SARASOTA - A judge on Wednesday barred for now the release of crime scene and autopsy photos taken of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia after her body was found in woods near a church.
Her father sought the ruling, fearing the photographs would turn up in tabloids and on the Internet.
Circuit Judge Andrew Owens ruled that no photos could be released pending a further order by the court. He told Dan Dannheisser, the Sarasota attorney for Joe Brucia of New York, to draw up an order restricting access to the photos and circulate it among local media for review.
Autopsy photos were once available to the public in Florida. The Legislature made them confidential in 2001, heeding an appeal from the widow of race car driver Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in a race at Daytona International Speedway.
Carlie's abduction Feb. 1 as she walked home from a friend's house drew worldwide attention because it was recorded on a carwash video surveillance system. It showed images of a man leading her away. Joseph P. Smith, an unemployed auto mechanic, was arrested Feb. 3, and Carlie's body was found three days later.
Smith faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery.
