NE Iowa Man Guilty of Murdering Young Girl

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jurors have convicted a man of first-degree murder and sexual assault in the killing of his former girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter.

After about five hours of deliberation Tuesday, jurors found 35-year-old Casey Frederiksen guilty of sexually abusing and stabbing to death Evelyn Miller while babysitting her in July 2005. The girl's body was found in the Cedar River five days after she was reported missing.

Frederiksen was arrested in 2012.

Jurors received the case shortly after noon following closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. Prosecutors say Frederiksen could be linked to the death based on statements he made to investigators and relatives, but defense attorneys maintained that another suspect was responsible for the girl's death.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 11.