WALKER, Minn. - A Coon Rapids man is now charged with the murder, sexual assault and kidnapping of a 5-year-old girl who was the daughter of a friend and co-worker.
Zachary Todd Anderson, 25, made his first appearance just before noon Tuesday in a Cass County courtroom. The criminal complaint filed against the defendant details how the body of 5-year-old Alayna Ertl was discovered in a swamp near Anderson's family cabin. An autopsy showed the child died of homicidal violence, with evidence of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. It was also apparent that the child had been sexually assaulted.
Anderson appeared in an orange jump suit. He was stoic, saying only two or three words. A judge set bail at $1 million with conditions, or $2 million without. Anderson's next hearing is set for October 10. There were no members of Alayna's family in the courtroom, but one family friend did attend the hearing.
Authorities in Meeker County were first contacted by the child's parents just before 10 a.m. August 20, after they woke up and found Alayna was missing from their home in Watkins. The child had fallen asleep on the couch and her mother carried her up to her bedroom about 2:30 a.m., the last time Alayna was seen alive. Anderson, a family friend, had stayed over at the Ertl home after playing softball with the little girl's father and drinking afterwards. Anderson was gone as well and the family pickup was missing.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued and investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) tried to locate Anderson by pinging his cell phone signal. They initially were able to get a signal, but it was quickly lost.
It was just before 2 p.m. that authorities received a call from the defendant's father, saying he was aware that Anderson was the subject of an Amber Alert. He added that Zachary Anderson had called earlier in the day and asked to use the family cabin, which is located near Motley in Cass County. Anderson's father granted authorities permission to search the premises.
Cass County deputies sped to the Anderson property and spotted the stolen truck in a concealed location. They then made entry into the cabin, finding a shotgun, loose shells and a suicide note on the kitchen table. The defendant was no where to be found.
Additional officers and K9 units arrived on the scene and began searching for Anderson. They noticed signs of foot traffic, followed them, and found the defendant standing in a swamp. There were lacerations on his left wrist from an apparent suicide attempt. He was arrested without incident. At first he denied knowing anything about the child, but when questioned by the BCA agreed to lead investigators to her body. They walked into the swamp, spotted a pink blanket described by the child's mother, and eventually found Alayna's unclothed body submerged under debris.
Anderson is charged with second degree murder, first degree criminal sexual assault, kidnapping and theft.