Police disclosed  that a man has been taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping after an eight-year-old girl's body was found buried in a shallow grave in northwest Arizona.

Justin James Rector, 26, has been considered as a family friend by the victim's family. He was said to have been staying at the eight-year-old's home at the time the crimes were committed. At present, Rector is detained in Mohave County jail for the kidnapping and murder of Isabella 'Bella' Grogan-Cannella.

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"I am confirming that the man believed to be responsible for the death of Bella is in custody," Bullhead City Police Chief Brian Williamson said in a news conference.

To date, Williamson shared that investigators are still attempting to determine Rector's motive for murdering the eight-year-old. Authorities revealed that Rector was arrested on Tuesday due to shoplifting charges after he reportedly stole clothes to presumably change into after the murder. The suspect's old clothing has been recovered and stored for further examination.

Rector has been interrogated by authorities and currently regarded as an investigative lead in the case, according to Williamson. In addition, an FBI forensic team managed to match "unique shoe prints" the suspect left at the scene of the crime as being Rector's prints. As shown in the court papers documenting his arrest and questioning, Rector did not refute the charges but requested a lawyer to represent him.

"We set out to find Bella alive and bring her home, but we have completed the mission of bringing someone to justice for Bella's death," Williamson stated.

Reports show that the girl's family reported her disappearance to authorities after her parents discovered the eight-year-old absent from her bedroom on Tuesday. Responding officers noted that no sign of forcible entry or a struggle was detected. Her mother also told authorities that there was no reason for Bella to run away. The FBI and police agencies then coordinated to conduct a thorough search of the area in an attempt to locate the four-foot-eight-inch girl described to have shoulder-length dark blonde hair and blue eyes. A medical examiner then positively confirmed on Wednesday that the body found near the family's residence was Bella.

TagsArizona, missing girl, Isabelle Grogan-Cannella, Bella, Justin James Rector, Brian Williamson, FBI