Lawsuit Filed Against Police In Autumn Pasquale Death Investigation Dismissed: Prosecutor

A lawsuit filed against six municipalities, three Clayton Police officers, the state police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office in connection with the investigation of the death of 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale has been dismissed, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the estate of Autumn Pasquale. It was dismissed on May 31 without costs or attorney’s fees.

The estate consists of Autumn’s father, Anthony, and her two siblings, according to nj.com.

Anthony Pasquale claimed police didn’t follow the correct procedure in their search for his daughter, whose body was found in a recycling bin days after she was reported missing  in 2012.

Two teenage boys from Clayton were charged in her murder, with the younger boy confessing to the murder.

Justin Robinson, who was 15 at the time of the murder, confessed to luring and strangling Autumn Pasquale to death. He was sentenced to 17 years in state prison.

He said his older brother, Donte Robinson, who was 17 at the time of the killing, wasn’t involved, and no one else was home at the time of the incident.

Donte Robinson served 330 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree obstruction of justice.

In the lawsuit, Anthony Pasquale says law enforcement didn’t do enough to find his daughter. He said police didn’t enact a  Child Abduction Response Team (CART) to aid in the search until the day after she was reported missing. 

They also refused assistance from a retired investigator who offered to help, according to the nj.com report.

The attached image of Autumn Pasquale was previously provided to Patch