A 20-year-old man has been charged with killing an 8-year-old family member over the weekend.

Rock County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home in Fulton on Saturday for a missing child, as CrimeOnline previously reported. Deputies and Fulton police officer searched the home but didn’t find the child.

While conducting broader searches, deputies detained the 20-year-old family member, but Sheriff Curtis Fell declined to explain why they detained the person, WMTV reported.

After obtaining a search warrant, deputies found the child’s body. An autopsy determined the child died from a homicide.

The suspect was formally arrested late Monday morning on charges of first degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse. At the time he was detained, he was charged with child neglect causing death, possession of drug paraphernalia, and bail jumping.

Fell said he is undergoing an evaluation.

“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family,” Fell said. “Obviously this is has a significant effect on them. For our own people, we keep in contact with them every day over this. Anything involving a child is difficult, and it’s something you never forget.”

No further information was released.

The Rock County District Attorney’s office said the suspect will likely appear in court on Wednesday.

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[Featured image: WKOW]