Teen gets 17 years in killing of Autumn Pasquale

Justin Robinson, who strangled 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale last year, was sentenced to 17 years in prison, "a gift" the victim's mother said the Clayton teen did not deserve.

Robinson, 16, who had confessed, apologized, saying it was a "mistake." Robinson's mother said that her son was not the "monster" portrayed in the community and that he is remorseful.

Robinson's sentence was negotiated as part of a plea agreement. Had his case gone to trial, he could have faced 30 years.

His brother, Dante, who was 17 at the time of the killing, is charged in Juvenile Court with murder. It is not clear how that case will proceed.

On Thursday, relatives described Autumn Pasquale as a tomboy who loved playing sports. The seventh grader also was a "girly-girl" filled with kindness, they said. Her parents tearfully described their agony since losing their daughter last October, days before her 13th birthday.

Her presence was strong in the courtroom, where her portrait was projected on a large screen. Her blond hair, brushed to the side, framed her face. As family spoke, a slide show displayed a smiling child - a baby, toddler, and adolescent with family and friends.

"I hope the defendant is haunted by her memory for the rest of his life," the girl's mother, Jennifer Cornwell, told Superior Court Judge Walter Marshall Jr. in Gloucester County. "I am living every parent's worst nightmare."

The case has remained high-profile since Pasquale was found dead, her body discarded in a neighbor's recycling bin near Robinson's home. Her bike was found hidden inside Robinson's house, blocks from where she lived.

Relatives and friends were frustrated that Robinson did not receive a longer sentence. More than 8,500 people signed an online petition at change.org demanding a stiffer penalty. Many stayed outside the courthouse in Woodbury, wearing memorial T-shirts and holding signs that read, "Justice for Autumn."

The case had legal obstacles, though. Pasquale's parents reluctantly accepted a plea. The charge was reduced from murder to aggravated manslaughter. Robinson, who was 15 at the time of the slaying, agreed that he would not fight prosecution in adult court.

Defense attorneys Janine Faulkner and Rebecca Donnarumma questioned the circumstances of Robinson's confession. They said Robinson has a diminished mental capacity and several neurological and behavioral disorders. He needed an adult or attorney to assist as he was interrogated by authorities, they said.

Additionally, Faulkner said, Robinson had been physically abused by his father. Robinson also had seen his father choke his mother numerous times.

The judge said he weighed all aspects of the case and concluded that the plea agreement was appropriate. Marshall addressed the families of both Pasquale and Robinson, acknowledging that both experienced loss.

Aside from a trial resulting in a longer sentence, there was also the possibility the case could have been remanded to Juvenile Court, where Robinson could have been released in seven years.

In another twist, one of Pasquale's relatives had threatened to sue Gloucester County officials, alleging that the search to find her had been botched. To avoid legal conflicts, the case was handled by Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Chatten.

Based on Thursday's plea, Robinson can be considered for parole about age 30.

Before sentencing, the girl's father, Anthony Pasquale, said Oct. 20 started as a normal day. His children were laughing as their brother prepared for a football game. The father asked the girls whether they wanted to come. They declined, and Autumn said she was going for a bike ride.

"Be careful, and I love you," her father said he told her, and she responded, "I love you, too."

When she had missed her curfew by more than 30 minutes, Anthony Pasquale said, he knew something was wrong. He called Cornwell and Autumn's stepfather, Greg Cornwell. No one knew where she was.

The town remained on edge during an intensive two-day search. Autumn's grandmother Mary Pasquale told the judge she learned of her granddaughter's death while watching television. She spotted the news in a scroll at the bottom of the screen.

Her husband, she said, rushed to her side as she screeched and collapsed.

"My grandchildren are my heart and soul. I treasured Autumn," Mary Pasquale said. Adding to the pain, Pasquale, a teacher of 22 years, recognized the suspect as one of her students at Clayton Middle School. She had wanted the best for him, she said.

The slaying forced her into retirement because she realized she could never develop the rapport she once had with students, she said. At school, Autumn often peeked into her classroom and signed, "I love you," she said.

"The pain I feel is unfathomable," Mary Pasquale said.

Several relatives said the slaying left them feeling vulnerable instead of safe, as they once felt living in a small community with little crime. Although Autumn did not know the Robinson family well, they were not strangers.

Authorities connected Autumn to Robinson through Facebook messages. Autumn, a BMX bike enthusiast, exchanged messages with Robinson, and the two arranged to meet to look at bikes.

Anita Saunders, the Robinsons' mother, noticed the Facebook postings and called authorities. In court Thursday, she said, her son was a happy child who was taught to be independent. He learned to landscape and mowed his math teacher's lawn.

"My Justin is not a monster," Saunders said. "Nobody knows what happened on that day."

Her son revealed little in his brief remark, where he said it was all a "big mistake."

"I'm sorry," Robinson said, looking briefly in the direction of the family. "I never meant for any of this to happen."