A 7-year-old girl’s body was found in a lake yesterday in Kep province, apparently murdered over a pair of earrings that authorities say were worth about $0.60.

Poung Sokheng, Kep’s deputy provincial police chief, said the body was found in a lake on a farm in Prey Thom commune after the girl went missing on Sunday. The little girl had followed her mother to work on Sunday, but left early to return home alone.

The family conducted an unsuccessful search for the girl when she failed to reappear on Sunday night. When they went to resume the search on Monday morning, a farmer informed the family that he had found her body in the lake.

“The robber probably did not know the earrings were fake,” Sokheng said. “Her mother told us they were fake.”

Sokheng said that after consulting a doctor, police concluded the girl was murdered.

“We concluded that she was murdered and thrown into the lake and not drowned, because there were bruises on her head and eyes and a scratch on her neck,” he said.

Sokheng clarified that the little girl was not raped and said police are investigating to find the suspect.

Kol Sokhorn, Prey Thom Commune chief, said the missing earrings were only worth 2,500 riel, or about 60 cents.