Cassie Carli case: Marcus Spanevelo to be prosecuted in Alabama in Navarre woman's death
Charges have been dropped in Santa Rosa County against Marcus Spanevelo, the one-time boyfriend of Cassie Carli and the man Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson implicated as the main suspect in Carli's death.
Documents filed with the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court's Office indicate the 1st Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office believes a stronger case can be built against Spanevelo in St. Clair County, Alabama, where Carli's body was found.
"In an effort to prosecute the strongest case, and after communicating with law enforcement officers in both states, the Office of the State Attorney believes that in the interest of justice the actions of Marcus Spanevelo are most appropriately prosecuted in Alabama," the court documents state.
The decision did not result in Spanevelo being released from custody. He was being held now as an out-of-state fugitive, records show.
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The local charges against Spanevelo were dropped Thursday, just ahead of a trial scheduled to get underway with jury selection Monday. He was facing two felony charges of tampering with evidence and giving false information to law enforcement, court records show. He had also been charged with a misdemeanor for declining to provide a DNA sample.
Lyle Harmon, the state attorney in St. Clair County, declined to say what charges might be awaiting Spanevelo upon his arrival in Alabama.
"I'm not making any comment right now," Harmon said. "When we have an opportunity to make a statement, we'll make a statement."
Harmon said he'd been inundated with calls about the case and he was urging reporters to "respect the process."
Ginger Madden, the state attorney for Florida's 1st Judicial District, did not return a Friday afternoon phone call seeking comment. Her spokesman, Frederick Longmire, responded to questions about the State Attorney's Office decision by sending a copy of the court document filed Thursday.
"Consistent with our practice and ethical obligations, we do not discuss the facts of a pending investigation," Longmire said in an emailed comment to follow up questions. "Understanding that the State of Florida is working in conjunction with authorities in Alabama to prosecute Marcus Spanevelvo, no further details will be released at this time."
Carli, 37, was reported missing March 27 after she failed to return from a custody exchange with Spanevelo, an ex-boyfriend with whom she shared a 4-year-old daughter. Her vehicle was found abandoned at the site of the meeting with her purse still inside.
A week-long search for Carli ended during the weekend of April 3 when her body was discovered in a shallow grave in a barn in Alabama.
Following Spanevelo's arrest, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson expressed confidence that a murder charge was imminent.
At a press conference held immediately after Carli's body was found, he said "I think (Spanevelo) is either going to spend the rest of his life in prison or he's going to get the needle. Hopefully the needle."
SRSO spokesperson Jillian Durkin has told the News Journal that any murder charges filed against Spanevelo would likely come from Alabama authorities since that was the agency tasked with investigating Carli's death.
Neither the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office nor the St. Clair County's Sheriff's Office returned Friday afternoon phone calls seeking comment.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Cassie Carlim case: Marcus Spanevelo to be prosecuted in Alabama
