One contained the body of the 41-year-old woman, whose life and death battle divided a family and a nation. The other van was a decoy.

The ruse highlighted the building tension outside the hospice - subject of at least two bomb threats - where a hundred or so protesters and a group of media had gathered. Pinellas Park Police Officer Sanfield Forseth said it was part of a plan to prevent any interference with delivering the body to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy that Schiavo's husband Michael has said should prove Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state when she died nearly 14 days after her feeding tube was removed.

At about 11:15, Randall Terry, Operation Rescue founder and family advisor, told reporters he was still in shock over Schiavo's death.

``This is absolutely still incredible that we were not able to rescue her,`` he said. ``Help did not come at the last hour.``

About a minute later, the vans slowly drove away through people mingling in the street.

Terry repeated his call for judicial reform and asked the tenor of the protests to be ratcheted down ``and become more civil and gracious.``

Choking back tears, a woman who would only give her first name, Helen, from Pinellas Park, despaired to other protesters.

``Where was Christ today?`` she asked aloud. ``Where was Christ yesterday? Where is God supposed to protect us?`` She said this while clutching a scripture-inscribed felt cross in her fingers.

Shortly before noon, some in the crowd began cutting down signs that had been placed on trees and barricades and left the scene while others circled around, carrying signs and blowing horns.

At noon, an informal Catholic service was being given to 30 people, mainly protestors.

News of Schiavo's death was delivered to the crowd shortly after 10 a.m. by Brother Paul O'Donnell, who has been advising the Schindler family. O'Donnell spoke just minutes after Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler - looking tired and distraught - walked into the hospice to see their daughter.

``It is with great sadness that it's been reported to us that Terri Schiavo has passed away,'' said O'Donnell. ``They are in there now, praying by her bedside.``

After delivering his short message, O'Donnell went over to the demonstrators, some who had been camped out for the duration, and asked them to continue their vigil.

``Keep praying,`` he told them. ``Stay here all day.``

As news of Schiavo's death filtered through the crowd, people were calm, some hugging each other, some sobbing.

``I hope they are happy now,`` said Carl Crisp, 71, from Largo as he choked back tears.

``I know this is God's work, somehow,`` said Dawn Kozsey, 47, of Ocala National Park.

``This is a sad day,`` she said, sobbing. ``Where do we go from here?``

David Gibbs III, lawyer for the Schindlers, announced the time of death as 9:05 a.m.

Father Frank Pavone said he was with Terri Schiavo until 10 minutes before she died, when he was asked to leave. Michael Schiavo was not there, he said.

``His heartless cruelty continues to this day,`` said Pavone.

Pavone said he was there with Terri and Bobby Schindler and that they were telling her about the supporters and outpouring of support around the world.

``This is a killing,`` said Pavone.

``This is indeed a sad day for the nation, for the family. Their faith in God remains strong,'' Gibbs said. ``God loves Terri more than they do. She is at peace.''

A small group of activists sang religious hymns outside the hospice, raising their hands to the sky and closing their eyes.

Shortly after 10, Rabbi Asher Girshberg, 69, from Brooklyn, arrived at the hospice.

``I arrived here when the sweet soul passed away. God has chosen her to teach this country about compassion. She gets out of here with a totally clean soul. Death is better than being in between.``

At 10:46 a.m.., a green Waste Management garbage truck drove by the hospice, with ``RIP Terri,`` written on the windshield in soap. A few minutes later, 15-year-old Harvest Bashta of Chicago sat under a shade tree, by an orange plastic barricade, crying and wiping away the tears. She held a bible.

``Who knows what's going to happen next?`` she asked. ``This is not over yet.``

Bashta said she heard the news of Schiavo's death from a reporter talking on a cell phone, adding she collapsed when she heard the news.

``This will only make me pray harder for the nation, for God to help us,`` she said, adding that ``I was hoping for a healing right up until the end.``

Moments after Bashta spoke, the garbage truck drove by again.