Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/News
NewsPolitics

2 Brothers Appear in Court, Charged with Murder of Autumn Pasquale

Posted byBy Nick Chiles | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

The two teenage brothers accused of killing 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale in southern New Jersey were to have their first court appearance today as local media fought authorities to have the court hearing open to the media.

The identity of the two boys were not released because of their ages, but their Gloucester County neighbors identified them as Dante Robinson, 17, and Justin Robinson, 15. While they were charged with murder and other crimes against Pasquale, the county prosecutor’s office hadn’t yet announced whether they would be tried as adults.

The girl’s family had initially accused local authorities of not acting quickly enough after she was reported missing, but the family is trying to back away from those early statements.

Jaime Kaigh, a criminal defense lawyer who has been hired by the girl’s family to help them deal on the case, said he does not believe that the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office mishandled the search for Autumn. The girl was reported missing at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, about nine hours after she was seen riding her bike away from her home.

The girl’s mother, Jennifer Cornwell, and a great uncle, Paul Spadofora, who had served as a spokesman for the family, had asked the state attorney general to investigate the official response. But Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said officials had “poured their hearts and souls” into the case, with up to 200 law enforcement officials and hundreds more volunteers joining the search.

Authorities say the younger Robinson boy lured Autumn, who would have turned 13 on Oct. 29, to their home by promising to trade bicycle parts. Her body was discovered in a recycling bin behind a vacant home next to where the brothers lived.

Apparently there were Facebook postings between Pasquale and Justin Robinson in the days before her death, talking about a picture of a BMX bike that Justin had posted.Autumn asked: “Is tht ur bike?”He answered, “yeuop.”She proclaimed, “Thts sexy!” He responded, “lol thx” and later added: “yess cme 2 my house.”

Autumn disappeared three days later.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top