8-Year-Old California Girl Killed: 12-Year-Old Brother Arrested In Valley Springs Fatal April 27 Stabbing [VIDEO]
Authorities arrested the 12-year-old brother of an 8-year-old girl who was mysteriously stabbed at her home in a rural Northern California community on April 27.
The boy, arrested on Saturday, was not identified. He will be charged with homicide, Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz told reporters Saturday night.
The April 27 attack on Leila Fowler set off a massive manhunt in the tightknit Valley Springs community of about 7,400.
The boy told police he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder in their home while their parents were at a Little League game. He described the man as being tall with long gray hair.
Police said there was no sign of a burglary or robbery at the house.
The 15-day investigation included going door to door, searching storage sheds scattered across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Divers also searched two nearby reservoirs in search of clues.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized several knives from the home Leila shared with her father, stepmother and siblings to determine if one could have inflicted the fatal wounds.
A neighbor who told detectives she saw a man flee the Fowler home later recanted the story and was discredited by police.
Leila's brother was taken into custody at 5:10 p.m. Saturday and police hastily called a news conference to announce the arrest.
Authorities spent over 2,000 hours on the investigation "to provide Leila Fowler's family answers to her death," the sheriff said.
Police did not release any further details about the case at Saturday's press conference, but noted that the investigation is still ongoing
Several days after the killing, hundreds of people gathered at Jenny Lind Elementary School where Leila was a popular 3rd grader. Her mother, Krystal Walters, tearfully thanked the crowd for the support.
"I just want to thank the entire community and all of our family and friends for all the overwhelming amount of support you've given our family," Walters said at the time. "It will never be forgotten. Thank you."
