The exact cause of death of young teacher Hannah McGuire has been announced

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder after the body of a young teacher was found in a burnt-out car in regional Victoria.

Emergency services were called to a vehicle fire in bushland at Scarsdale, 25km south of Ballarat, on Friday morning.

Hannah McGuire’s body was found inside the car near State Forest Rd just before 10am, hours after her family had reported her missing.

The death was initially treated as non-suspicious by police, until an autopsy allegedly found that the 23-year-old had died before the car was torched.

Police will allege she died inside her former partner’s Sebastopol home, on Ballarat’s southern fringe.

It’s alleged her car and a second vehicle were seen leaving the Sebastopol home at about 3.30am on Friday, and both were seen entering the forest.

7NEWS has been told McGuire’s family, who runs the National Hotel in Clunes, received text messages from a third-party saying Hannah had been at risk of self-harm.

Police sources have said the 23-year-old was living in fear for the last two weeks of her life.

‘Heart of gold’
A GoFundMe page was set up by the Clunes Cricket Club supporting the family of Hannah McGuire.

“As a community we send our deepest love and condolences to Glenn, Debbie, Jude and Fletcher,” the club said.

“Hannah was known by many as a bright young woman and had a heart of gold.”

The cricket club described McGuire’s parents as club sponsors and “very generous people”.

“All proceeds will go towards funeral costs and other expenses the family may need during this tough time,” the club said.

Two Sebastopol men, aged 21 and 22, were arrested shortly before 5pm on Sunday.

The 22-year-old man was later released, while the 21-year-old man was charged with murder on Monday afternoon.

Investigators believe the parties allegedly involved were known to each other.

The charged man will appear in Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.