( CNN ) -- The night that ended with Cherish Perrywinkle 's disappearance started with a generous offer at the dollar store . Investigators said a man met the 8-year-old 's mother at a Dollar General in Jacksonville , Florida , Friday evening . He told her that the family looked like they were down on their luck and that he wanted to take them to Walmart and buy them new clothes . Hours later , the mom called 911 . Her daughter was missing . The mother and her three children had spent hours shopping at Walmart with the man when he offered to buy hamburgers at the store 's McDonald 's , according to Michael Williams , director of investigations and homeland security for the Jacksonville Sheriff 's Office . The man set off toward the front of the store with Cherish . That , Williams told reporters , is when something went horribly wrong . `` They walked to the front of the Walmart toward the McDonald 's . They did not stop at the McDonald 's , '' he said . `` They walked outside , got in his van and left . '' On Saturday morning , investigators found Cherish 's lifeless body in a wooded area near a church 4 miles away . Authorities accuse the man who offered to buy her family clothes at Walmart , Donald James Smith , with kidnapping and killing her . He was arrested Saturday morning after an officer spotted his van driving on a local highway . Suspect appears in court . Smith , 56 , pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court on Sunday , CNN affiliate WAWS reported . He is being held without bond . It was not immediately clear whether Smith has a lawyer . Smith is a registered sex offender who was released from custody less than a month ago , Williams said . Authorities from the sheriff 's office had just made contact with him to verify his address on Friday morning . According to the Florida Department of Corrections , Smith has a lengthy criminal record that includes crimes involving children . He was most recently convicted of impersonating a public employee and aggravated child abuse by willful torture . Court records show he was sentenced to a year in the county jail and was released on May 31 . Investigators have not released information about how Cherish died or what they believe Smith was doing from the point of the abduction until his arrest . Her mother , Rayne Perrywinkle , has n't spoken publicly about what happened Friday night , and she declined to discuss the case with WAWS on Sunday . Cherish 's father , Billy James Jarreau , issued a statement Saturday through his attorney thanking law enforcement for their investigation and the public for their condolences . `` Mr. Jarreau hopes that his daughter 's death sheds light on the dangers of allowing dangerous pedophiles to remain in our community , '' said the statement from attorney Gerald Wilkerson . Williams told reporters that investigators had used all the resources they could to find the child . He said the tragic case offered a sobering reminder . `` Pay attention to your surroundings , '' he said . `` Pay attention to who you meet , who you give access to your children . '' A devastated community . A makeshift memorial of flowers , balloons , cards and stuffed animals has piled up in front of the church near the area where Cherish was found over the weekend , WAWS reported . Devastated friends left hand-written notes . Kendall Cabanda , an elementary school classmate , cried as she told WAWS about how much fun she had riding the bus with Cherish . `` We talked about stuff like TV shows , like girly things about dolls and fairies , '' Cabanda said , `` about stuff that is imaginary . '' On Sunday , hundreds attended a candlelight vigil to honor Cherish , whom friends described as a vibrant girl who liked to play dress up and loved to sing . At the vigil , her 5-year-old sister sang `` Twinkle , Twinkle Little Star '' for her .
Donald James Smith has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and murder charges . Smith had promised to buy the girl 's family clothes and hamburgers , a sheriff 's official says . Score: 6