Slain N.J. girl’s parents, suspects in court together

A day before they were set to bury their daughter, the grieving parents of 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale of Clayton came face to face with her alleged killers in a Gloucester County courtroom Friday.

The encounter during the teenage suspects' first appearance in court was subdued, the parents' lawyer indicated after the closed hearing in which Superior Court Judge Colleen A. Maier ordered the two detained until another hearing, set for Nov. 16.

The suspects, two brothers, are being held at the Camden County Youth Center in Gloucester Township.

The slain girl's divorced parents, Anthony Pasquale and Jennifer Cornwell, were joined by about two dozen relatives and friends at the courthouse in Woodbury, though not all of them got into Maier's courtroom.

After the short hearing, as sheriff's deputies accompanied the relatives to their cars, Anthony Pasquale clutched a teddy bear to his chest while holding the hand of his girlfriend, Cheryl Evans.

Jaime Kaigh, a Westmont criminal lawyer and former prosecutor retained by the parents to advise them, indicated after the hearing that the courtroom encounter between the family and suspects was restrained.

"I've cautioned them to try and be as reserved as they can be, and to give these two juveniles accused the same rights as anybody else," he said. "I think they are tempering their feelings with respect for the judicial system."

He said the parents want the teenagers tried as adults.

Officials have not released the names of the pair charged with killing Autumn, but townspeople have identified them as Justin and Dante Robinson, 15 and 17, respectively.

Prosecutors are expected to seek to have the teens tried as adults, but Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Jeneby said they have not filed any motions yet and have until Nov. 23 to do so.

Kaigh also moved to dispel reports of a rift between the victim's family and Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton.

"I think within the victim's family there is a great deal of sadness, obviously, but thankfulness to the prosecutor's office," he said. "They've truly been as accommodating a prosecutor's office as you can imagine."

He also asked that the parents and other family members be left alone for now with their grief.

Paul Spadafora, Autumn's great-uncle who has served as family spokesman, on Wednesday had accused the prosecutor's office of botching the search for the girl when she was missing and called for an investigation by the state Attorney General's Office.

Spadafora was not at Friday's hearing.

Under state law, proceedings for juveniles are closed to the public unless a judge rules otherwise.

News organizations, including Interstate General Media, parent company of The Inquirer and Daily News, filed motions to have Friday's hearing opened to the media because of the high public interest in the case.

Maier did not take up the motions until after the detention hearing ended. She asked attorneys for all parties to file briefs and scheduled a hearing to precede the suspects' Nov. 16 detention hearing.

Autumn, who would have turned 13 this coming Monday, disappeared Saturday after riding off on her bicycle and was reported missing 9:30 that night.

Officials said the girl, a BMX enthusiast, went to the Robinsons' house to exchange bike parts.

Four days earlier, she and Justin Robinson had an exchange on Facebook about a bicycle during which he invited her to his house.

After a massive, two-day search, her body was found Monday night inside a blue recycling bin behind a vacant home next to where the brothers lived.

Saturday's funeral services will be held at Mary Mother of Mercy Parish, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 500 Greentree Rd., Glassboro.

A viewing is scheduled for 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church, followed by a Funeral Mass at 2 p.m.

Interment will be at Cedar Green Cemetery in Clayton.