New Jersey teens charged with murder (+video)
The body of a missing 12-year-old girl was found in a recycling bin not far from her home on Monday. Two brothers have been charged, though the motive is still unclear.
CLAYTON, New Jersey
A teenage boy lured a 12-year-old girl into his house under the guise of getting parts for her treasured bicycle and then, with his older brother, killed her, police said Tuesday. The girl's disappearance had sparked a frantic search by residents of her small New Jersey town until a tip from the boys' mother led police to her body, stuffed into a home recycling bin.
The boys, ages 15 and 17, were charged with murdering Autumn Pasquale, who disappeared while riding her BMX bike Saturday, a little more than a week before what would have been her 13th birthday. She appeared to have been strangled, Gloucester County prosecutor Sean Dalton said at a late-day news conference.
The boys' mother had come forward with information about a posting on a son's Facebook account, Dalton said. He wouldn't say what was on the website or discuss a possible motive for the killing, but said there was no sign of sexual assault.
Autumn was lured to the house, where they apparently lived with their mother and stepfather, for the purpose of getting parts for her treasured BMX bike, which she rode frequently and talked about on her Facebook pages.
Both brothers were charged with counts including first-degree murder, body disposal and tampering with evidence. The 15-year-old was also charged with luring.
