Florida Woman Who Disappeared During Custody Handover Of Daughter Found Dead In Shallow Grave

A Florida mother who went missing during the custody handover of her 4-year-old daughter was found dead in a shallow grave in Alabama, police said.

The body of missing Cassie Carli, 37, was found Saturday evening, a week after she went to pick up her daughter Saylor from her ex-boyfriend at a parking lot of a Navarre Beach restaurant, as part of their custody arrangement, according to a news release from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's office Sunday afternoon.

The police arrested Marcus Spanevelo, Carli's ex-boyfriend and her child's father, Saturday from Lebanon, Tennessee, for lying about Carli's disappearance and not cooperating with the investigators in providing details about her whereabouts, NBC News reported.

Carli's body was later discovered while the investigators executed a search following Spanevelo's arrest.

"We discovered her body while executing a search warrant in Alabama. It was in a barn, in a shallow grave," Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said, adding that the property was linked to Spanevelo "in a roundabout way."

"It’s not the ending that we wanted, obviously, but we’re hoping to provide a little closure for the family," Johnson added.

The police identified Carli's body from a tattoo and her body was sent for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of her death.

Carli was last seen at her father's house in Navarre, Florida, on March 27, at around 7 p.m. before she went to meet Spanevelo to pick up Saylor, according to reports. Carli's father reported her missing the next day after she did not return home.

Meanwhile, Saylor is safe and unharmed, according to reports.

Spanevelo currently faces multiple charges including tampering and destruction of evidence and giving false information concerning a missing person's investigation. However, additional charges are expected to be filed against Carli after the autopsy, police said.

"We have definitely got a great case, and once the autopsy’s done and you see the charges filed, you'll understand. And he’s either going to spend the rest of his life in prison, or he’s going to get the needle. Hopefully the needle," Johnson told the outlet.

The investigators believe Spanevelo had acted alone. Spanevelo has no criminal history, according to reports.