

In June the following year Hawk was arrested on fraud charges relating to his children's trust fund, and in May 2008 he was arrested for the murder of his wife.

Following a ten-day trial in 2009, Hawk was convicted of first-degree murder for financial gain and nine other charges and sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors argued that Hawk had embezzled money from a $300,000 trust fund set up by his parents in order to help their children.

Debbie had discovered the illegal activity, lawyers argued, and so Hawk killed her in order to stop himself being exposed. 

Hawk has consistently denied killing his wife, and is currently in jail at the Corcoran State Prison.