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CARRIE JOHNSONMore than 1,500 people gather at a memorial service to soothe their sorrow over Carlie Brucia's death.
SARASOTA - As they lifted candles and sang hymns about peace and love, it didn't matter that many of the mourners had never met Carlie J. Brucia.
For one night, the 11-year-old girl whose slaying stirred hearts across the nation, belonged to an entire community.
"She was one of our own," said Donna Griffin, 53, one of more than 1,500 people who turned out for a memorial service Thursday night. "We lost our little girl - snatched right out from under us. It doesn't make any sense."
There were plenty of tears during the service. But there were also fond remembrances of the girl described by many as a "shining light" and hope that she will not be forgotten.
"I believe that our journey of faith will find that no one in this nation has been unmoved by this precious little girl," said Bob Hagemann, principal of McIntosh Middle School, where Carlie was in sixth grade.
Carlie's body was found a week ago beneath a pile of brush behind a church. Her family decided to hold a private funeral service, but the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office knew the city would need an outlet for its grief. They asked the Rev. Paul Kirbas, pastor of Church of the Palms, to organize a ceremony.
The church is blocks from the carwash where Carlie was kidnapped while walking home from a slumber party. The abduction was captured on video surveillance tape and broadcast around the world.
Joseph P. Smith, 37, an unemployed auto mechanic, has been charged with her abduction and murder. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
Carlie and her family were not members of the church, which was selected for its size: a main hall that seats 1,100 and another sanctuary for 500. Both were filled Thursday night, with others watching a giant TV screen in a courtyard connecting the two buildings.
Carlie's mother, Susan Schorpen, arrived in a white limousine dressed in black, choking back tears and clutching a red carnation. She was accompanied by her husband, Carlie's stepfather, Steven Kansler, a red carnation fastened to his lapel. A half-brother and a stepbrother also attended the service.
Carlie's father, Joe Brucia, was at his home in New York and did not attend the service.
The hourlong event featured a performance by McIntosh Middle School's sixth-grade chorus, which had been Carlie's favorite class. Some children wore T-shirts bearing her picture, and others brushed away tears as they sang Give Me Wings as a tribute to their friend.
A rabbi and a priest also offered prayers at the Presbyterian church. The service ended with the crowd holding up lighted candles and singing, Let There Be Peace On Earth.
Several speakers said Carlie already had made a difference to Sarasota residents. Hagemann said her death inspired a well-wisher to start a memorial fund in her name that will benefit local schools.
Kirbas credited Carlie with uniting an entire community.
"Carlie, what we want you to know is that what we will remember about you for years and decades to come is that you brought out the best in us," he said.
For those who knew her, it was a last opportunity to say goodbye.
Brandi McDowell, 28, used to babysit Carlie when she was 4. She said it's hard to imagine the little girl who used to talk and giggle constantly is gone.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "There was no reason for it. She was so young."
For those who didn't know Carlie, it was a reminder that bad things can happen - even close to home.
"I hope this makes every parent a little more careful," said Ruth Blake, 47, who grew up in Sarasota. "If this doesn't wake them up, nothing will."