Child’s accused murderer held on $1 million bail

WOOSTER, Ohio – The Wayne County man accused of killing his nine-year-old neighbor will remain in jail as he awaits trial.

A judge set bond at $1 million yesterday for Jerrod Metsker, after he pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

Metsker, 24, is accused of abducting and murdering Reann Murphy Saturday and throwing her body in a dumpster near her Smithville home.

A coroner says findings from an initial autopsy released Monday indicate the second-grader was strangled with an unknown object.

A sheriff’s investigator says Metsker was the last person seen with the girl at the trailer park where they lived near Akron. Neighbors say Metsker had been seen building a snowman with the girl and helped search for her after she was reported missing.

His relatives and attorney aren’t commenting.