MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The suspect in a death investigation of a Florida mother found in a shallow grave in Alabama appeared in a Tennessee courtroom Monday and refused to waive extradition.

Marcus Spanevelo is facing charges in the investigation of his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Carli, whose body was found in a shallow grave in Alabama on Sunday. 

Spanevelo appeared as a fugitive from justice via video conference before a Maury County judge and refused to waive extradition. 

“Not at this moment,” Spanevelo told the judge when asked. “There’s some things that need to be resolved before I’m willing to go that route.”

Florida investigators said Spanevelo was the last person to see Carli before she went missing on March 27, when meeting for a custody exchange for their 4-year-old daughter. Carli’s body found was found Sunday at an Alabama property, that investigators said is connected to Spanevelo.

The Major Crimes Unit with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office traveled more than 1,500 miles over the last week to search for evidence relating to Carli’s disappearance.

That evidence led authorities to Tennessee and his arrest with the help of TBI and THP in Maury County. Spanevelo held his head down as charges were read, telling the Judge he needs to make sure his daughter is taken care of before being extradited.

“I’m just trying to get, to make sure that my daughter is taken care of with the people that… that I’m leaving her with, that’s all,” Spanevelo‘s voice began to crack.

Friends of Carli don’t know why Spanevelo would be in Tennessee hundreds of miles away from the investigation, assuming he was just trying to escape law enforcement.

“The only fact in why he could have been in Tennessee is he was actively fleeing because he knows he is guilty,” said Carli’s friend Sam Graves.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff said Spanevelo faces charges for tampering with evidence, giving false information, and destruction of evidence. He added that more charges are pending the outcome of Carli‘s autopsy. 

Spanevelo is scheduled to be back in the Maury County courtroom next week. News 2 reached out for an interview, but he declined.