Police are not saying how Alayna died, but the medical examiner has ruled the child’s death the result of homicidal violence. Her mother reported her missing at 8 a.m. Anderson, a family friend, was also missing.
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Prior to being implicated in Alayna’s death, Anderson’s criminal history as an adult appears limited to minor traffic violations and a handful of calls in Wright County for other matters, including an assault in April 2014 and four incidents involving domestic disturbance, the Sheriff’s Office in that county said Tuesday.
Anderson, a friend and co-worker of Alayna’s father, “had previously been to that residence and spent a night here and there, so he’s not a stranger and not new to the residence, but was just there for the night”, Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze told reporters Saturday night.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert early Saturday afternoon.
Ertl’s body was found nine hours later in a rural area near Motley in Cass County.
Police dog officers apprehended Anderson about 4:24 p.m.in a wooded area a quarter of a mile from the cabin. Anderson, unarmed, did not flee or resist arrest.
The brown-eyed girl was pronounced dead at the scene. SW in Watkins, according to the Amber Alert.
He remains in custody in the Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd on probable cause murder and kidnapping. He is expected to make his first court appearance in Cass County District Court on Monday or Tuesday. He has not yet entered a plea and it is unknown if he has retained an attorney.
Hours later, a tip sent authorities to a property in Cass County owned by the Anderson family.
Kayla Ertl told authorities she put her daughter to bed around 2 a.m.at the family’s home at 221 Meeker Ave.
According to the criminal complaint, Ertl’s father and Anderson played softball together on the evening of August 19. KARE 11 reached out to the family of Alayna Ertl who politely declined an interview request.
On Sunday, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office was referring media inquiries to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A funeral has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church.
Her family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses.
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The Todd County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Baxter and Coon Rapids Police, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the FBI, the Cass and Meeker County Sheriff/Attorney Offices, North Memorial Ambulance and Minnesota Canine Search and Rescue are all helping in the investigation.
