SAD NEWS: Body discovered in Sarasota is that of missing girl

[clevfan]

Very, very sad news. They found her body behind a church[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]


CNN: Authorities believe they've found body of Carlie Brucia


STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS


SARASOTA -- A body believed to be the remains of missing Carlie Brucia was found early Friday behind a church off Interstate 75, CNN reported this morning.

A news conference is planned for later this morning. The Brucia family has been notified, and tests are pending to confirm the identity of the body, CNN reported.

[clevfan]

I just watched the news confrence and it has been confirmed that the body is hers


Sheriff: Carlie Brucia's body found

STAFF REPORTS

SARASOTA -- Sheriff Bill Balkwill announced this morning that the body of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia has been found.

"Our sympathy goes out to the entire family of Carlie," an emotional Balkwill said.

The family was notified this morning. The body was discovered behind a church of Interstate 75, CNN reported.

Detectives were planning to continue forensics and investigative work today to build a case against the suspect in the case, Joseph Smith. Another news conference is planned for later this morning.



Last modified: February 06. 2004 7:30AM

[The Major]

This is a terrible story. Just terrible.

[bazanster2]

Just Heartbreaking. It is a very sad day indeed. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[clevfan]

Carlie Brucia Found Dead

Friday, February 06, 2004



SARASOTA, Fla. — Authorities ended their search for Florida pre-teen Carlie Brucia Friday after they found her body in a church parking lot and charged a suspect with her abduction and murder.

"The body of a beautiful 11-year-old girl has been found," Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill said, choking back tears and thanking the community for helping to find the body.

The sheriff said suspect Joseph P. Smith, 37, had been charged.

Balkwill refused to say where Carlie was found, saying it is an active crime scene. The Associated Press reported that a law enforcement source said her body was found around 1 a.m. EST in a church parking lot near the car wash where she was abducted.

"Our prayers on behalf of everybody here in Sarasota County go out to the family," Balkwill said.

He said Smith, a mechanic, has been charged with her murder. He is believed to be the tattooed man in a mechanic's shirt who was seen in a car wash surveillance video leading Carlie away by the arm Sunday evening, authorities said.

"We now stand ready to complete our obligation, and assure you that he will pay the ultimate price for what he did to her," Capt. Jeff Bell said.

FBI Agent Carl Whitehead extended his condolences to Carlie's family at a morning press conference.

"We had hoped we could have brought her safely back home but unfortunately, the circumstances did not allow that to be," Whitehead said. "We will continue this effort to process the evidence to ensure that Mr. Smith is successfully prosecuted for this horrendous crime."

Family and friends had kept vigil outside Carlie's ranch-style house which was decorated with banners and posters reading, "We love you, Carlie."

Carlie was described by friends as a beautiful girl who loved singer-actress Jennifer Lopez, going to the mall and hanging out. The youngster was known for greeting friends with warm hugs. She was heading home from a slumber party when she was abducted. She had a cat named Charlie.

"I just want to thank everybody for all they've done," Carlie's father said during the press conference.

Smith had been held without bail since Tuesday on an alleged probation violation stemming from a cocaine possession conviction.

A home where Smith recently lived was cordoned off with yellow police tape late Wednesday night and several paper bags, presumably holding evidence, were carried out by investigators. His station wagon was also seized.

Smith has been arrested at least 13 times in Florida since 1993, according to state records. He was arrested in 1997 in Manatee County on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, but was acquitted a year later.

He served 17 months in state prison for heroin possession and prescription drug fraud and was released on New Year's Day 2003. He was arrested eight days later on a cocaine possession charge and was placed on probation for three years. He also was placed on probation for aggravated battery in 1993 and heroin charges in 1999.

A state Department of Corrections official said Thursday that a probation officer had asked a judge on Dec. 30 to declare Smith in violation of his probation because he had not paid all his fines and court costs.

Probation official Joe Papy said Circuit Judge Harry Rapkin declined to find Smith in violation, which could have returned him to jail.

An aide to Smith's public defender, Adam Tebrugge, declined comment Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[lifesabet]

horrible!

I still cannot understand why this Amber alert system is in place if it cannot be turned on within minutes.
24hrs is too long.

I dont care if a friend, a family member, or an 11 year old kid runs away. If a legal guardian says their child is missing, then the alert should be sounded immediately. There is no excuse for not using the system immediately, even if it ends up being a false alarm. So it costs money, who the hell cares, what tax paying parent will complain about too many false alerts if it can deter a few scum bags?

Im disgusted.

-lab

[gc_pres]

warm up the chair for this sick piece of shit.

[Omni]

I agree lifesabet, but I imagine that the issue is that so many people go missing, most of which aren't really abducted, that it would be too many false alarms and after a while the public wouldn't pay attention. You don't want amber alert to start being treated like when someone's car alarm goes off beacuse of so many false alarms.

I can't believe this guy had 3 daughters of his own. Chilling....just goes to show you I guess that you never really know anyone.

[The Devil]

Guys like him you should just put in a cell and let him starve to death........no quick kill...........

[HongKongphooey]

Lab,,, the good thinng is that it happend in Fl.. they will Fry is ass Quick,,, TX is the only sttate that is quicker to Kill their sickos,,,

I hate to say it,,, but the ammount of children that go missing,,If they made it much less than 24 hours,, we could see amber alerts every day,,, people may start ignoreing them,, like th faces on the sides of milk cartons,,,,

But You are right,,, that girl was 11,,, as soon as 12 midnight came around,,,, you should know that soemhting Horrible happend,,,, thats 8-10 hours,,,, UGH,,,, disgusting,,,,,

Hong,,,,

[Hotttgambler]

Agree with devil,let this fukker die a slow death in his cell. Sick bastard

[gc_pres]

Probation official Joe Papy said Circuit Judge Harry Rapkin declined to find Smith in violation, which could have returned him to jail.

i am in favor of cutting off this son of a bitch's balls as well. i am sure this pathetic judge thought he was reformed.

sick fu(ks such as this murderer should be thankful i don't sit on the bench. the electric bill for the state would be rather high (electric chair use) and the jails would be pretty crowded for real criminals... espeically life-long criminals such as this one.

say what you want about my man GW, but he wasn't shy about killing killers.

God bless the Brucia family.

[lifesabet]

http://cooltown.hp.com/mpulse/1102-lojack.asp

is a cool idea.

I dont think Id want anything that anyone else would have access to track. Rather maybe some inactive reflective style pendent, or preferrably something small like a cell sim card that I could hide and then have a transmitter/receiver where I could get a reflection and direction within say a 5 to 15 mile radius.

Anyone else know about lojack systems?

-lab

p.s. ditto that blessing to the Brucia family. I pray I never know what they must be feeling.

[gc_pres]

holy shit, lifesabet, you must have been reading my mind.

[lifesabet]

Well, gc,

you know how the old saying goes, right?

Need I say it?

-lab

[gc_pres]

i didn't know that GPS doesn't work indoors... that kinda sucks.

what is the old saying - it doesn' t come to mind.

[Pancho Sanza]

This is what I don't understand about people who don't support the death penalty.

Please make a case for me why this guy should not fried in a vat of hot oil?

[The Devil]

Usually they are the ones that scream the loudest when it happens to them Pancho......its all well and good when it happens to someone else.........but God forbid it happens to them!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kris]

Please make a case for me why this guy should not fried in a vat of hot oil?

Thats what im saying pancho. I wouldnt have any understanding why a person wouldnt wanna fry this sick fu(k. I have been all for the death penalty all my life.