CLAYTON — Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton today said investigators have no suspect in connection with the death of Autumn Pasquale, a missing 12-year-old whose body was found in a recycling container here.
“At this point, we don’t have any person of interest,” Dalton said at a press conference outside Clayton’s municipal building. “There have been no arrests.”
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Dalton said he came to Clayton to thank residents for their outpouring of support after Autumn, a Clayton Middle School student, vanished Saturday afternoon. Her body was found around 10 p.m. Monday.
“I wish there was better news we could give you,” Dalton said.
He said investigators are “gathering all the evidence, physical and otherwise…That will continue until we find out what happened.”
“Today is about a young girl named Autumn,” Dalton said. “I think our focus should be on her.”
He also noted the girl’s slaying was an unusual case for Gloucester County.
“Gloucester County is one of the safest counties in the state of New Jersey,” the prosecutor said. “We have very few homicides in Gloucester County.”
UPDATE 10:03 a.m.:
The family gathered to address the media and the public at the same spot outside borough hall where just 24 hours prior hundreds of people turned up to start a massive public search effort.
“We have lost a precious, precious child,” said Paul Spadafora, Autumn’s uncle and godfather.
He thanked the public, authorities and members of the media for their response and caring during the search.
“It’s not the results we wanted, but we have closure,” Spadafora said.
“Whoever is responsible will be held accountable for their actions,” Prosecutor Sean Dalton said.
“This will not happen in our town,” police chief Denis Marchei said.
UPDATE 10 a.m.:
Relative confirms body found in recycling bin is missing New Jersey girl.
UPDATE 9:35 a.m.:
Investigators are on the scene at 309 E. Clayton Ave.
Investigators went door-to-door, questioning neighbors to see if they had witnessed anything unusual in the past few days.
As news of the discovery spread this morning posts on a Facebook page dedicated to the earlier search for Autumn turned from prayers for the girl’s safety to messages of grief and prayers for Autumn’s family.
“I do not know you but I have young girls of my own and cannot imagine the pain you are in,” one woman wrote. “Your family will be in my prayers.”
UPDATE 9 a.m.:
The search for a missing Clayton girl has become a criminal investigation after the discovery of the child’s body in a recycling bin, authorities said today. Tuesday is trash day in Clayton.
The body, found around 10 p.m. Monday by investigators for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, has been preliminarily determined to be that of Autumn Pasquale, a 12-year-old girl missing since Saturday. An autopsy to determine the cause of death is to be performed today by the Gloucester County Medical Examiner’s Office.
While news of the horrific discovery has spread rapidly, as of this morning authorities have released few official details.
– Authorities have not specified the exact location of where the body was recovered or what led investigators to the recycling bin.
– There has been no word as to whether investigators have made any arrests or developed any suspects.
– It also remains unclear how long investigators believe the body had been in the recycling bin before being discovered last night.
Members of Autumn’s family were told of the discovery, Prosecutor Sean Dalton said in a statement.
“This is a very sad day for the Pasquale family,” said Dalton. “Our hearts go out to the family and to all the residents of Clayton who stood together in support of this young girl.”
Dalton’s office led the search with the help of some 20 local, state and federal agencies. An outpouring of local volunteers also responded to the girl’s disappearance, and many community members held a candlelight vigil for her on Monday night.
Autumn was reported missing from her West High Street home around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, after she had gone bicycling to Scotland Run Park earlier in the day. Her family and the prosecutor’s office had offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to finding her.
Since her family reported her missing, investigators have interviewed some 75 persons, including friends, family and others who saw her Saturday, said the prosecutor. Neighborhoods in Clayton and surrounding towns were canvassed, and security camera video from local businesses were requested.
“All known sex offenders have been questioned and their residences inspected,” Dalton noted in an earlier statement on Monday.
