SARASOTA, Fla. — There were about a dozen people or so out cleaning up a memorial garden behind Central Church of Christ in Sarasota in honor of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia.
- Carlie Brucia was killed in 2004
- Her cousin says her faith in humanity has been restored
- RELATED stories:
They have been out here since early Saturday morning, a place that marks the spot where Brucia was found dead in 2004.
About a dozen volunteers are helping clean up this memorial garden behind the Central Church of Christ in Sarasota. It marks the spot where 11-year-old Carlie Brucia was found in 2004. They’re planning to be doing this clean up through this afternoon. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/mXsW8jXVpv
— Kim Leoffler (@kimleoffler) February 22, 2020
Brucia's family and friends have been working for a few weeks now to get the garden cleaned up. Brucia's cousin says she is overwhelmed by the support the family is seeing on Saturday.
"I was losing hope before but now I got my faith back in humanity. … Seeing people show up today it's nice," said Kimberly Gregoire.
Their goal is to get this completely cleaned up by Brucia's birthday on March 16.
The 2004 case in Sarasota received national publicity after a surveillance camera captured images of Joseph Smith taking Brucia away.
The girl was walking home from a friend’s house on Feb. 1, 2004, when Smith abducted her as she passed the back of Evie's Car Wash, 4715 Bee Ridge Rd. in Sarasota.
Smith was found guilty and was sentenced to death in 2005 of kidnapping, raping and killing the young girl.
Brucia's body was found behind the Central Church of Christ on Proctor Road.