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Ill. man charged with killing girl who vanished waiting for church bus

OLNEY, Ill. -- Illinois authorities have arrested a man in the death of an 8-year-old girl who went missing last week.

Illinois State Police said in a statement Sunday that 53-year-old Glen R. Ramey, of Olney, was arrested for first-degree murder and predatory sexual assault in the death of Sabrina Stauffenberg.

The child’s body was found Wednesday behind a vinegar plant on the south side of Olney, a southern Illinois town of about 9,000 people. The girl vanished earlier that day as she was waiting on the porch of her home for a church bus,reports the Belleville News-Democrat.

Family friend and neighbor Denise Haley told the paper Ramey had been dating a relative of the girl.

“We’re just glad they caught the real killer, and now this family can mourn the loss of this beautiful child,” Haley told the paper.

Ramey is being held at Richland County Jail pending his arraignment. It was immediately unclear if he has an attorney. A listed phone number for Ramey could not be immediately located Sunday.

Multiple police agencies investigated the case, including police in Olney, Flora, Salem and Effingham.

State police did not release further details.

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