Suspect in Girl’s Slaying Is Held Without Bond
The mechanic charged with kidnapping and killing an 11-year-old girl whose abduction was caught on a carwash surveillance camera waived his first court appearance and was ordered held without bond as the community of Sarasota formed a makeshift memorial outside the victim’s home.
Joseph P. Smith, who has been arrested at least 13 times in Florida since 1993, has been charged in the slaying of Carlie Brucia. Carlie’s body was pulled from thick underbrush in a church parking lot.
Carlie’s slaying has prompted the state’s attorney general to investigate stiffening penalties for offenders who violate the terms of their release.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
