Posted on 02/03/2004 4:25:21 AM PST by milemark
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Firstcoastnews.com
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If you'd like, there's another young woman in Florida you may have heard of. www.terrisifight.org. Activist judges want to kill her - they've already tried twice. They want to finish the job.
Now back on topic before I get flamed.
FOX is reporting they have a suspect in custody!
A suspect was being questioned Wednesday in the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl who was apparently kidnapped while walking home from a friend's house, authorities said.
The girl's whereabouts were not immediately known.
Joseph P. Smith, 37, was in custody on unrelated charges that officials did not specify.
His car, a Buick Century station wagon, was being searched by investigators in a search for clues in the disappearance of Carlie Brucia, whose apparent abduction was captured by a car wash surveillance camera.
Sheriff Bill Bockwell said investigators were led to Smith after a tip was phoned in by a citizen.
SARASOTA, Fla. - A suspect was being questioned by investigators Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl, who was apparently kidnapped while walking home from a friend's house, officials said. The girl's whereabouts were not immediately known.
Joseph P. Smith, 37, was in custody on unrelated charges which sheriff's officials did not specify. Smith's car, a Buick Century station wagon, was being combed by sheriff's investigators in a search for clues in the disappearance of Carlie Brucia, who has been missing since Sunday.
"We have strong evidence that he is in fact the perpetrator," said Capt. Jeff Bell, the lead Sarasota County sheriff's investigator on the case.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill said investigators were led to Smith after a tip was phoned in by a citizen. Authorities were chasing more than 400 leads, Balkwill said.
Sheriff's Col. Terry Lewis called it an "ongoing, dynamic investigation." He said his investigative team will continue working through the night, but would not have further comment until a press briefing at 9 a.m. Thursday.
SARASOTA, Fla. - A suspect was being questioned by investigators Wednesday in connection with the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl, who was apparently kidnapped while walking home from a friend's house, officials said. The girl's whereabouts were not immediately known.
Joseph P. Smith, 37, was in custody on unrelated charges which sheriff's officials did not specify. Smith's car, a Buick Century station wagon, was being combed by sheriff's investigators in a search for clues in the disappearance of Carlie Brucia, who has been missing since Sunday.
"We have strong evidence that he is in fact the perpetrator," said Capt. Jeff Bell, the lead Sarasota County sheriff's investigator on the case.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill said investigators were led to Smith after a tip was phoned in by a citizen. Authorities were chasing more than 400 leads, Balkwill said.
Sheriff's Col. Terry Lewis called it an "ongoing, dynamic investigation." He said his investigative team will continue working through the night, but would not have further comment until a press briefing at 9 a.m. Thursday.
SARASOTA, Fla. Detectives were questioning an ex-convict Wednesday night in the disappearance of Carlie Brucia, as indications mounted that the 11-year-old Sarasota girl whose abduction was captured on a security camera had been killed.
Late Wednesday, deputies blocked streets around a house where Joseph P. Smith had been arrested a day earlier. Authorities said the girl's body was not in the house but would not comment on what they did find.
About 10:30 p.m., officials called Steven Kansler, Carlie's stepfather, out of the crowd and took him into the house. When he emerged, he spoke briefly to Carlie's friends many of whom began weeping, and some collapsed to the ground. A close friend of the family said investigators told him they think Carlie is dead.
Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill said the suspect, Smith, 37, was in custody on unrelated charges.
Smith, whose background includes charges of aggravated assault and drug possession, was picked up on a tip. The sheriff would not elaborate, but Sarasota County Jail records indicated that Smith was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges of cocaine possession and violation of probation.
Detectives also seized Smith's beige 1992 Buick Century station wagon, which they said contains evidence linking Smith to Carlie.
"Our investigators worked through the night, and we have strong evidence to indicate that he is our suspect," sheriff's Capt. Jeff Bell said.
Smith lives on Ingot Lane in Sarasota, a middle-class neighborhood of single-family houses. No one answered the door at his home Wednesday night.
Ernest Riley, 43, a neighbor, said Smith was an auto mechanic in Sarasota but he didn't know the name of the shop.
"Yeah, he's a nice guy," Riley said, adding that Smith and his wife have three girls. "A typical family man. I never heard anything bad."
Riley said he couldn't believe that Smith would harm anyone.
"But if he did have something to do with it, I hope that he would admit it so that girl can come home safe," Riley said.
Kim Bringham and her stepdaughter Rebecca Feins, 13, friends of Carlie's family, wiped tears from their eyes as they heard the news.
"I'm glad they got him, but this is still scary," Bringham said. "Carlie's still missing."
Rebecca, who attends the same school as Carlie, added, "I don't know what to feel. We're holding on to hope. We have to."
Sheriff's detectives plan another news conference Thursday at 9 a.m., but said that no other information would be released Wednesday night.
"Please understand," said sheriff's Col. Terry Lewis, "our investigators need this time to dig into this case."
More here: http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2004/02/05/news/nation/thunat00.txt
"I'm glad they got him, but this is still scary," Bringham said. "Carlie's still missing."
"Rebecca, who attends the same school as Carlie, added, "I don't know what to feel. We're holding on to hope. We have to."
Those statments seem contradictory. What could they have found in that house? The article says no body, was it blood? This is reminding me of the Dru Sjodin case in Minnesota, perp caught, no victim found.
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