May God Have Mercy on Your Soul

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

That's what a circuit court judge told Joseph Smith after condemning him to death for the murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia. The trial is finally over, but now we must wait for the appeals process to commence:

Smith, 39, showed no emotion Wednesday as state Circuit Judge Andrew Owens read the official sentences - death for the murder count and life in prison for kidnapping and sexual battery.

Carlie's naked body was found four days after her disappearance on the grounds of a Sarasota church. News of the crime shook the community, and hundreds turned out for memorial services.

Absent from the courtroom was Carlie's mother, Susan Schorpen, who is in jail in Pinellas County on drug and prostitution charges. She has said the pain of losing her daughter led her to institutionalize herself three times and take drugs to numb the pain.
Now all we can do is pray for Carlie's mother, and hope she will find closure in this mess and begin the slow and painful process of turning her life around.

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