Carly’s car and bag were found Tuesday on a “boat overflow ramp” near the restaurant, investigators said. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook on Saturday that Spanevelo had been arrested in Lebanon, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and government troops. Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson told a news conference Sunday that the Major Crime Unit had traveled more than 1,500 miles in a week, seeking evidence of Carly’s disappearance. “We discovered her body while conducting a search warrant in Alabama. She was in a barn, in a shallow grave,” Johnson told reporters. The sheriff said police have not yet revealed what led them to the site Saturday night, but that the property was connected to Spanevelo “at a roundabout”. An autopsy will be performed on the body in Alabama on Monday, Johnson said. Her identity was “confirmed by a tattoo,” he added. He said he notified Carly’s family in person on Sunday and they “crumbled”. “It makes them look like they know where she is now. But she’s still their daughter … daughter and sister and she’s awesome.” Carli’s daughter was spotted Wednesday with Spanevelo in Birmingham, Alabama. On Sunday, Johnson said she was safe with her family. Spanevelo is being held in Tennessee on charges of falsifying evidence, providing false information about a missing person investigation and destroying evidence, the sheriff’s office said. It was not immediately clear on Sunday morning if he had a lawyer to comment on his behalf. Spanevelo allegedly picked up Carly’s phone “and actually got rid of it,” Johnson told a news conference Sunday. Asked if Spanevelo had cooperated with the investigators, the sheriff answered “not at all”. “He was completely uncooperative, he never worked with us,” he said. “She is the mother of your baby and she is missing and you are not going to work with the authorities – that’s an indication,” he said. Johnson said police believe Spanevelo acted alone. The Attorney General’s Office said that if Spanevelo did not resign, it could take about 30 days for him to return to Florida. Johnson said any additional charges are pending autopsy results. He said he did not know of any previous criminal record for Spanevelos. The sheriff praised the Major Crime Unit for its work in the case. “They spent more than 1,500 miles on this search, multiple search warrants on cars, phones, houses, real estate, I just can’t talk enough about them,” he said. “We hate Cassie dying, but it’s good to close the family.” Johnson said investigations are ongoing. CNN’s Abby Bustin contributed to this report.
