THE man accused of murdering of Step Up actress Tricia Lynn McCauley was caught driving her car with her corpse in the back, according to US reports.

The actress, 46, was reported missing on Boxing Day.

5 Tricia Lynne McCauley was reported missing on Boxing Day Credit: DC METRO POLICE

The Washington Post reported that a frantic search by the actress's friends and family ended just after midnight on Tuesday when her car was spotted by a dog walker.

Police were alerted and minutes later found the man who had been seen driving it in Washington.

Adrian Duane Johnson, 29, handed the keys over to police, who then found the actress' body in the car, the paper claims.

A police statement revealed she had been "strangled and beaten".

5 Adrian Duane Johnson has been arrested and charged with Tricia's murder after he was found driving her car with her body in the back Credit: NBC

Petty criminal Johnson may suffer from mental illness, court documents revealed.

His stepfather Russell Dixon told press he had been living on the streets and confirmed he had mental problems.

But he added he "never saw any aggression".

5 Friends of the actress pray for her at a yoga centre where she worked Credit: AP:Associated Press

5 Tricia was also a respected and well-liked yoga teacher Credit: Facebook

Dixon also laid blame at the judicial system, who he thinks were too lenient.

He said: "The court system let him go. That’s not the help he needs. He should have been held."

Earlier this month Johnson was arrested for stealing four electric toothbrushes but was released due to a lack of witnesses.

5 Friends launched a frenzied search for the actress after she missed a flight on Monday Credit: Facebook

The judge ordered that he be released with GPS monitoring and ordered him to stay away from CVS - the US equivalent of Boots.

However a law enforcement official revealed that he did not show up to have the GPS device fitted to his ankle and no one followed it up.

Missing Person Critical 46 y/o Tricia Lynn McCauley white female, ’5”4 120 lbs,brn eyes, brn hair LOF wht 2 drToy Scion IQ DC Tags FC-0274. pic.twitter.com/JagTfgJIKy — DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) December 27, 2016

On Sunday at 4:30pm Tricia posted on Facebook that she was on her way to a Christmas meal - but she never arrived.

But it wasn't until she missed a flight to Oregon on Monday that concern set in, with her brother Brian launching a Facebook appeal to find her.

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Hours after her body was discovered, he posted: "Tricia is gone, they have found her body. Thank you all for your work, support and love."

As well as acting, Tricia was a yoga instructor and a respected voice in herbalism and urban gardening.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ltMYV-XbY]

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