Sharpen up the needles, fellas.
Cops: Carlie Brucia Found Dead
Friday, February 06, 2004
SARASOTA, Fla. — The body of missing 11-year-old Florida girl Carlie Brucia (search) has been found, the local sheriff announced Friday morning, choking back tears.
"The body of a beautiful 11-year-old girl has been found," Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill (search) said, thanking the community for helping to find the body.
The sheriff said suspect Joseph P. Smith (search), 37, had been charged with the girl's abduction and murder.
Balkwill refused to say where Carlie was found, saying it is an active crime scene.
Smith, a mechanic, 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.
He has been held without bail since Tuesday on an alleged probation violation stemming from a cocaine possession conviction.
Family and friends had kept vigil outside Carlie's ranch-style house which was decorated with banners and posters reading, "We love you, Carlie."
A reward fund of $50,000 was offered for information.
Smith has been arrested at least 13 times in Florida since 1993, according to state records and convicted of drug possession and other charges. He was arrested in 1997 in Manatee County on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, but was acquitted a year later.
An aide to Smith's public defender, Adam Tebrugge, had declined to comment Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.