Family Friend Held in Slaying of 8-Year-Old
Police on Saturday arrested a Nevada man on first-degree murder and kidnap charges in connection with the slaying of an 8-year-old girl.
Jeffery Couts, 28, of Sun Valley, Nev., was arrested about 2 p.m. in remote Anderson after turning himself in to authorities, said Redding police Sgt. Mike Pegg.
The body of Clarissa Ernst of Shasta Lake was discovered Friday not far from where Couts’ car was found the night before in Happy Valley. She was last seen with the man Wednesday night at a Redding mall.
Couts worked at a Reno, Nev., casino and was a longtime friend of the girl’s mother, Lynette Ernst, and visited regularly, authorities said.
On Wednesday night, Couts, Ernst and the girl drove to Redding, where Ernst works as an in-home caretaker. The mother called police after her daughter and Couts failed to return after going out for pizza.
An autopsy was scheduled for Monday to determine how Clarissa died.
Couts is being held without bail in Shasta County Jail.
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