Thursday, February 16, 2012

St. Cloud, FL: On-again, off-again boyfriend arrested in death of Osceola teen

ST. CLOUD, Fla. —

Someone has been charged in the murder of a St. Cloud teenager who disappeared last summer.

Sixteen-year-old Ashley Jung's remains were found in a back yard, and police said they believe her on-again, off-again boyfriend killed her.

St. Cloud police chief Pete Gauntlett said interviews with friends and family members are helping them get inside Jung's relationship with her boyfriend. The chief said it was violent and it ended in murder, but they're still working to figure out why.

Jung's father stood quietly next to St. Cloud's police chief at a news conference Wednesday and listened to some of the answers about his daughter's death.

"Ashley was 16 years of age and a boyfriend who's a number of years older, and there was an ongoing domestic issue," Gauntlett said.

That boyfriend was 20-year-old Anthony Guglielmini. Investigators said the two had an on-and-off relationship. They said they believe she went with him willingly, but something went wrong.

"It is our belief that his actions led to some sort of confrontation and ultimately her death," Gauntlett said.

Members of Jung's family searched for her after she was reported missing last year.

"I loved that child ... I've done many things for that girl," Jung's grandfather Thomas McQuay said in June 2011.

The last time anyone saw her was Memorial Day. Almost a month later, a man testing his lawnmower in the back yard of a vacant house in St. Cloud found her remains.

Now, eight months later, Gugliemini is charged with her murder. He is already in jail on a burglary charge.

Detectives have questioned him, but said he has not cooperated. The chief said evidence including DNA and cellphone records are enough to charge him with Jung's murder.

Gauntlett said the medical examiner was able to tell them how Jung died, but they are not releasing that information because they are still working to build their case against Guglielmini.

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