The suspect in the Tuesday abduction of a 10-year-old Springfield, Mo. girl is in jail for murder.
During a press conference Wednesday morning, police said Craig Michael Wood, 45, was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with the abduction of Hailey Owens.
An Amber Alert was issued after she was taken around 5 p.m. By 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Springfield police say they received a tip that led them to Wood at a residence in town.
Investigators initially believed he and Owens were heading to Oklahoma, signaling the multi-state Amber Alert.
Wood was taken into custody and later booked for first-degree murder in the Greene County Jail, according to jail records, and an official with the sheriff’s office confirms it is the same man at the center of the abduction.
During the press conference Wednesday morning, police did not confirm Owens’ body had been found but multiple news reports cite her family as providing confirmation.
Police say a search around the residence where Wood was found yielded evidence of foul play. The FBI Evidence Response Team is now helping process the scene.
The Amber Alert was canceled just before 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Witnesses told investigators Tuesday Wood drove down the street several times before approaching Owens and pulling her into his truck.
Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Norm Ridder confirms with 2NEWS Wood is an employee of the district. Ridder said Wood is a paraprofessional and coach who has been employed with the district since 1998.
