SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Before Central New Yorkers learned that Maddox Lawrence was missing, she'd already been killed, her body burned and hidden in Onondaga Creek, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Maddox's father, Ryan Lawrence, told police he'd killed the girl in Labrador Hollow, a remote area of Cortland County, on Saturday, the source said. Lawrence admitted he then partially burned her body, drove it to Syracuse and hid her remains in the creek, the source said.

Police recovered a body from the creek shortly after noon today. It appeared to have been burned, the source said.

Syracuse police charged Lawrence with second-degree murder after recovering the body.

After disposing of the body on Saturday, Lawrence left his car in the parking lot of Destiny USA, where he was supposed to pick up his wife, Morgan Lawrence, the source said. Ryan Lawrence has apparently been without a vehicle since then, and has been getting around by foot, the source said.

Lawrence left an eight-minute video for his wife in which he says, "I'm leaving and I'm taking her with me," the source said.

Lawrence also left a note for his wife in which he indicated he might harm his daughter and himself, police have said. Morgan Lawrence notified police, which prompted an Amber alert Sunday morning.

Lawrence was buying a comforter at a thrift store in Baldwinsville on Monday when an acquaintance spotted him and called 911, the source said.

Police then stopped Lawrence as he was walking along Downer Street. He had a backpack with camping gear, a wig and a book about how to avoid being captured, the source said.

After police interrogated Lawrence, they took him with them to point out where he'd hid Maddox's body, the source said.

Lawrence indicated to police that, before killing Maddox, he'd been jealous that she'd been taking his wife's attention from him, the source said.

State police investigators have begun processing the scene in Labrador Hollow, the source said.

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