Posted at: 09/27/2012 10:43 PM
Updated at: 09/28/2012 7:35 AM
By: Steph Crock

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Mom’s Boyfriend Charged with Evelyn Miller’s Murder

(ABC 6 News) -- A big break in a cold case. Authorities have charged the man they say killed 5 year-old girl Evelyn Miller. Her body was found floating in the Cedar River shortly after she disappeared 7 years ago.

Investigators declared her death a homicide, but released little information. Thursday, the man long-considered a suspect in the case is officially charged and authorities say it’s what he said that helped solve the case.

Evelyn Miller vanished from her home in Floyd back in 2005. Investigators say the man who was supposed to be taking care of her, is the one who killed her.

"I'm hoping he didn't do it. I know he didn't do anything like that but it’s hard, you know, to sit there and defend him all the time." That was Evelyn's mother just months after her daughter was found dead. She's talking about her then-boyfriend, Casey Frederiksen. A long-time suspect in Evelyn's death.

"We have determined to charge Casey Frederiksen with murder in the first degree and sexual abuse in the first degree," said Floyd County Attorney Normand Klemesrud.

At the press conference Thursday authorities announced they have enough evidence against Frederiksen. He's currently in prison for unrelated drug and child pornography charges.

“Throughout all seven years we've been collecting evidence and talking to people," said Assistant Director Chari Paulson with the DCI.

According to the criminal complaint, Frederiksen told inmates things that had never been released by police. Like how the little girl died. She'd been stabbed in the neck. Frederiksen also allegedly told others he'd been molesting Evelyn for some time and was watching child pornography the night he killed her.

"It's too early to forgive him, he has done hideous things," said Evelyn's grandmother Linda Christie. Evelyn's  grandparents are still grieving, and cringe knowing what she went through.

"We're so very sad that it happened but we're glad to reach this point," said Evelyn's grandfather Richard Christie. As are investigators who've worked the case for 7 years.

"This is a glorious day," said Floyd County Sheriff Rick Lynch, but bittersweet because Evelyn can never be brought back.

"I am not in the mood to forgive someone who could do that to an innocent little girl," said Linda Christie.

When authorities were asked Thursday why Evelyn's mother Noel wasn't at the press conference, they said she's no longer living in the area and their attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.