One day after a six-year-old Sherrill girl was murdered, police are still piecing together evidence to learn what they say led her mother's live-in boyfriend to stab the girl. Our Sarah Blazonis has more.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

SHERRILL, N.Y. -- Neighbors say it was normal to see Lauren Belius and her siblings playing in yards along Primo Ave. That happy image was shattered Tuesday when their roles changed from watchful neighbors to first responders to a tragedy.

When Bob Adams woke up Tuesday morning, he found himself in the middle of a nightmarish scene.

"Very scary. Screaming, hollering. It was nothing I like to even relive in my mind," Adams said.

Two of neighbor Alison Belius' children had rung his doorbell to ask for help. Police say their mother's live-in boyfriend, David Trebilcock, had stabbed their six-year-old sister, Lauren Belius. Adams called 911 as other neighbors learned of the situation.

Cathy Cramer says she was on her way to work.

"I saw one of my neighbors on the ground over what appeared to be a small body, and Alison, the mother of the child, screaming for help. When your neighbors yell for help in this community, we run," Cramer said.

Lauren was taken to Oneida Hospital and was pronounced dead a short time later. Neighbors will miss seeing her play with her siblings and other neighborhood kids, but say other than that, they didn't know the family.

"They were very private people, they kept to themselves," Cramer said.

Adams said, "I didn't get to know the parents that well. I didn't get to know the monster at all."

Police didn't immediately give a motive for the attack and neighbors say some questions will likely never be answered.

"You never can grasp such a violent act. You know, death happens every day, but not in your neighborhood and not in such a violent way," Cramer said.

Though investigators were on the scene trying to learn more about what happened that day, some say they just want to forget.

"It was a terrible, terrible day. Worst day of my life," Adams said.

State police say they plan to charge David Trebilcock with second degree murder. The District Attorney's office says that will likely happen within the next 48 hours.