Official: Body of missing NJ girl believed found

October 23, 2012 | Modified: October 23, 2012 at 9:01 am
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Photos released by Clayton, N.J. Police Department show Autumn Pasquale, 12, of Clayton, N.J. Authorities say her family reported her missing Saturday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clayton Police Department at (856) 881-2301. (AP Photo/Clayton, N.J. Police Department)

CLAYTON, N.J. (AP) — The small New Jersey town where a missing girl's body is believed to have been found has turned from desperate searching to mourning.

Officials say a body preliminarily identified as 12-year-old Autumn Pasquale (pas-KWAHL'-ee) was found in a recycling bin in Clayton around 10 p.m. Monday.

That was about 48 hours after her family reported her missing and two hours after community members gathered blocks away for a candlelight vigil filled with both tears and hope.

On Tuesday morning, Clayton Mayor Thomas Bianco asked that the family be given room to grieve.

An autopsy was to be conducted Tuesday. No arrests have been announced in the case.