Autumn Pasquale: Missing New Jersey Girl's Body Found; 12-Year-Old Texted Twice Before Disappearing
The body of missing 12-year-old New Jersey resident Autumn Pasquale was found in a recycling bin just blocks from her home Monday in Clayton, N.J., two days after her parents reported her missing.
As of Tuesday, prosecutors didn’t have any suspects in Autumn’s death, although more clues were gathered in the investigation into her death.
“At this point, we don’t have any person of interest,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said Tuesday, according to the New York Daily News. “There have been no arrests. “I wish there was better news we could give you.”
Dalton called the discovery of Autumn’s body “a very sad day for the Pasquale family,” the Newark Star-Ledger reported.
"Our hearts go out to the family and to all the residents of Clayton who stood together in support of this young girl,” Dalton added.
Autumn went missing after she rode her bike to a nearby park from her home in Clayton around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
A student at Clayton Middle School, Autumn was expected to be back home around 8 p.m. Her family reported her missing at 9:30 p.m. after they had not heard from the 12-year-old girl, according to the Star-Ledger. The family said it was unusual for Autumn not to check in with her family.
Police found Autumn’s bike at a Clayton residence, but they did not reveal who the home belonged to. According to the Associated Press, a neighborhood boy has a reputation for stealing bikes.
Autumn’s disappearance led to the creation of a Facebook group with nearly 2,000 likes. “Autumn Pasquale - A girl who’s worth fighting for” featured updates on the missing girl’s case and encouraged supporters to help bring the girl home.
A vigil was held in Clayton for Autumn on Monday night as supporters held out hope that the missing girl would be found alive.
"Say your prayers for Autumn and all the children who are lost and can't find their way home," her uncle, Paul Spadafora, said at the vigil, according to the Star-Ledger.
But the news that Autumn’s body was discovered brought a tragic end to the search.
“We have lost a precious, precious child,” Spadafora told the Daily News. “It’s not the results we wanted, but we have closure.”
Prosecutors revealed that Autumn sent two text messages from her phone before she disappeared, but detectives did not disclose the contents of the texts, according to the Daily News.
Dalton vowed that prosecutors would go after anyone who is responsible for Autumn’s death, although he stopped short of saying she was murdered.
"If it is determined someone is responsible for her death, they don't deserve to be walking the streets. We will put them where they belong, behind bars," he said, according to CBS News.
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