Ertl’s body was found late Saturday afternoon in a swampy area in Wilderness Park Estates in rural Motley in Cass County.
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He was staying the night at the Ertl home as a guest and police said Anderson was by no means a “stranger” to the girl or her family.
Alayna’s family last saw her in their home in Watkins at 2 a.m. Saturday, the BCA said.
With that, the Watkins, Minnesota neighborhood began another devastating chapter of grief – rallying around the Ertl family as investigators work to uncover what led to the five-year-old girl’s death.
No other details were immediately available.
When they awoke, they discovered that Alayna and her father’s truck were missing.
Criminal charges are expected soon against a suspect in the kidnapping and killing a 5-year-old girl from central Minnesota.
Police dog officers apprehended Anderson about 4:24 p.m.in a wooded area a quarter of a mile from the cabin.
Investigators arrested Anderson and found the missing truck in the same county as Ertl’s body. “The suspect is in custody and our vehicle has been recovered as well”, Sheriff Cruze said.
The suspect, Zachary Todd Anderson, was staying overnight at the residence.
A preliminary autopsy by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner said Alayna Ertl died of “homicidal violence”.
Authorities pinged Matt Ertl’s cellphone at 9 a.m., since it had been in his truck when it was allegedly taken, but the device was turned off shortly thereafter, cops said.
“We have no known motive”, Cruz said. “And I know that doesn’t compare to what the family’s going through, but we felt we did everything we possibly could”. “We tried everything we could today to find her safely and obviously that didn’t happen”.
A GoFundMe web page, at gofundme.com/alaynajeanne, was set up Sunday to help offset memorial expenses.
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The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with information to call the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office at 320-693-5400.
