Cassie Carli, a 37-year-old White woman, was a loving mother devoted to her young daughter. A friend remembered her as "the best mother in the world," saying, "She lived for Saylor." Carli had also confided in friends about the psychological abuse she faced from the child's father, Marcus Spanevelo.
On the evening of March 27, 2022, Carli disappeared after a planned custody exchange with Spanevelo. The two were scheduled to meet in the parking lot of the Juana’s Pagoda restaurant in Navarre Beach, Florida. When Carli did not return, her family grew worried. Her car was later found at the meeting spot, but she was gone, triggering a frantic, week-long search by family, friends, and law enforcement.
The search came to a tragic end on April 2, 2022. Investigators discovered Carli's body buried in a shallow grave inside a barn in Springville, Alabama, on a property with ties to Spanevelo.
According to court documents, state investigators noted that DNA was found underneath Carli's fingernails and that ratchet straps were found on her body. They allege Spanevelo was seen on video buying the same type of straps hours before she went missing.
On the same day Carli’s body was found, Spanevelo was arrested during a traffic stop in Tennessee. He was initially charged in Florida with tampering with evidence, destruction of evidence, and providing false information to investigators. Police said he had taken Carli's phone and sent messages posing as her before disposing of it. Alabama authorities later charged him with abuse of a corpse. An autopsy was performed, but the cause and manner of Carli's death were ruled "undetermined."
In January 2023, a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted Spanevelo on a charge of kidnapping resulting in the death of Cassie Carli. The following month, he appeared in a federal courtroom in Birmingham and pleaded not guilty. He has remained in custody. If convicted, he could face a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
The case against Spanevelo has been marked by repeated delays. As of February 2024, prosecutors in Alabama were continuing to seek the death penalty. Spanevelo's defense team has filed for multiple extensions and a motion to dismiss capital punishment, citing a need for more preparation time and Spanevelo's mental health issues. The state has opposed these motions as the case proceeds through the federal court system.
