Murder Charge for Missing Girl's Neighbor

April 2, 2008 — -- A 7-year-old girl who disappeared from her Utah home Monday was likely dead before her parents realized she was missing, allegedly killed by a neighbor in the apartment complex where she lived, police said today.

"It [the killing] occurred within the hour, within an hour of her leaving her house," South Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Snyder said at a news conference today. He said the girl died "fairly quickly, probably before the family even knew she was missing."

Hser Nay Moo was found dead Tuesday night in a bathtub inside the neighbor's apartment, police said.

The man, Esar Met, 21, admitted to authorities that he killed her before trying to hide her body, according to Utah police.

Met, who lived in a row-house style unit at the same complex from which Moo disappeared Monday afternoon, was arrested this morning after he admitted to attempting to hold the child "by force" and she died, according to a Salt Lake County statement.

Met also told authorities he tried to conceal the body and other evidence from the crime scene, according to the statement.

In addition to the aggravated murder charge, Met was booked on kidnapping and evidence tampering charges.

Met was among five people held for questioning after a team of FBI agents found the missing girl's body in a basement bathroom around 9 p.m. inside the South Parc apartment complex.

The four other men were questioned by police and released, Gary Keller, a spokesman for the South Salt Lake City police, confirmed to ABC News.

Keller said additional charges in the case were "probable."

Hser knew some of Met's roommates and frequently went to their apartment to play, Snyder said today.

The girl's father knocked on the door of the unit when he was looking for her, but no one answered, according to police.

Snyder announced the discovery of the girl's body late Tuesday night.

The child appeared to have died from some sort of trauma, Snyder said, but declined to provide additional details. "I will say there is some trauma present and that's all I'm going to say," he said.