By JOE COONEY The (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post
WOODBURY, N.J. -- Two teenage brothers accused of murdering a 12-year-old girl and dumping her body in a recycling bin were scheduled to appear before a judge Friday morning.
Justin Robinson, 15, and his 17-year-old brother Dante, both of Clayton, have been held in custody since they were arrested Tuesday.
The hearing at the Gloucester County Justice Complex "is to decide whether or not they should continue to be detained," said Bernie Weisenfeld, spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. Autumn's parents, Anthony Pasquale and Jennifer Cornwell, were expected to attend the hearing.
Meanwhile, shock waves from the slaying of Autumn Pasquale continued to rattle the small town that was home to the victim and her alleged killers.
Autumn, described by her parents as "a tomboy (and) definitely not a girlie-girl," disappeared Saturday after leaving her home on her BMX bike around noon. Investigators found her body near the brothers' home about 10 p.m. Monday.
In a death notice, Autumn's family said she "danced and did cheerleading before becoming active in soccer and softball for the Clayton youth teams. Autumn liked to draw and was a fan of the Phillies. She had many, many friends and was known for wearing mismatched socks and loved the color blue."
Clayton Mayor Tom Bianco and the borough council canceled a work session on Thursday night "in light of the tragedy this week and in respect of the family and community at large," the borough website said.
A church fundraiser that was scheduled for Saturday was postponed a week to avoid a conflict with Autumn's funeral.
Some in the community said they were attempting to move past the tragedy.
Clayton School Superintendent David Lindenmuth noted student activities were canceled for only one day after Autumn's body was found. The girl was a seventh-grade student at Clayton Middle School, where her parents said she earned straight A's.
"We've wanted to try and get the kids back to a sense of normalcy," said Lindenmuth. "Or at least the best of what they can call normal right now."
The Robinson brothers, who are accused of strangling Autumn, have been held at the Camden County Youth Center in Gloucester Township. Camden County officials said the two are being held in separate rooms, but would not comment on whether special measures were being taken for their protection.
The brothers are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, disposing of a body, tampering with evidence, and theft.
Justin Robinson, who reportedly invited Autumn to his house to see a bike, was also charged with one count of luring.
Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton has said he may ask that the brothers be tried as adults, but he's not expected to make that request at Friday's hearing.