The Kansas man is being held without bail on two counts of capital murder, authorities said.
A Kansas man who called police to report that his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter were missing is now behind bars and charged with their murders, authorities said.
Michael Peterson, 31, is being held without bail at the Ford County Jail. He is charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Kayla Vasquez, 31, and Aalilyah Vasquez, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Peterson's arraignment is scheduled for June 30, according to a jail official.
Officers arrived last week at Peterson's apartment in Spearville, after he called to say the mother and daughter were missing, authorities said.
"While they were inside the home, law enforcement officers noticed evidence that a crime had occurred in the residence," the bureau said in a statement. Peterson was then detained for questioning, the state agency said.
At 4:15 a.m., the body of Kayla was found in rural Ford County, officials said. Twenty-five minutes later, the small remains of Aalilyah were found some 20 miles away in the small town of Kinsley in neighboring Edwards county, authorities said.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help with funeral costs. "Aalilyah and Kayla were so loved by many," the campaign's sponsor wrote.
Autopsies have been scheduled to determine the cause of death for Aalilyah and Kayla, officials said.
Peterson was charged about two hours after the bodies were discovered, authorities said. No details were provided by law enforcement about what conditions were found in Peterson's apartment that led them to believe a crime had been committed.
An investigation into the killings remains open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 800-KS-CRIM, or the Ford County Sheriff's Office at 620-227-4501.
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