– The Ramsey County Medical Examiner confirmed the five-year-old Watkins, Minn. girl who was kidnapped from her home early Saturday morning died of homicidal violence. Anderson was arrested about a quarter-mile from the house, and Alayna’s body was found in a wooded area nearby.
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The two men are also co-workers, the sheriff said. The white GMC Sierra truck belonging to the girls father was also missing with his cell phone inside.
The suspect, Zachary Todd Anderson, was staying overnight at the residence. He took police to the edge of the swamp, where they found Ertl’s unclothed body submerged in the water.
Alayna’s disappearance led authorities to issue an Amber Alert.
“She dressed up to a ‘T, ‘ she wore little dresses with the cutest little hats you could find, she loved doing it, she’d dance around with them, she was a little angel”, Jeff said.
Authorities went to the cabin and found the truck.
The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office began a search for the individuals and the vehicle.
Authorities say the suspect did not try to flee, was not armed and did not resist arrest. People are expected to gather at the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins at 8:30 p.m., KARE 11 says.
Investigators haven’t released details about how the girl was killed. Anderson’s criminal history appears limited to minor traffic violations.
Just before 2 p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office dispatch was contacted by a person claiming to be Anderson’s father.
Anderson remains in custody at the Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd, Minnesota. Funeral director Tom Ertl is a cousin of Alayna’s grandfather Rick Ertl.
According to the criminal complaint, Ertl’s father and Anderson played softball together on the evening of August 19. The cellphone pinged in Todd County around 9 a.m. Sunday but has since been turned off.
Thayer said the community came together in classic small-town fashion to pitch in with the cleanup, but the death of Alayna is a tragedy beyond comprehension.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up for Alayna’s family to help “ease some of the … burdens they are experiencing”.
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This is still an active investigation.
