Tulsa Police make arrest in murder of 10-year-old girl

A suspect is in jail on a first degree murder complaint in the death of 10-year-old girl. Police records say 29-year-old Daniel Johnson confessed to the crime.<br/><br/>Detectives arrested Johnson and

Tuesday, March 28th 2006, 10:47 pm

By: News On 6

A suspect is in jail on a first degree murder complaint in the death of 10-year-old girl. Police records say 29-year-old Daniel Johnson confessed to the crime.

Detectives arrested Johnson and booked him into jail for first degree murder, rape and kidnapping.

Police say he lives only a block and a half away from the 10 year old victim, Elizabeth Wagoner.

Police reports say Johnson told police he lured Elizabeth into his home against her will, bound her with duct tape, sexually assaulted and strangled her. They say he put her body into his van and dumped her next to a trash dumpster behind a shopping center.

Police identified Johnson from a fingerprint found on the duct tape and ran it through the computer system and got a hit. His prints were in the system from a previous drug charge.

Officers had questioned him during a canvass of the neighborhood last night, searching for the suspect's white van.

Tulsa homicide detective Mike Huff says, "He knew we'd be back. We stood in his yard and looked at his white van. He knew we'd be back."

Police say Elizabeth left her home in the 5700 block of East 26th Street at 4:45 yesterday afternoon to take a walk. When she didn't return by five, her parents began looking for her.

At 5:50, they called police and reported her missing. Her body was found 45 minutes later near a dumpster close to 21st and Sheridan.

The suspect arrested 12 hours later, lives close to both locations, at 5390 East 26th Place.