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CNN Sunday Morning
Carlie Brucia Murder: Community Grief
Aired February 08, 2004 - 08:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In Sarasota, Florida, a community grieves for an 11-year-old girl whose life was needlessly snuffed out. Several memorial services and other events are planned to remember Carlie Brucia.
Kris Osborn has more for us now live in Sarasota -- Kris.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Frank. Certainly a tough week coming up here in Sarasota.
I'm standing by the Central Church of Christ. It is a church near the area where Carlie's body was found. There's a normal service this morning, but of course we know it is far from ordinary times here in Sarasota.
We can tell you that many people are remembering little 11-year- old Carlie. Her friends and families say she was very physical, she liked to hug her friends, she liked to smile and laugh. Her classmates also say that they would go dancing with her, that they would on the weekends go to a place called Teen Scene, where sixth, seventh and eighth graders in their middle school would go play games and listen to music and play various sports, things of that sort.
So there's a lot of talk about how pretty Carlie was, how thoughtful, how nice, how outgoing and friendly she was. And many grieve her loss and honor, cherish her memory, including some friends of the family who yesterday came out to talk about just how troubling it was to actually hear the news that young Carlie had died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHESSIE HUBER, FAMILY FRIEND: The way that they do it is if there are any friends in the house, they'll ask them to leave and they'll talk to them in private as a family. And then whoever Sue or Steve or Joe wanted to talk to, we would come in first and then eventually everybody else would know. And it was the first time we heard a bit of information that instead of Sue bringing us in, she came running out saying, "He murdered my baby."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OSBORN: Comments such as those are expressed in emotional ways as well by these teddy bears and balloons that you see outside of the church. There is a memorial serves planned this coming Tuesday night out in front of the church, where they will talk about Carlie's memory, things that she did, ways that she was honored, things that she was very important and involved in. And just the overall sense of emotion of young 11-year-old Carlie, including her school principal.
And at the same time, as many remember and honor her life, there is an investigation going on, as well, where authorities are looking to build more evidence against Joseph Smith, of course the person charged with first degree murder. A very serious crime, and kidnapping as well. They expect to receive autopsy results which could strengthen their case against Smith as it moves forward toward a possible trial -- Frank.
BUCKLEY: Well Kris, we've heard a lot about Joseph Smith. I mean, everyone has been saying that there are multiple arrests. But I haven't heard the nature of his previous criminal record. What can you tell us about that?
OSBORN: Yes, Frank. It is certainly a significant question, and it's one that could come to play if there is, in fact, a trial against Smith. And there's a long criminal record that Smith is known to have, including in 1993 he was arrested for aggravated battery.
In '97, there was a charge against him for kidnapping, where according to the police report in that case, he threatened to cut a woman's throat if she talked. He was acquitted on that charge. However, he was convicted in 2001, spent a year in jail on a heroin charge, was out on a parole kind of situation they refer to as probation here in Florida. And then got picked up for unrelated drug charges upon suspicion based on some tips that he might have been the person responsible for this abduction and this kidnapping.
BUCKLEY: All right. Kris Osborn, thanks very much.
OSBORN: Sure.
BUCKLEY: And you can follow the developments of the Carlie Brucia murder case on our Web site at cnn.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 8, 2004 - 08:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: In Sarasota, Florida, a community grieves for an 11-year-old girl whose life was needlessly snuffed out. Several memorial services and other events are planned to remember Carlie Brucia.
Kris Osborn has more for us now live in Sarasota -- Kris.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Frank. Certainly a tough week coming up here in Sarasota.
I'm standing by the Central Church of Christ. It is a church near the area where Carlie's body was found. There's a normal service this morning, but of course we know it is far from ordinary times here in Sarasota.
We can tell you that many people are remembering little 11-year- old Carlie. Her friends and families say she was very physical, she liked to hug her friends, she liked to smile and laugh. Her classmates also say that they would go dancing with her, that they would on the weekends go to a place called Teen Scene, where sixth, seventh and eighth graders in their middle school would go play games and listen to music and play various sports, things of that sort.
So there's a lot of talk about how pretty Carlie was, how thoughtful, how nice, how outgoing and friendly she was. And many grieve her loss and honor, cherish her memory, including some friends of the family who yesterday came out to talk about just how troubling it was to actually hear the news that young Carlie had died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHESSIE HUBER, FAMILY FRIEND: The way that they do it is if there are any friends in the house, they'll ask them to leave and they'll talk to them in private as a family. And then whoever Sue or Steve or Joe wanted to talk to, we would come in first and then eventually everybody else would know. And it was the first time we heard a bit of information that instead of Sue bringing us in, she came running out saying, "He murdered my baby."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OSBORN: Comments such as those are expressed in emotional ways as well by these teddy bears and balloons that you see outside of the church. There is a memorial serves planned this coming Tuesday night out in front of the church, where they will talk about Carlie's memory, things that she did, ways that she was honored, things that she was very important and involved in. And just the overall sense of emotion of young 11-year-old Carlie, including her school principal.
And at the same time, as many remember and honor her life, there is an investigation going on, as well, where authorities are looking to build more evidence against Joseph Smith, of course the person charged with first degree murder. A very serious crime, and kidnapping as well. They expect to receive autopsy results which could strengthen their case against Smith as it moves forward toward a possible trial -- Frank.
BUCKLEY: Well Kris, we've heard a lot about Joseph Smith. I mean, everyone has been saying that there are multiple arrests. But I haven't heard the nature of his previous criminal record. What can you tell us about that?
OSBORN: Yes, Frank. It is certainly a significant question, and it's one that could come to play if there is, in fact, a trial against Smith. And there's a long criminal record that Smith is known to have, including in 1993 he was arrested for aggravated battery.
In '97, there was a charge against him for kidnapping, where according to the police report in that case, he threatened to cut a woman's throat if she talked. He was acquitted on that charge. However, he was convicted in 2001, spent a year in jail on a heroin charge, was out on a parole kind of situation they refer to as probation here in Florida. And then got picked up for unrelated drug charges upon suspicion based on some tips that he might have been the person responsible for this abduction and this kidnapping.
BUCKLEY: All right. Kris Osborn, thanks very much.
OSBORN: Sure.
BUCKLEY: And you can follow the developments of the Carlie Brucia murder case on our Web site at cnn.com.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
