An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday on 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, whose body was found in a suitcase in a dairy-farm pond near her California home.
Police found the girl's body Monday, after she went missing March 27 in Tracy, California. Police did not identify a suspect in her disappearance and did not know the cause of death.
News of the girl's death devastated her family, Tracy police spokesman Tony Sheneman said.
"They have just experienced the unimaginable," Sheneman said.
The day Sandra was last seen, she came home from school, kissed her mother and left to play with a friend who lives a couple of homes away. A short time later, she left that home to go to another friend's home, according to a spokeswoman for her family.
The child was last seen by her family wearing a pink Hello Kitty T-shirt and black leggings.
Authorities identified her body by the clothes she was wearing, Sheneman said.
Earlier in the investigation, police released surveillance video that showed the child in the mobile home park where she lives -- skipping and happily swinging her arms on the day she disappeared. They had hoped to get tips with the eight-second video.
On Monday, they got a tip about the dairy farm.
Workers on the farm were getting water from a retention pond when the black suitcase came to the surface of the water, police said.
"It is very difficult for everybody involved. We were optimistic that we would find Sandra alive," Sheneman said.
Hundreds attended a vigil for Sandra on Monday at a community park near her family's home in Tracy, CNN television affiliate KCRA reported.
The crowd formed prayer circles, sang and created memorials honoring Sandra, the affiliate reported.
I just dont understand how anyone could take a little kids life away. Thats so terrible I really hope they find some clues as to who couldve done this to that little girl. The scariest part is the killer is still out there
:( this is so so horrible. It makes me sad to think that there are people who are filled with such hatred and cruelty. I hope they figure this thing out. how bizarre. I feel so bad for her poor family :( harram
This story absolutley breaks my heart! Such a sweet young innocent little girl taken from her neighborhood and brutally murdured. These types of crims need to stop! I'm sick and tired of seeing simiar cases as these on the news. There are so many evils in this world. I can come to comprehend how anyone could ever do such a terrible thing to a child. May God be with the family and mother of little Sandra Cantu :'(
