Teenager Admits He Strangled 12-Year-Old Girl and Then Dumped Her Body in Recycling Bin

A teenager admitted Wednesday that he strangled a 12-year-old girl who disappeared last fall while out riding her bike, touching off a massive search that ended when her body was found in a recycling bin just blocks from her home.

Justin Robinson, 16, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of Autumn Pasquale after agreeing earlier in the day to have his case moved to adult court.

Justin Robinson

At the hearing, the teen took sole responsibility for killing the girl, even though his older brother is also facing a murder charge, said Camden County Prosecutor Warren Faulk.

Faulk said the boy asked the girl to come to his home to possibly trade bike parts, but he declined to discuss a motive for the killing.

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Autumn Pasquale

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Because of the boy’s age at the time of the killing and his “diminished capacity,” it was not a sure thing that a judge would have agreed that the case should be tried in adult court, Faulk said.

While there was forensic evidence that places Autumn’s death in Robinson’s house, there was not clear evidence–other than the boy’s admission–that he was the one who choked the girl to death, the prosecutor said.

Under a plea agreement, Robinson faces a 17-year prison sentence with no chance of parole for more than 14 years when a judge metes out his punishment Sept. 12. {snip}

His brother Dante was 17 at the time and also is charged with murder in the case. His case is pending in juvenile court. Because of a court order, prosecutors and others involved in the case would not discuss those charges.

Dante Robinson

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Forty-eight hours after the girl went missing Oct. 20, her body was found in a recycling bin near the Robinsons’ home in Clayton, a rural community 25 miles south of Philadelphia.

Authorities had credited a tip from the suspects’ mother with helping them solve the case. They said she saw something in one of their Facebook posts that gave her cause to call police. The call led them to the body and her sons.

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