ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The father of an 18-year-old girl found dead with a friend Friday afternoon is urging parents to watch for signs of depression in their children.

Rachel Crites of Gaithersburg and her friend Rachel Smith, 16, of Potomac, disappeared two weeks ago, telling their families they were headed to a movie in Georgetown.

On Friday afternoon, someone driving in a remote area at Loudoun County's border with West Virginia found the girls' bodies in their car.

Crites' family had been especially worried because of an entry in her diary that said, "Wherever I end up laying, whether buried or cremated, I want to stay with my true love, buried next to her. This is my choice. I'm sorry."

In a statement issued Saturday, Rachel Crites' father, Troy Crites, thanked the searchers who gave "heart and soul" to find the missing girls.

"The outpouring of support - from friends, family and complete strangers has been truly remarkable. It is a journey which we all wished had turned out so very differently."

Authorities said there were no signs of trauma on the bodies, and the cause of death is pending autopsy results.

Troy Crites urged parents to watch for signs of depression in their children.

"As we mourn the loss of both Rachels, we only ask that you be aware of the true risks of depression in your children, and most importantly, that you hug your child today, for we cannot," he wrote.