Autumn Pasquale's Parents Question Handling Of Investigation
By Todd Quinones
CLAYTON, N.J. (CBS) – Clayton, New Jersey is rocked by the senseless killing of 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale and the arrest of two brothers charged with first degree murder.
A constant stream of mourners have visited the location where her body was found behind the suspects' home.
"I'm just so heartbroken that it can happen, just, in the blink of an eye. I think parents are not going to let children out of the door," said Tina Trivelli of Glassboro.
Earlier on Wednesday, Autumn's parents also visited the area where Autumn's body was discovered inside a recycle bin.
"We don't want this to happen anyone's child. No one deserves this," said Autumn's mother, Jenn Cornwell.
A family friend provided photos to Eyewitness News and friends and neighbors identified the teen brothers as 15-year-old Justin Robinson and 17-year-old Dante Robinson.
(It is part of CBS policy to not identify juveniles, but we are doing so in this case because the teens have been identified by friends and family in the community.)
Eyewitness News spoke exclusively to a man we believe is the suspects' stepfather as he left the family's Clayton home with the teens' mom.
"I'm very sorry that it happened. Other than that, we can't talk about anything else," he said.
Pasquale's parents are upset with the way the investigation was handled. They argue police should have been more aggressive in looking for Autumn right away.
"We just want to know what the proper protocols are, and make sure everything was done the way they should have been done," said Autumn's mother, Jenn.
In response to the statement from Autumn's parents regarding the search, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office's released the following statement:
"The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office's investigative units poured their hearts and souls into this investigation and worked around the clock to find Autumn. I'm very proud of what they did under such difficult circumstances. This is a time to start the healing process and let the justice system move forward with this case."
