The father of a 9-year-old Indiana girl who was bludgeoned with a brick and dismembered says he knew the man accused of killing his daughter and had no reason to distrust him.

Dawayne Maroney of Centerville, Iowa, says he hadn't recently talked with his daughter, Aliahna Lemmon, or her mother, because they frequently changed their phone number. Aliahna's family lives in a Fort Wayne trailer park whose residents include 15 registered sex offenders.

Maroney says he's having difficulty coping with his grief but plans to attend Aliahna's funeral.

Thirty-nine-year-old Michael Plumadore, faces a preliminary murder charge and remains held without bond. He's due back in court Friday.

Allen County Coroner E. Jon Brandenberger said Wednesday afternoon he won't know the girl's cause of death until further tests are completed.