A Minnesota man was jailed Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of a co-worker’s 5-year-old daughter while investigators worked to determine what happened to the girl.
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Alayna Ertl, the sandy-haired 5-year-old girl who went missing from her Watkins home early Saturday morning, was found dead in rural Cass County later that afternoon.
Zachary Anderson, 25, a guest at the Ertl’s home, also vanished along with one of the family’s cars, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said.
The body of Alayna Jeanne Ertl was found in Cass County in a swampy wooded area, about 200 miles north of Minneapolis.
Police are not saying how Alayna died, but the medical examiner has ruled the child’s death the result of homicidal violence.
Investigators say Anderson is Ertl’s father’s co-worker, and he was staying overnight at Ertl’s mother’s home.
Anderson is accused of driving Ertl away in her father’s vehicle, with her dad’s cellphone still in the auto, officials said.
Anderson remains in custody at the Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd, Minnesota. He didn’t attempt to flee, had no weapon and didn’t resist arrest.
Police have not said anything about a possible motive.
The crime is being investigated jointly by the Meeker and Cass County sheriff’s offices and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
Ertl was found deceased in the southern portion of Wilderness Park Estates, a residential park located about three miles east of the village of Leader in Cass County.
When the time comes, relatives of the Ertl family, friends and others from Watkins and surrounding communities will gather at the Ertl Funeral Home in downtown Watkins to mourn and remember Alayna.
Additional law enforcement responded to the property and Anderson was located at 4:24 p.m.by police dog officers in a wooded area about a quarter mile from the cabin on the 4900 block of Iroquois Trail Loop Southwest.
The BCA issues an Amber Alert when a child is suspected of being abducted and when that child’s life or wellbeing is in danger.
Anderson graduated from Monticello High School, according a Facebook page under his name.
Deputies conducted a neighborhood canvass for Alayna.
Records show that Anderson’s only run-ins with the law prior to Saturday had been for traffic violations.
“It’s senseless”, Tom Ertl said of the little girl’s killing. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Church of St. Anthony.
A Facebook profile under Kayla’s name added a photo without comment Sunday morning: Alayna among pink, puffy clouds.
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This is still an active investigation. Anyone with information or who had seen Ertl, the suspect Anderson or the vehicle he was driving are encouraged to call the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office at 320-693-5400.
