The case had many similarities to the abduction and murder of Destiny Norton, a 5-year-old girl who was kidnapped in 2006 after being lured out of her back yard by a neighbor. Her body was found in plastic storage bin in the basement.

Police immediately took four men who lived in the townhouse into custody and later found Met at a relative's home in Fort Union. After interviews, only Met was arrested.

"We do not believe the other four residents were there at the time (of the slaying)," Snyder said.

"From what we understand, they don't go into the basement," the chief said. The basement area of the three-story townhouse is where Met was living.

Police said Met had only lived in the United States for about 30 days. Snyder said the man had no criminal history during that month.

Support and sympathies for Moo's family poured in a day after the girl's body was found

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement Wednesday about the tragedy. "Our sympathy and prayers go out to the Wah family members as they deal with the devastating loss of their daughter, Hser Nay Moo. We pray that the spirit of the Lord will bring comfort, peace and healing to them and to the community at this difficult time," said church spokesman Scott Trotter.

Outside the family's apartment, a memorial started for Moo on Tuesday continued to grow. Well-wishers stopped by throughout the day to add balloons, candles, flowers and stuffed animals — plenty of them pink, the color of Moo's favorite Sunday dress.

A teacher left a handwritten note, recalling the times Moo wore her high heeled slippers to school and made herself long fingernails by gluing scraps of paper to her hands.

"I never would have guessed that the quiet little girl I saw on her first day of school — putting your backpack on the desk and keeping it there all day — would turn into the girl who dumped soap all over the bathroom floor so she could go 'ice' skating," the teacher wrote. "It was really hard to have a bad day when you were around."

Children placed flowers and toys at the memorial, and women held their daughters close as they watched the flickering candles. A woman brought a statue of an angel. She turned its key like a music box and a soft song was carried off in the early spring breeze.

Above her, a pink sign tied to a tree read, "You are never so lost that angels can't find you."

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E-mail: afalk@desnews.com, preavy@desnews.com