I had been assuming the suspect was male.

Suspect in Killing of Missouri Child Reportedly Is Teen Girl - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

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We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.
C. S. Lewis

I have a relative that lives about 20 minutes away and she has been saying it's a girl all along, as well.

Dh and I were discussing how hard it is going to be to try this case in Cole County. Too many people know who the suspect is and are angry.

__________________
We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.
C. S. Lewis

I assumed it was a male as well.

That's just crazy! How horrible for both families.