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feelgood · 02-06-2004, 06:55 AM

Linky

Just horrible to think that a child could simply be grabbed and then murdered, where have this world gone to?!

Quote:

SARASOTA, Florida (CNN)
A suspect has been charged in the kidnapping and death of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, whose body has been found, Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill said Friday.

The suspect, Joseph Smith, was jailed Tuesday on unrelated drug and probation violation charges.

A surveillance video camera caught the girl's abduction Sunday behind a car wash, and her disappearance has received national media attention. Her remains were found behind a church near Interstate 75 in the Sarasota area, law enforcement sources said.

The Brucia family has been notified, authorities said.

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

Late Thursday, Carlie's stepfather, Steve Kansler, said he had been told that DNA evidence had been found in a 1992 Buick Century station wagon believed to have been used in the kidnapping. Kansler said he did not know the specifics of the evidence.

Investigators impounded the station wagon Wednesday. Balkwill urged those in the area to try to remember whether they had seen the vehicle between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday.

Police subsequently arrested Smith based on a tip from his housemate.

Authorities said Thursday that Smith was not cooperating with the investigation.

Balkwill said there have been more than 750 leads in the case.

In the videotape, recorded just after 6:20 p.m. ET Sunday, a white man in some kind of a work uniform is seen approaching Carlie. He briefly speaks to her as she hesitates, then takes her by the forearm and leads her away.

The man in the video has tattoos on his forearms.

NASA experts and those at the FBI's lab in Washington worked to enhance the videotape to get a clearer image of the man's face, tattoos and apparent name tag on his shirt.

The images have been enhanced and are in Sarasota. Balkwill said the images will be released to the public soon.

Authorities searched Smith's home and a field behind it Wednesday and found nothing immediately linking him to the girl's disappearance, a law enforcement source involved in the investigation said.

Forensic examinations are being conducted on certain items taken in the search, the source said.

The public defender's office said Smith's two attorneys had no comment on the case.

Carlie Brucia's mother, Susan Schorpen, had pleaded for her daughter's return.
Smith's criminal record in the area dates to 1993, when he was convicted of aggravated battery and sentenced to probation.

In November 1997, Smith was arrested on a charge of kidnapping and false imprisonment in neighboring Manatee County. He was acquitted of those charges a year later.

According to records from the Manatee County Sheriff's Department, a woman accused Smith of grabbing her as she was walking along a street and threatening to "cut her if she failed to remain quiet."

A passing vehicle stopped and intervened, allowing her to flee, records said.

The records also said Smith told authorities "he had been in an altercation earlier" that evening "and wanted somebody to walk with."

A few months before, Smith was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon -- a knife, according to his arrest record from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Authorities have charged Joseph Smith. 37, in the girl's kidnapping and death.
Smith has faced numerous drug charges. In 2001, he was convicted of heroin possession, possession of controlled substances and attempting to obtain controlled substances by fraudulent means. He served a little more than a year in prison. He was on probation when he was arrested Tuesday.

A woman who lives with him said she has known Smith and his ex-wife as well as their three children for many years. She would not say how long he has been living with her.

"He never knew the dark side of anybody," she said.

Smith's neighbor, Ron Thompson, said he was shocked to hear of his arrest.

"[He] has three beautiful little girls," Thompson said. "And he just adored them. And he played with them. And he took good care of them. It's just a different picture than what we see today."