Family friend charged in death of 5-year-old Watkins girl

Updated 1:20 p.m. | Posted 12:25 p.m.

Zachary Todd Anderson was charged Tuesday in Cass County Court with five felonies in the kidnapping, sexual assault and death of Alayna Ertl, the 5-year-old whose disappearance Saturday prompted a statewide Amber Alert.

Anderson, 25, of Coon Rapids, is accused of taking Ertl from her home in Watkins, Minn., strangling her to death, and attempting to dispose of her body on a piece of land in rural Cass County.

Specific charges include second-degree murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping to commit great bodily harm, kidnapping to facilitate felony or flight and theft of a motor vehicle.

According to charging documents, Anderson and Alayna's father Matt had gone out for the evening after playing softball. They returned separately to the family home in the early hours of Aug. 20 and then stayed up talking until the father went to bed at 4 a.m.

At 8:30 a.m., Alayna's parents discovered her missing. Anderson was also gone, along with the couple's truck.

Meeker County authorities were called just before 10 a.m. to search for Anderson, Alayna and the truck. The Amber Alert was issued.

At about 2 p.m., Cass County authorities were contacted by Anderson's father, who said he believed his son was the subject of the alert and that Anderson had called him earlier in the day asking for permission to use the family cabin in Motley, Minn.

Cass County investigators went to that property where they found the stolen truck empty in a ravine in an apparent attempt to conceal it. Inside the cabin, they said they found a 20-gauge shotgun and shells spilled out on the kitchen table. There was also an apparent suicide note with blood on one corner.

Search dogs eventually led authorities to a swampy area nearby where they found Anderson in knee-deep water with fresh cuts on his left wrist, according to the Cass County Attorney's Office.

After initially indicating he knew nothing of the girl's whereabouts, the documents say Anderson led deputies to a different area of the swamp where they first discovered the girl's pink blanket and then found her unclothed body submerged in water and covered by brush and debris.

An autopsy said the girl was strangled to death and there was evidence she was hit on the head and sexually assaulted.

Anderson's conditional bail was set at $1 million. He's expected to appear in court again on Oct. 10.

No motive was detailed in the documents. Authorities said the investigation is continuing.