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Child's Remains Removed From Scene Near Anthony Home

WFTV
December 11, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Investigators removed the remains of a young child from a site less than half a mile from the home of Casey Anthony's parents' east Orange County home. Casey's attorney spoke to the media Wednesday night but didn't offer a lot of insight into the case.

After several hours of combing over the scene, detectives loaded the remains in a white medical examiner's van and took them away.

About 9:30am, an Orange County water meter reader, who had gone into the woods to relieve himself, discovered a bag about 20 to 30 feet off the sidewalk in the area of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive, around three-tenths of a mile from the Anthonys' home.

According to information obtained by Eyewitness News, when the meter reader kicked or picked up the bag, a skull fell out. The Orange County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the remains are from a young child. Investigative sources told Eyewitness News there may have been more in the bag than just a skull but they wouldn't elaborate.

"We are assuming they are the remains of a victim," said Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Solomons.

It is not known whether the remains are those of Caylee Anthony.

Deputies set up a perimeter near a small retention pond. Heavy rain pounded the scene, making the investigation more difficult. FBI agents and agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were also on the scene.

Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said the area had been underwater during previous searches, so it was not surprising the remains hadn't been found before. Equusearch founder Tim Miller, who heads up a group that searches for bodies, said his volunteers had searched the area before but that it was full of water and an ATV had stirred up mud and muck and made visibility poor.

When asked if the remains could be those of any other child, Beary responded, "Not that we know of."

Eyewitness News reporter Kathi Belich said sources told her they were taking this very seriously and would expedite DNA tests to determine if the remains were indeed Caylee's. Investigators told her they were "very optimistic" they had found the missing girl. Beary said the FBI had told him experts at its lab in Quantico, Va. would work through the weekend on the case if necessary.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, has been charged with murder in connection with the case. She is currently in the Orange County jail.

"She met with a corrections officer psychologist, and was reviewed and placed on psychological observation. However, that is not suicide watch," said jail spokesman Allen Moore.

Casey has been visited by her attorney, Jose Baez. Wednesday night he spoke to reporters.

"I realize the circumstances as they are would lead most people to believe these are Caylee’s remains. But people have been wrong before," said Baez. He said Casey was upset at the news of the discovery and had asked for a sedatve. But he wouldn't go any further. "I’m not ready to disclose any kind of communications I had with my client," he said.

Baez has filed an emergency motion for a court hearing at 11:30am Friday morning. He wants to be present for any forensic testing on the remains.

ANTHONYS RETURN TO ORLANDO

George and Cindy Anthony, Casey's parents and Caylee's grandparents, flew back to Orlando from California after appearing on Larry King Live, Wednesday night. On the program they continued to defend their daughter.

Passengers who were on the flight said the Anthonys were calm and wore their "Find Caylee" t-shirts. They were met by deputies at the gate and whisked away.

The couple did not immediately return to their home. Sheriff's office sources said they were taken to a hotel while a search warrant was served on their home. The home was considered a crime scene until investigators finished looking for evidence. The scoured the home late into Thursday night, looking for evidence.

Orange County deputies moved to secure the Anthony home after the discovery, Thursday. The home had been the site of many protests and on-looker gatherings throughout the course of investigation into Caylee's disappearance.

Neighbors and others began showing up at the house around 11:00am.


"It's unbelievable," said neighbor Nephtali Rivera. "I'm just looking at the distance from the house and the distance where they found the remains. So close."

EXPERTS REACT

Dr. Michael Baden, a forensics expert, said DNA tests would likely confirm what other evidence at the scene would tell investigators. For example, detectives said there was duct tape on the bag and the skull that were found. Baden said detectives would be able to match that tape and bag to other tape and bags they had previously gathered from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car.

"They can tell the age and height of the child. They'll have a good sense of if it's Caylee. The DNA will just confirm the evidence," Baden said.

Tim Miller, founder of the Texas-based search group Equusearch, said he had been called by law enforcement officials and told they believed they had found Caylee Anthony.

"The words were, 'Tim, it looks like we got her,'" said Miller. "I'm surprised. It was one of them cases I thought would have never been found ... I thought the best thing that would ever happen is that one day we could go to a funeral and say good-bye to this little girl ... and it looks like that will happen."

"I'm just overcome with emotion and grief right now," bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who has been a major part of search efforts to find Caylee's remains, told Eyewitness News shortly after the discovery was made.

TRIAL POSTPONED, DEATH PENALTY ISSUE RAISED

During a Thursday morning pre-trial hearing in the case against Casey Anthony, the judge postponed her trial until sometime in March per attorney Jose Baez's request.

The judge set another pre-trial status hearing for January 15 at 9:00am, but did not specify when in March the trial would start.

Eyewitness News legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said Thursday's discovery would change everything.

"This won't go to trial in March," said Sheaffer.

Sheaffer also addressed a recent decision by the State Attorney's office that it would not seek the death penalty in the case.

"The forensics that are going to be performed are going to answer a lot of questions [in terms of prosecutors asking for the death penalty]," said Sheaffer. "This is obviously a major setback to the defense."

But Sheaffer added that in order to go for the death penalty, the State likely would have to show there was a deliberate act of violence toward Caylee and he didn't think that would happen. Thursday afternoon, a representative from the State Attorney's office said there had been no change in their plans.

Ironically, Baez had waived Casey's right to a speedy trial at the Thursday hearing. That now paves the way for the State to take as much time as it needs to put together its case.

Baez also told the judge he planned to file for a change of venue.

Casey Anthony did not attend Thursday's hearing.

[Admin]

Investigation of Child's Remains Continues

Fox 35 Orlando
December 12, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- A team of medical examiners and detectives was hustling to identify the skeletal remains of a child found in a wooded lot in central Florida Thursday, hoping to solve the six-month-old mystery of a missing toddler.

Caylee Anthony, 3, has been missing since June. On Thursday, less than a half-mile from where the girl lived, a utility worker stumbled upon remains of a small child.

There was nothing that immediately indicated the remains were
Caylee's. But Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said his investigators and the FBI would work around the clock and through the weekend to identify the child. They were seeking yet another search warrant for the home where Caylee and her mother lived, looking for more clues.

"Now the investigation continues," Beary said. "There is a lot of lab work to do. There is a lot of DNA work to do. There is a lot of crime scene work to do."

More evidence was removed from the Anthony's home early Friday morning, including several bags and boxes which included clothing and other unnamed items.

Investigators continued to comb the site where the child's remains were discovered just off Suburban Drive. Orange County Sheriff's deputies have secured the area so that any evidence which may be collected will not be compromised.

Caylee's mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was indicted in October on first-degree murder and other charges, even without a body. She has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn't report her missing until July.

For the past several months, Anthony's family, police and volunteers from around the country have searched for the little girl.

A member of EquuSearch -- one of the volunteer groups -- said they did not check the wooded lot at the edge of the outlying suburb in early September because it was submerged from heavy rains. When they returned in November, the site had been fenced off.

EquuSearch volunteer Deborah Smith said she believed the remains belonged to Caylee.

"I'm glad she was found before Christmas so they can give her a proper burial," Smith said.

Allen Moore, a spokesman for the Orange County jail, said Casey Anthony was told about the discovery. She was placed under psychological observation, not suicide watch, and remains under protective custody. Her attorney, Jose Baez, visited her at the jail for about 90 minutes Thursday. He then returned later in the evening after meeting with reporters and giving a brief statement.

“I understand the circumstances as they are would lead most people to believe that these are Caylee’s remains. But I must stress it’s not,” Baez said “People have been wrong before.”

“So unfortunately we can’t make any comments and I think it would be inappropriate for me to make any comments until the medical examiners office makes their determination.” Baez added. “Once that determination is made…this obviously takes the case in a different direction but I have done and am doing everything I can as Casey’s representative and attorney to put us in the position to defend her.”

Forensic experts said it was harder for investigators to identify a child's remains than an adult's, but they would have a few methods to pursue.

Medical examiners would probably look at photos of the child along with the skull, hoping to make a bone structure comparison, said Dr. Lee Jantz, coordinator of the forensic anthropology center at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Bill Manion, a pathologist and an assistant medical examiner for Burlington County, N.J., said DNA testing could determine an identification even without other DNA from the victim, "as long as we know who the parents are or siblings."

By early Thursday afternoon, dozens of reporters, police and onlookers had gathered in the pouring rain near where the remains were found. One man walked up and placed a flower-covered cross at the scene. Another man openly sobbed. An elementary school at the end of the street released students out through a back pedestrian exit, steering them away from the frantic scene.

Sheriff's spokesman Angelo Nieves said officials told Caylee's grandparents about the find, but refused to discuss whether the remains were Caylee's. But Nieves also said there were no other similar missing-children cases in the area.

The child's grandmother first called authorities in July to say she hadn't seen Caylee for a month and her daughter's car smelled like death.

Police immediately interviewed Anthony and soon said everything she told them about her daughter's whereabouts was false. The baby sitter was nonexistent and the apartment where Anthony said she had last seen Caylee had been empty for months. Anthony also lied about where she worked.

Other troubling details emerged as the case picked up national media attention: Photos surfaced of Anthony partying after her daughter went missing. Friends said she was a habitual liar, but also a good mother.

Last month, the Orange County State Attorney turned over almost 800 pages of documents showing someone used the Anthonys' home computer to do Internet searches for terms like "neck breaking" and "household weapons."

In mid-March, someone searched Google and Wikipedia for peroxide, shovels, acetone, alcohol and chloroform. Traces of chloroform, which is used to induce unconsciousness and a component of human decomposition, were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car during forensic testing, the documents say.

Last week, prosecutors announced they would not pursue the death penalty for Anthony. Earlier Thursday, before the remains were discovered, a judge had delayed her trial from January to March.

A spokeswoman with the state attorney's office said it would reserve comment until the investigation was complete.

What went down Thursday

On Thursday, a utility worker stumbled upon the remains around 9:30 a.m.

Early reports said that the bones were wrapped in a plastic bag and bound with duct tape.

There was nothing however that immediately indicated that the bones belong to Caylee.

"Everybody is very eager to connect the dots and bring this to the Anthony investigation and clearly is something we have to look at, if nothing else, because of the proximity to the Anthony home," said OCSO spokesperson Jim Solomons. "It is certainly not the outcome anybody in this agency wanted. We always had hope for a safe recovery of little Cayle Anthony, but the evidence in this case has been overwhelming and suggests otherwise. If it happens to be little Caylee, then it certainly brings the case closer to its conclusion for us."

When asked whether the area in question had been previously searched by investigators, Solomons said “there have been extensive searches in that entire area in and around the neighboorhood surrounding the Anthony home. You can walk right past a significant piece of evidence or the remains of somebody you are looking for”

Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary echoed those remarks at an afternoon news conference. "This area was a flooded area during previous searches." said Beary. "The FBI lab in Quantico is ready to receive evidence so we can get some analysis on it. It's a top-priority case. If they have to work on over the weekend, they'll work over the weekend," he added.

When asked how long it would take to identify the remains, Solomons said “it could take a matter of minutes if it's something significant, or it could take several weeks. We'll do what we need to do to connect the dots and if the dots connect back to Caylee Anthony, then the best thing we can say is it will bring closure to this case.”

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement joined the Sheriff's deputies at the crime scene. The primary search area was between 45 to 60 feet into the wooded area. Because of limited access and weather conditions, law enforcement officers expect canvassing of the area to go well into the night.

"The Bottom line is simple," said Sheriff Beary. "The investigation continues. We have a lot of lab work to do, a lot of crime scene to do. We could be here all night."

The medical examiner left with the remains about 3 p.m.


Baez files emergency motion

Late Thursday defense attorney Jose Baez filed an “Emergency Motion to Preserve/Inspect Evidence and Participate in Forensic Testing"

The hearing for the motion will be held on Friday, December 12th, at11:30 a.m. Casey Anthony, will not be present for the hearing. It will consist of legal argument between the attorneys.

Anthony’s escorted from OIA to undisclosed location

George and Cindy Anthony arrived at Orlando International Airport just before 4:45 Thursday afternoon from California.

Police intercepted the plane carrying the Anthony’s and escorted the family from the airport to an undisclosed location.

Trial delayed until March

Early Thursday morning, an Orange County judge granted a continuance in the case

Casey Anthony's attorney requested the delay during a status hearing. The judge set the next one for Jan. 15 in Orlando. Her murder trail was postponed to March.

Her attorney also said he planned to file a change of venue.

Plastic Bag, Duct Tape Could Yield Vital Clues

The plastic bag and duct tape reportedly found with the remains could help tie the unidentified skeleton to missing toddler Caylee Anthony, a forensic pathologist tells FOXNews.com.

The remains, found Thursday by a utility worker less than half a mile from Caylee's home, have yet to be identified, but investigators will be searching the scene for "a treasure trove of forensic evidence," FOX News contributor Michael Baden said.

Pathologists should be able to identify the body quickly from dental records, Baden said, and the plastic and duct tape could provide additional vital clues, including fingerprints. They could also provide clues to how the child died, and to who dumped the body.

"The beauty of duct tape — no matter rain, snow, sleet — that fingerprint will stay there," Baden said, adding that if someone used their teeth to rip it, it could yield DNA evidence too.

"Right now, they would be looking at all the contents of the plastic bag and they would be looking at the plastic bag itself," Baden said. "The fingerprints on the outside often get dissolved away by weather, but the inside of the plastic bag, the fingerprints would be there."

Two-year-old Caylee Anthony has been missing since June 16. Her mother, Casey Anthony, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder of her daughter, child abuse, aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to investigators about her disappearance.

Evidence found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's Pontiac Sunfire showed a decomposing body had been kept there. Strands of Caylee's hair were found, as were traces of chloroform.

"One important thing that I’ve hoped they’ve done already is take an air sample from the bag because they found chloroform in the vehicle and the cause of death still has to be determined," Baden said.

Finding chloroform could poke holes in the prosecution's first-degree murder case, if this is Caylee's body, he said.

"If it is chloroform as the cause of death, then it could be an accidental overdose and would not be capital, first-degree murder, because sometimes chloroform is used as a babysitter, to put a baby to sleep while mom goes out partying," Baden said.

If dental records cannot be used to identify the body, DNA evidence will be used to identify the skeletal remains. The remains will also be examined for signs of trauma.

"If there are fractures to the skeleton, then that goes again to first degree -- intentional suffering on the part of the baby," Baden said. "They can tell the baby suffered."

Timeline

Approximately 9:30 a.m. -- Utility worker for Orange County finds a bag of bones while searching for a pipleine for fire hydrant. He stepped into some nearby woods to relieve himself. He called 911. The area is within a quarter-mile of the Anthony's home, raising speculation by investigators that the body could be that of missing Caylee Marie.

11:25 to 11:30 a.m. -- Crime Scene Investigators with Orange County began to set up a perimeter. Orange County investigators are joined by agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Sheriff's Office says there are no other small children that are reported missing in the area.

11:45 a.m. -- FOX 35 confirms that Cindy and George Anthony are on a plane returning from Los Angeles.

11:50 a.m. -- People in the community begin gathering at the corner of Hopespring Drive near the Anthony's Home.

11:53 a.m. -- The weather has worsened over the search site. Sherrif's deputies are working to preserve the scene and investigators say the body is badly decomposed. KidFinders Network has sent a representative to the search site.

11:55 a.m. -- Tim Miller with Equusearch tells FOX 35 that during previous searches in this area, the water was very high. Tim says that when the Anthony's get the news, they may be able to start the grieving process, even though the body has yet to be confirmed as that of Caylee.

12:10 p.m. -- FOX 35 confirms that a spokesperson for the Anthony family has informed Cindy of the news that a child's body was discovered. Cindy still believes that Caylee is alive.

12:16 p.m. -- The Anthony's are expected back from LA this afternoon - Michelle Bart - says Anthony's do know what is going on right now. Wants to keep a positive attitude right now. This is a very rough and emotional time for the family. Evidence has pointed in another direction.

4:00 p.m. -- Anthony Baez files emergency motion, hearing set for Friday.

4:36 p.m. -- George and Cindy Anthony arrive at Orlando International Airport.

4:45 p.m. -- Police intercept the plane carrying the Anthony’s and escort the family from the airport to an undisclosed location.

7:00 p.m. --Jose Baez meets with the media.

Approximately 9:00 p.m. --Crime scene tape is placed around the Anthony home in anticipation of a search warrant being served.

9:10 pm. --Detectives and forensic investigator enter Anthony home.

[Admin]

Sheriff: 'Absolutely' something found in grandparents' home

CNN
December 12, 2008

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Investigators said Friday that they think remains found near a home where Caylee Anthony lived with her grandparents are those of the missing toddler.

But, they added, police and prosecutors are waiting until DNA and other tests are completed before making a positive identification.

Orange County, Florida, sheriff's spokesman Carlos Padilla gave three reasons for the belief the body is Caylee's:

• No other children have been reported missing in the area.

• The remains are consistent with a child of Caylee's age.

• They were found in close proximity to the home of Caylee's grandparents.

Caylee Anthony was 2 when she disappeared in June. Her mother, Casey Anthony, 22, didn't report her missing for a month and is charged with murder.

The first word that the corpse found Thursday had been tentatively identified as Caylee's came as her mother's attorneys sought a court order allowing them to observe the autopsy and conduct their own forensic tests.

Lawyer Linda Kenney Baden said in court that investigators told the defense team they "were proceeding as if this were little Caylee Anthony."

Strands of hair found with the remains, discovered Thursday a half-mile from the home of Caylee's grandparents, are the same color as the girl's, the lawyer said. The age and measurements also were a match for Caylee, Baden added.

Casey Anthony, 22, was charged in October with killing her daughter, but her lawyers insist that she is innocent.

Prosecutors said defense requests to be present at the autopsy and have access to remains were premature, given that the remains have not been positively identified. The defense countered that a tentative identification had been made.

"What I don't want to see, bluntly, is 24 hours after viewing an autopsy, a defense expert on a national news show describing this child's remains," prosecutor Jeff Ashton argued. "The specter of that is nauseating to me."

He called it "egregious" to allow "strangers to be present for the autopsy of a young child."

Also, Orange County attorney Tamara Gappen told 9th Circuit Judge Stan Strickland that Florida law spells out procedures for the preservation of evidence that are routinely followed by medical examiners in criminal cases.

Strickland agreed and denied the defense request.

Casey Anthony, who is being held in the Orange County Jail, did not attend Friday's hearing. Asked how she had responded to the news that her daughter's remains may have been found, lawyer Jose Baez said, "It's not something that someone takes well."

Investigators had searched the home of George and Cindy Anthony, Caylee's grandparents, overnight and into early Friday. They left with several bags and boxes of potential evidence, Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary told ABC News.

Caylee and her mother had lived in the house with her grandparents, but Casey Anthony had moved into an apartment at the time Caylee disappeared.

A utility worker discovered the remains in a plastic bag about 9:30 a.m. Thursday and alerted authorities. CNN affiliate WFTV-TV reported that the utility worker, a meter reader, picked up a bag at the site Thursday morning and a skull fell out.

Also Friday, the sheriff's office released the 911 call from county utility workers who made the grim find. On the call, a field supervisor tells the dispatcher a meter reader had found a skull.

"He believes it's human ... in the Caylee Anthony area," the supervisor says.

The dispatcher responds that she will send a deputy but tells the field supervisor, "If you can, try to stress to him to please not draw attention to the area, and that would be great, just in case it is something."

Meanwhile Friday, investigators continued searching the area where the remains were found.

The remains were taken to the county medical examiner's office and will be sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia. Authorities said Friday that the remains had not been shipped.

Casey Anthony remains in protective custody and has no contact with other inmates, corrections officials said.

"She has been seen by a Corrections Health Services psychologist, and her status was reviewed," officials said in a statement, adding that she was on psychological observation, which is not the same as suicide watch.

Casey Anthony's trial, originally set for early January, has been postponed until at least March.

Prosecutors said this month that they would not seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony. She could face a sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Authorities have said Casey Anthony waited about a month before telling her family that Caylee was gone. Cindy Anthony -- Caylee's grandmother and Casey Anthony's mother -- called the Orange County sheriff's office July 15, saying her daughter would not tell her where Caylee was.

When questioned by police, Casey Anthony gave conflicting statements, including some that were later disproved, according to hundreds of documents and investigative reports released in the case.

She claimed she dropped Caylee off with a babysitter, but when police checked out her story, they learned that the address Casey Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks. The woman Casey Anthony named as her babysitter told police she did not know her.

Investigators have said that cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Anthony's car, as well as in her parents' backyard. They also said air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the car's trunk. A neighbor told police Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel.

Analysis of Anthony's computer found that she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform and had done Internet searches about missing children, according to information released in the case.

Cindy and George Anthony have said they think that the girl is still alive and that someone has her.

[Admin]

Duct Tape Found Stuck To Mouth Of Child's Remains

wftv
December 12, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- All evidence is starting to show the remains found in east Orange County were likely Caylee Anthony and late Friday afternoon Eyewitness News obtained the 911 call made after the discovery.

Detectives have told Caylee's mother's attorney that the body size and hair color of the remains recovered are similar to Caylee's and the discovery of the child's skull with duct tape on the mouth is telling a much more gruesome story.

The residence on Hopespring Drive was cleared Friday morning as a crime scene and George and Cindy Anthony returned there in the afternoon after spending Thursday night at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. They left the house a few hours later to spend another night out at a hotel.

The Anthonys had not been able to go to their house while investigators executed a search warrant and looked for more clues in the case of their missing granddaughter, Caylee. Caylee's mother, Casey, is in the Orange County jail on charges she killed her 2-year-old child.

911 CALL RELEASED OF SKULL REPORT

Friday afternoon, the Orange County Sheriff's Office released the 911 call made from the Orange County Utilities Emergency Dispatch to the Orange County 911 call center reporting the discovery of a human skull. The skull discovery was made around 9:30am Thursday by a meter reader relieving himself in the woods. He immediately called his boss, who called 911.

"This is Orange County Emergency Dispatch, we found a human skull," the 911 caller said.

"Oh, my gosh," the dispatcher responded.

The call lasted approximately two minutes.

"A skull we believe is human," the caller said.

"What's the location?" the dispatcher asked.

"It's right off of Suburban and Chickasaw in the Caylee Anthony area," the caller said.

"Ohhh," the dispatcher said. "Okay, if you can please try to stress to him to not draw attention to the area."

"Okay," the caller said.

"And that would be great just in case it is something. It may be nothing, but just in case," the dispatcher said.

Eyewitness News has learned the man who found the skull, an Orange County water meter reader, may be eligible for a reward.

DUCT TAPE ON MOUTH OF CHILD'S REMAINS

Investigators collected evidence at the Anthony home well into the early morning hours Friday, pulling out bags of evidence.

Investigative teams at the discovery site Friday were taking buckets of dirt from the area where the trash bag and remains were found and were sifting through it by hand, looking for more evidence. Investigators were cutting through brush and tree limbs near the scene of the remains discovery looking for fibers and hair. Blue tents were erected and a white sheet was laid out near the search area.

Apparently, the bag the remains were found in was open and in water for some time, so other evidence might have floated out. Eyewitness News also learned that the child found could have suffered terrifying last moments. Investigative sources told Eyewitness News duct tape was found still stuck to the child's mouth.

Internationally-respected forensics pathologist Michael Baden told Eyewitness News on Friday that duct tape could have been used to suffocate or silence someone and prevent them from screaming, which means the child could have suffered traumatic injury.

The remains that were found were not just bones. There was tissue left, which apparently is what the duct tape was stuck to, and hair. The hair is said to be consistent in color to Caylee's hair and the body size consistent with the size of Caylee's body, according to information the sheriff's office provided Casey's attorney, Jose Baez, on Thursday.

Dr. Michael Baden told Eyewitness News the duct tape could not only have preserved some of the evidence, because it's waterproof, but also could contain evidence such as fingerprints on the sticky side of the tape. He said he would expect there to be some hair, as well, and said the hair, tissue and bone marrow can be tested for chemicals and could hold the answer to whether chloroform or any other chemical was used to kill the child.

Eyewitness News has learned a vacuum cleaner and a pillow were among the items removed from the house. The pillow and vacuum could contain Caylee's hair and the vacuum could contain Caylee's hair and fibers and also any residue from any chemicals that might have been used. Investigators also removed pesticides and pool chemicals from the Anthonys' house, which is less than a half-mile from the discovery scene.

CASEY'S PARENTS MAY EVENTUALLY FACE CHARGES

Sources close to the case told Eyewitness News that Casey's parents, George and Cindy, may someday face criminal charges. Sources tipped Eyewitness News off that George and Cindy Anthony checked into the luxury Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Eyewitness News has learned the sheriff's office is looking into charging the Anthonys with obstruction of justice.

Rooms go for about $300 a night at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and sources say they Anthonys had dinner at Normans on Thursday night, where dinner could cost $100 a person. The Anthonys recently hired attorney Brad Conway to replace Mark NeJame.

Conway could not tell Eyewitness News who is paying for the room, but said the Anthonys needed peace and quiet.

"They want to be left alone. They want to grieve and go through the process without the publicity that's been focused on them so long," Conway said.

The Anthonys have spent months insisting Caylee is alive, but with the news of the remains Conway said they are prepared to accept Caylee may be dead.

"They are realistic about the possibilities and about the fact that this is likely Caylee, but continue to pray that likely it's not," Conway said.

In the meantime, sources told Eyewitness News investigators are building a case against the Anthonys. They may face obstruction of justice charges.

Conway said he's talked to the State Attorney's Office and is not aware of any pending charges and maintains the Anthonys have done nothing wrong.

"Anytime the sheriff's office cordons your house and serves a search warrant, there are a potential for charges. I don't know what the sheriff's office has in mind, but the Anthonys have cooperated fully and will continue to cooperate," Conway said.

BAEZ'S MOTION PARTIALLY DENIED FRIDAY

Casey Anthony's attorney tried and failed Friday to get access to the remains. He asked for an emergency hearing right after Eyewitness News broke the news Thursday.

"We believe there is certainly enough of an indication right now [that the remains could be Caylee's] for us to come here with a motion for an inspection of preservation," said attorney Linda Kenney-Baden, part of Jose Baez's team, after their motion to observe the autopsy was denied early Friday afternoon. Kenney-Baden is the wife of forensics pathologist Michael Baden.

The new attorney was introduced Friday, a self-proclaimed forensic expert, arguing an accused killer's legal team should witness the autopsy.

"This is all an attempt to make sure that our client's due process rights are protected, that we get the information sooner not later," Kenney-Baden said in court.

The Medical Examiner's Office considered Jose Baez's attempt to interfere in the autopsy ill-advised at best. Florida's public policies don't allow it; an autopsy is a private, dignified right of the deceased not to be hawked over by lawyers.

"I would suggest the court not allow something as egregious as allowing strangers to be present for the autopsy of a young child," the prosecution argued in court.

Casey's defense team also asked that evidence be preserved, suggesting the medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavalia, won't bother.

"Because the remains are in the hands of the medical examiner, they are in a position to be better preserved than ever before, prior to being discovered yesterday," an attorney for the sheriff's office and medical examiner argued.

Prosecutors also cited a defense expert who talked on national TV about the Anthony car after an inspection.

"What I don't want to see, bluntly, is 24 hours after viewing an autopsy a defense expert on a national news show describing this child's remains," the prosecution said in court.

Investigators did grant one request Friday to Jose Baez, working out a deal that would allow his experts access to the crime scene immediately after detectives are done with it.

CASEY'S TREATMENT CHANGED AFTER DISCOVERY

Casey Anthony remains in a jail cell with no contact with other inmates. After Thursday's discovery, jail officials said they did alter her treatment.

"In fact, there has been a change. She met with a correction officer psychologist and was reviewed and placed on psychological observation. However, that is not a suicide watch," said Allen Moore, Orange County Corrections Department.

Although it's possible she watched news reports on television Thursday, jail officials said it's not likely.

Eyewitness News has learned Casey's made no phone calls since the discovery was made and nobody's asked to visit her.

SHERIFF APPEARS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Friday morning, Sheriff Kevin Beary appeared on Good Morning America to discuss Thursday's findings.



"I know you can't go into detail, but there was something that was found that made you want to search the grandparents' home?" GMA's Robin Roberts asked Beary.

"Absolutely," Beary said.

Beary said investigators searched the home early Friday after the medical examiner found "some clues that came out of the remains" that "linked it to the house." He would not say what clues were found.

"We took some things out of the house that the forensic people are very interested in," he said.

Beary said his investigators and the FBI would work around the clock and through the weekend to identify the child.

Asked if he believed if the remains are Caylee, Beary said: "I think it's a good possibility, but I have to wait seven to 14 days for the DNA analysis."

There are no other similar missing-child cases in the area.

"I say my prayers every day and one of them is to solve this case," said Beary, who is retiring in January. "I just hope that we solve the case on my watch."

[Admin]

Judge denies access to unidentified body

Fox 35 Orlando
December 12, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) -- An Orange County judge has denied a motion to preserve and protect the body of a small child found in a wooded area of East Orange County on Thursday. Ninth Circuit Judge Stan Strickland based the ruling on the grounds that the body of the child has yet to be identified.

Shortly after Judge Strickland called to order the emergency hearing on the motion filed by Jose Baez, attorney for Casey Anthony, Baez deferred to a new member of the defense team, Linda Kenney-Baden.

If Linda Kenney-Baden's name sounds familiar, you may recognize her as an author, trial attorney and legal commentator who has been involved in other high-profile criminal cases. She recently represented music producer Phil Spector in a murder trial and offered analysis during the controversy surrounding the death of super model Anna Nicole Smith. Her husband is forensic expert Dr. Michael Baden of the HBO series Autopsy.

Kenney-Baden proceeded to make a case for allowing forensic experts for the defense to review evidence which may or may not implicate Casey Anthony.

Anthony, 22, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder of her daughter Caylee Marie. The Orlando tot was last seen on June 16, but her mother did not report her missing until July. Anthony told authorities she had left her daughter with a baby sitter, and the two were gone when she returned from work.

No one has seen the little girl since and no body has been found. But on Thursday, the remains of a small child were located within a quarter mile of the home of Caylee's grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony.

Kenney-Baden first introduced a team of experts which would "see and maybe suggest other things that need to be done" in the examination of the body.

Those experts include Dr. Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and bestselling author of crime books, Dr. Werner Spitz, a renowned forensic pathologist and Dr. Timothy Huntington, a board-certified forensic entomologist from the University of Nebraska.

"We believe science should be open and we want to make sure that our client's interests are protected," said Kenney-Baden.

The State Attorney's Office, along with the representatives for the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office argued that the defense should not be allowed those privileges until all crime scene investigative work was complete.

Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton presented another reason for not granting the defense access to the body. "Until this body is determined to be the body of Caylee, the defense has no standing, " said Ashton.

While there is speculation that the body is that of Caylee's, tentative identification of the body has not been issued, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

However, Sheriff Kevin Beary said Friday morning on a nationally-televised show that the medical examiner found clues from the remains that in the sheriff's words were "linked" to the Anthony's house on Hopespring Drive. A search warrant was executed early Friday morning.

"I would suggest the Court to not allow something so egregious in allowing strangers to be present during the autopsy of a child," said Ashton, adding "there is no due process to the right of discovery provision in the State of Florida."

Criminal discovery is the process by which a criminal defendant can get information about their case held by the prosecutor. The process of "discovering" the information is sometimes referred to as "disclosure."

Ashton also stated that allowing forensic experts for the defense to offer suggestions to the Medical Examiner, implies interference.

"I'm not even going to get into that morass," replied Kenney-Baden, who then asked that the defense team be given a time frame as to when crime scene investigation and medical examiner's work would be complete.

When Judge Strickland inquired about a time frame, a spokesperson for the Orange Co. Sheriff's Office said no time frame had been set.

"We have no objection to turn over investigation of the crime scene to the defense, once the Sheriff's Office is done," said Ashton. "Once we're done, we're not going to call everybody in and have a party at the crime scene," he added with a tone of sarcasm.

"At this point, it would do nothing but interfere with the medical examiner's obligation," the judge said in denying the motion. He added that the issue would be readdressed once a positive identification of the body could be made.

That could take a while. Once an autopsy is completed by the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office, the body will then be sent to Virginia labs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for DNA analysis.

Kid Finders pulling out

A day after remains of a small child were found near the home of Casey Anthony, one of the family’s allies is pulling out.

Kid Finders issued a statement Friday that said that ‘due to recent developments, we have decided to suspend our search efforts until further information becomes available in this case.’

Kid Finders joined the search efforts for the missing three year old late in the summer and became one of several outlets used by the grandparents George and Cindy Anthony.

“The Caylee website will continue to be updated daily but the command center and other search efforts will be suspended at this time. We ask that you keep the Anthony family and all of our families in your prayers,” said Dennis Milestead, Founder of Kid Finders Network.

[Admin]

Anthony defense team gets first look

Fox 35 Orlando
December 13, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 Orlando) -- The attorney representing the Orlando mother accused of murdering her 3 year old daughter got his first glimpse of the site where the remains of a child were discovered on Thursday.

Jose Baez stood behind crime scene tape, several yards away from where the remains were found in a wooded area just off Suburban Drive and within a quarter-mile of the home of the missing toddler's grandparents.

"We should be able to observe the scene. This isn't just anyone we're allowing in, we're allowing in people they (the investigators) come to when they train," said Jose Baez speaking of a team of forensic experts assembled for the defense of 22 year old Casey Anthony.

Anthony was indicted in October on first-degree murder of Caylee Marie, even though the toddler's body hadn't been found. Casey has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn't report Caylee missing until July.

A medical examiner found evidence among the child's remains that link them to the grandparents' home of the missing toddler, Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said Friday, offering the strongest indication yet that the remains may be those of Caylee Marie.

On Friday, an Orange County judge denied a motion filed by Baez to preserve and protect the body of the small child. Judge Stan Strickland's ruling also denied a forensic team for the defense to work alongside crime scene investigators and the Orange County Medical Examiner.

Such experts include Dr. Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and bestselling author of crime books, Dr. Werner Spitz, a renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Timothy Huntington, a board-certified forensic entomologist from the University of Nebraska, forensic scientist Dr. Larry Kobilinsky and criminalist Henry Lee.

Meanwhile investigators continued to collect evidence at the scene where a utility worker had found a small skull.

"The best defense is full disclosure. That's the main issue here. If there are dozens of FBI agents and numerous law enforcement offiers doing something in this area, and then going to my client's home, I'm going to pay attention to it and I want to know what's going on," said Baez during a news conference held on Saturday.

When asked if he believed the remains were those of Caylee, Baez said his team was proceeding as if that was a possibility. "We're preparing as if it is, and we're not going to ignore what investigators are doing. If it's not Caylee, we can't even celebrate, because it's someone's child."

Baez also elaborated on how Casey was handling news that remains of what could be those of her missing daughter were discovered and undergoing analysis. "She's not doing well at all. She wants to know what's going on, and it's something she can't do right now. I can't imagine a more difficult position for a mother to be in right now," he said.

Things mostly quiet at Anthony home

It was a relatively quiet day outside the Anthony home on Saturday, that was until the uncle of missing Caylee and brother of Casey stormed out the front door.

Surprising the media and onlookers who watched, Lee Anthony walked over to a makeshift memorial in front of the house, grabbing up the teddy bears and pictures that were left there in memory of his three year old niece.

Shortly thereafter, Jose Baez drove up to the house in this silver Cadillac along with with members of his legal team.

"Uh, we're just doing our work, really," explained Baez.

Earlier today, passersby continued a slow and fading procession through along Hopespring Drive.

"A lot of things are racing through my head, because I have nieces and nephews around that age too," said Shantell Peterson. "I just cried about it, because she didn't deserve that. If that's her ... she did not deserve to be killed like that," she added.

Orange County Sheriff's officials say evidence is mounting that the skull belongs to the toddler. The Orange County Medical Examiner's office and FBI forensics experts say it could be a week before conclusive DNA results are released.

[Admin]

Sources: 'Bone Trail' Found Through Woods Near Anthony Home
Investigators Confirm Child's Body Wrapped Inside Plastic Bag

WESH
December 14, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. -- All weekend, two official sources who spoke to WESH 2 News on the condition of anonymity, said they have been recovering more human remains in the wooded area along Suburban Drive near the home of missing Caylee Anthony.

According to one investigator, at least two dozen bones have been discovered so far, in addition to a skull with light long hair consistent with a female child.

Investigators and Casey Anthony's defense team said they are operating under the assumption that the remains are those of the missing 2-year-old.

Investigators said they're still trying to determine why the child's mouth was taped shut with duct tape. At this point they said they do not believe this was meant to look like the child was killed by a kidnapper.

Investigators said they believe Caylee's body was dumped at the location in the woods shortly after she was killed. The bag full of human child remains was discovered by a meter reader, who went into the woods to relieve himself.

Sources have described a small "bone trail" found outside the garbage bag, leading them to suspect that it was likely submerged for an unknown period of time and some of the remains floated out of the bag or were scattered by animals.

For the first time, WESH 2 News has also confirmed that the child's body was wrapped in some sort of "covering" inside the bag.

According to sources, it was the covering -- along with the trash bag and duct tape -- that investigators said they believe are tied to the Anthony house nearby on Hopespring Drive.

On Saturday, it was confirmed that a portion of the remains were flown to the FBI crime lab in Quantico, Va. Test results to attempt to match the remains with Caylee's DNA are expected to take at least a week.

One investigator said that it was difficult to have seen the video and pictures of Caylee's smiling face and come to the realization that it appears her remains were simply dumped in the woods.

"It was cold," one source told WESH 2 News. "That's where the punch in the gut was."

Investigators said their reactions to the findings have ranged from elated to overwhelmed.

At this point, sources said they are pleased with the evidence taken from the Anthony home late last week during the execution of a search warrant.

Those items included vacuum cleaners inside, which investigators said they hoped some sort of hair or fiber evidence could still be of value to the case against Casey Anthony.

She is charged with first-degree murder in connection with her daughter's disappearance and presumed death.

When notified Thursday of the discovery of the remains, witnesses said Casey Anthony started sobbing and asked for a sedative.

When asked how his client was doing, Jose Baez said she "is not doing very well at all."

Thirty technicians from the FBI's Evidence Response Team have joined Orange County's crime scene investigators at the wooded area about a quarter-mile from the Anthony home.

[Admin]

Anthony prosecutors visit scene where body was found

Fox 35 Orlando
December 17, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- Prosecutors in the Casey Anthony case on Wednesday visited the scene where a child's remains were found one week ago.

The bones have not been officially identified as Caylee's, but the visit may suggest the state knows more about the identity than they are letting on.

“They are here to maintain their interest in the case obviously. They want to make sure they are aware first-hand of what is going on here at the scene,” said Captain Angelo Nieves from the Orange County Sheriff's Office . .

It was expected that crime scene technicians would wrap up their work on Wednesday. But more finds are keeping the sheriff's office and the FBI out at the site at least until tomorrow.

“It’s grown to a half acre to an acre in size through this morning and through this afternoon and they continue to find additional items,” Nieves said.

The scene will then be opened up for everyone to see, including Jose Baez and the public.

Police have concerns about what will happen next because it is an area where people live and kids go to school.

Nieves says deputies will be out at the scene to keep watch at least for a few days.

“Once this scene is released, we will maintain proper order," Nieves said. "The Orange County Sheriff’s Office will continue to restore order. We expect everyone to act accordingly.”

Baez lashes out at investigators

On Wednesday Casey Anthony’s attorney Jose Baez released the following statement regarding the crime scene:

“The Casey Anthony Defense Team has made numerous attempts to preserve the evidence in and around the location where the human remains of what appear to be a small child were found.

"Law enforcement has been repeatedly asked to allow reasonable access by medical and scientific experts for the defense, including requests for photographs, and assistance with maintaining a secure examination scene prior to any media or general public access.

"Every effort by The Baez Law Firm to establish a level of basic cooperation and professional courtesy have all been rejected by the government. This lack of cooperation has complicated how to proceed.

"Now that the scene more resembles that of an excavation site as opposed to an examinable crime scene -- attorney Jose Baez has been advised that without properly detailed photographs and all related material and documentation, the various experts on the Casey Anthony Defense Team will simply not be able to thoroughly examine the site.

"Unfortunately this matter has already become a Media Circus and something The Baez Law Firm will not contribute to, by just making a show of going to the excavation site without good reason. The Casey Anthony Defense Team is being prevented from examining the site unless and until all photographs, schematic sketches and related material and documentation are released to the defense through the discovery process.”

Casey’s pastor visits her at jail

Casey Anthony has been behind bars since October and she hasn't had many visitors. Even her parents are staying away but Casey's pastor has been to the jail. Pastor Shane Stutzman from the Eastside Baptist Church visited Casey on Tuesday.

On Wednesday he released the following statement:

On December 16, I went to visit Casey Anthony in Orange County Jail. I have no intention in talking about the findings on Suburban or anything related to that part of the case. My role is to be a pastor to the people of Eastside Baptist Church, which includes the Anthony family, and others who need Christ in Orlando. I appreciate the fact that many of the media outlets are seeking a story. I am a pastor who is willing to help people learn about the greatest story ever told- Christianity. My purpose in visiting Casey is to help her in this area of her life ONLY. As a pastor, I am willing to do that for every person, that God places in my path.

God Bless You
Dr. Shane Stutzman

Orange County Jail spokesperson Allen Moore says that last week the Orange County jail ministry reached out to pastor Stutzman and asked if would like to come to the jail. Clergy visits must be cleared through the jail's programs unit.

[Admin]

Authorities confirm remains are Caylee Anthony's

CNN
December 19, 2008

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Remains found last week in a wooded area have been identified as belonging to missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony, authorities said Friday.

The cause of the child's death will be listed as homicide by undetermined means, said Jan Garavaglia, medical examiner for Orange County, Florida. She said she does not expect enough additional evidence to surface for that finding to be revised.

The remains were identified through DNA testing, comparing a sample from the remains to a sample known to be from Caylee. Some of the remains had been sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for testing.

The skull was found December 11 a half-mile from the home of Caylee's grandparents, where the girl and her mother, Casey Anthony, 22, lived before the girl disappeared. She was last seen in June.

Casey Anthony faces charges including first-degree murder in the case.

Orange County Sheriff's Capt. Angelo Nieves said Thursday that searchers at the site had found "significant skeletal remains" since the discovery of the skull.

A "large percentage" of Caylee's skeleton has been recovered, Garavaglia said Friday. The bones showed no sign of trauma before death.

A child's skeleton has many more bones than an adult's, she said, and not all are fully developed. Some of the bones recovered are no larger than a pebble, she said.

Garavaglia said the manner of Caylee's death -- an opinion based on factors including an examination of the body and circumstantial evidence -- was determined to be homicide.

Caylee's grandmother Cindy Anthony was notified of the test results by the medical examiner's office, Garavaglia said.

Officials at the Orange County Corrections Department said Casey Anthony was notified of the results by a chaplain about 1:45 p.m., per jail policy. One of Casey Anthony's defense attorneys, Jose Garcia, entered the jail earlier, corrections officials said in a written statement.

"Due to happenstance, not policy, attorney Garcia was not in the presence of the inmate when the notification was made," the statement said. "We will not be commenting on the demeanor of inmate Anthony or her reaction to the news."

The Anthony family's pastor, Thomas Shane Stutzman of Eastside Baptist Church, arrived at the jail about 2 p.m. but left 19 minutes later because Casey Anthony had refused his visit, as she was meeting with Garcia at the time, jail officials said.

Casey Anthony could face a sentence of life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said this month that they will not seek the death penalty against her.

Garavaglia would not disclose specific information regarding the remains other than to say they were completely "skeletonized." Toxicology tests on the remains are pending, she said.

"Our number one priority from day one was to locate little Caylee Anthony," Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said. "We have stayed the course, and we will continue to do so until we have thoroughly completed our investigation into this tragedy."

The sheriff grew emotional while responding to a reporter's question about the effect of the case on him personally.

"Having a kid ... I've raised two girls, goodness gracious," Beary said, his voice breaking. "The bottom line is, no child should have to go through this."

The case has left an "open wound" in the community, he said, but he thinks closure will not come until after trial.

George and Cindy Anthony, Casey Anthony's parents, did not give up hope that Caylee was still alive until they were notified of the test results, their attorney, Brad Conway, said Friday. He took no questions but read from a statement.

"They now know that their precious granddaughter is safe and hope that she will serve as the angel that protects thousands of missing children and their families," he said, adding that the Anthonys want "the same answers as everyone who has been assigned to investigate and prosecute this case" and will be available to authorities.

"As you can imagine, the Anthonys are grieving deeply over this loss," he said. "Please respect their privacy and understand they will stand together as a family in order to get through this. ... This is a tragic moment in the lives of good and honorable people. Please treat them respectfully so they can grieve with dignity over the loss of this precious child, Caylee Marie Anthony."

On Thursday, the sheriff's office said that the utility worker who found the skull December 11 had called police three times -- August 11, 12 and 13 -- regarding the site where the remains were found.

That utility worker, Roy Kronk, came forward Friday. Reading from a statement, he said that "back in August of this year, I previously reported to Crimeline and to the sheriff's communications center that I had spotted something suspicious, a bag in the same area."

"I have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation by the sheriff's office and the FBI," Kronk said.

He refused to provide details of what he saw at the site where the remains were found.

His attorney, David Evans, said Kronk "has no connection whatsoever to this case, has no connection whatsoever to the Anthony family or any of the proceedings that have gone on before. He is here as a concerned citizen and no more. Those who have specified to the contrary could not be more wrong."

Evans said Kronk was asking for privacy for his co-workers, who have been the subject of "intrusive news-gathering activities." Some of those colleagues, he said, "protected his privacy and sacrificed their own in doing so."

Kronk will not be granting interviews at this time, Evans said.

Police said Thursday that in his first call August 11, the worker reported seeing a gray bag on the side of the road. A deputy responded, Nieves said, but the worker was no longer at the scene, and the deputy did not see the bag.

On August 12, the worker called a police crime line. The call was sent to a detective, who told the meter reader that the area had been searched and cleared by cadaver dogs, police said.

On August 13, the worker reported finding a bag in a swampy area, and a deputy was dispatched. The deputy looked at the area but found nothing, thinking the "bag" may have just been trash, Nieves said.

The meter reader revisited the site last week, apparently while working in the area, authorities said, and found the skull.

The site was searched earlier, Beary said, but was flooded at the time.

Nieves said Thursday that police were conducting a thorough review of the tips and their response but emphasized that the meter reader has been cooperative and is not a suspect.

Beary acknowledged Friday that there were questions surrounding those tips but said the only way to find the answers was to conduct an investigation.

[Admin]

Caylee's Skeletal Remains Don't Offer Many Clues to Her Homicide

Fox News
December 20, 2008

The skull and bones found last week in a wooded lot outside Orlando, Fla., were identified as Caylee Anthony's on Friday, and Orange County officials declared the little girl was the victim of a homicide.

How the 2-year-old girl was killed remains a mystery. Orange County medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia reported that the skeletal remains were Caylee's, but the only clue to her death was that her bones didn't suffer trauma.

"They are not intact. They are all disarticulated. They are completely skeletonized," Dr. Garavaglia said. She said some of the bones were "tiny."

Caylee was two months shy of her third birthday when she vanished in June.

Garavaglia said Caylee's remains, which were found not far from the home where she lived with her mother and maternal grandparents, were identified through nuclear DNA analysis.

The news caps a five-month search for the girl, who was last seen in mid-June but wasn't reported missing by her mother until a month later. The mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, is behind bars without bond and charged with her daughter's murder.

The child's next of kin, including her mother; grandparents George and Cindy Anthony; and other relatives were notified of the findings before they were made public, according to Garavaglia.

"The bottom line is, no child should have to go through this," said Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary, his voice breaking. He called it a police chief's "nightmare case."

The case has garnered intense national attention and media scrutiny. Federal authorities have assisted in the investigation.

As to the question of whether someone might have taken Caylee out of the Orlando area where she lived, the FBI said there wasn't any indication that was the case.

"At no time did we find any evidence that this young child left this location," said Tampa FBI Special Agent Steven Ibison.

Casey Anthony's lead attorney Jose Baez said he is "disappointed" with the way the investigation has been handled.

"It’s not a professional way of doing things. I’m extremely disappointed in the way that all this has been carried out," Baez told reporters.

He declined to comment on how his client reacted to the news that her daughter was found dead.

"This is her private moment. This is her life," he said. "It’s not my place as her attorney to disclose her private moments to the public. I’m sure that’s what she would want."

Cindy and George Anthony were "grieving deeply" in private, their attorney Brad Conway said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"This is a tragic moment in the lives of good and honorable people," Conway said.

Ahead of the announcement, Florida police released evidence photos from the scene where the remains were found. One showed a book discovered in the woods that the child had been photographed reading before she vanished.

The pictures were among several cops publicized before the afternoon news briefing.

The book is among numerous pieces of evidence Orange County Sheriff's deputies say they found in the wooded area where Caylee's remains turned up.

Also Friday, police re-interviewed a county water meter reader who earlier this month discovered a bag with the child's skull and bones inside.

Detectives said the worker is not a suspect in her death.

The worker who found the bones on Dec. 11 had called in a tip to police on three consecutive days in August, telling them to look in the same area for the remains.

"Back in August of this year, I had previously reported … that I had spotted something suspicious, a bag, in the same area," said the meter reader, Roy Kronk, reading from a prepared statement Friday.

He wouldn't elaborate.

"I will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation," Kronk told reporters. "I respectively decline to get into the details of what I saw at the crime scene."

His attorney, David Evans, called Kronk a "concerned citizen" and lambasted media speculation that suggested otherwise.

"He has no connection whatsoever to this case or to the Anthony family," Evans said.

Orange County Sheriff's officials say they believe he was in the area on Dec. 11 following up on his own lead when he discovered the bones and skull.

Capt. Angelo Nieves said police questioned the worker again, as well as the sheriff's deputy who took the original call. They want to know more about what prompted him to contact authorities and how they handled the tips.

The meter reader first called on Aug. 11 to report a bag by the side of the road, MyFOXOrlando.com reported. A deputy wasn't able to locate Kronk.

On Aug. 12, the meter reader called a crime hotline. The information was passed on to the Orange County Sheriff's criminal investigation division.

And on Aug. 13, the utility worker called cops a third time, MyFOXOrlando.com reported. He met with police, and a deputy went into the wooded area to investigate the Kronk's claims, but didn't find anything, the station said. The scene was then cleared as a possible place of interest in the case.

There is now an internal probe under way within the police department into how the matter was handled.

"There are a lot of questions about the thoroughness of that response," Nieves told MyFOXOrlando.com.

Investigators were at the wooded crime scene all week in an exhaustive dig for evidence. They said late Thursday they found additional bones that also appear to be from a child.

Caylee vanished on or around June 16, less than two months before her third birthday. Her family reported her missing in mid-July. Her mother has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and other charges.

A spokesman for Baez accused police of lying to the press and suggested they could be tampering with evidence at the site.

"Some of their comments are blatant lies," Todd Black told FOXNews.com. "History has shown that in some cases authorities have been caught tampering with evidence. That is something we hope is not happening. We're not accusing anyone of anything."

Anthony and her defense team have maintained that she last saw Caylee when she left her with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez in an apartment complex parking lot. Anthony's lawyers say Gonzalez and another woman drove away with the child.

Police claim that story and the sitter are fictitious and Anthony has lied to them repeatedly.

Black suggested last weekend that the defense would argue Caylee was killed by her purported kidnapper if the remains were identified as hers.

[Admin]

Again, investigators search Caylee's grandparents' house

CNN
December 21, 2008

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Investigators carried away several bags and boxes of potential evidence from the home of Caylee Anthony's grandparents on Saturday, shortly after they finished searching woods nearby where the toddler's body was found.

George and Cindy Anthony were home when the search warrant was served at 3 p.m., a spokesman for the Orange County, Florida, sheriff's office said. Their daughter, Casey, who was the child's mother, is being held at the Orange County jail, charged with her daughter's murder.

It was the third such search of the Anthony home in the 10 days since the child's remains were found. The spokesman, Angelo Nieves, would not describe the items taken other than to say they were "of evidentiary value."

Just minutes before the search of the Anthony home began, investigators concluded their painstaking search of the scene where a county meter reader found a plastic bag containing the skull of a small child on December 11.

Other skeletal remains, including bone fragments as small as a pea, were uncovered after investigators marked off grids and sifted through the underbrush, leaves and dirt.

The remains were identified as Caylee's on Friday through DNA, and her death was ruled a homicide.

A large crowd of onlookers gathered as authorities left the search area on Saturday, CNN affiliates reported. The area was marked with "No Trespassing" signs, and a surveillance camera was installed, affiliate WFTV reported. The investigation has now shifted from a missing-persons search to a homicide prosecution.

Casey Anthony, 22, faces charges including first-degree murder in the disappearance and death of Caylee, who was 2 when she vanished last summer.

The mother's defense team had claimed since her October indictment that the child might still be alive, even claiming witnesses had spotted Caylee since her disappearance.

The defense team has fought unsuccessfully in court for access to the autopsy, the forensic evidence and to the scene where the remains were found.

Nieves, the sheriff's spokesman, said the defense was notified at 11:30 a.m. that the scene would be released. But, Nieves said, attorney Jose Baez told him the defense would not be responding to the scene.

The formal identification of the remains "has really cut the legs out of the defense," Stacey Honowitz, an assistant Florida state's attorney, said Friday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

But the lack of a cause of death and the absence of any soft tissue on the toddler's skeletal remains poses a challenge for prosecutors, forensic expert Lawrence Kobilinsky -- a consultant for Casey Anthony's defense -- told King.

"If you don't have a cause of death, isn't it possible that it might have been an accident?" Kobilinsky said.

A murder conviction would require proof the victim was killed intentionally. Legal experts say duct tape reportedly found on the body could convince a judge or jury that Caylee's death was not an accident.

Perhaps of greater significance, though, is Casey Anthony's behavior since -- and even before -- her child went missing. According to earlier reports, Caylee was the result of an unintended pregnancy, and Anthony made an attempt to give her up after birth. She referred to Caylee as "the little snot head" and continued to maintain an active social life.

Anthony did not tell her family for a month that Caylee had vanished. It was the child's grandmother who called police. Casey Anthony told conflicting stories at the beginning of the investigation, including a tale that Caylee was with a nanny. The name and address turned out to be bogus.

Casey Anthony's social life continued as police searched for Caylee -- including one memorable entry in a "Hot Body Contest" at an Orlando bar.

Investigators said they found the scent of decomposing flesh and a trace of chloroform, a powerful knockout agent, in the trunk of a car Anthony drove at the time. Anthony's family offered various explanations, including a rotting pizza and a dead squirrel.

On the Anthonys' home computer, police found there had been searches for chloroform, missing children and "neck-breaking," although Garavaglia said Friday that she did not find evidence of trauma to the bones.

"The prosecution is going to have a great deal of circumstantial evidence, and this is a physical evidence case," Kobilinsky said. "This is not a question about credibility, although obviously a jury looks at credibility and contradictions, but the physical evidence will either include her or exclude Casey. It's an uphill battle for the defense."

Nevertheless, forensic expert Kathy Reichs, who also is working with Anthony's defense team, sees an opening.

"Given that there's no evidence as to the cause of death ... you could have an accidental death and a mother that panics," she told King. "There are alternative explanations."

Perhaps not enough to save Casey Anthony, said famed defense attorney Mark Geragos, who is not associated with the case.

"The defense will try to focus, I'm sure, on all of the forensic evidence and whatever else they can do," he told King. "But they're always going to be up against it with the 'She didn't act right' evidence, and that's the hardest thing to combat in this case."

Prosecutors don't need to show what killed Caylee, Geragos said. The defense needs to overcome Casey Anthony's statements and behavior.

"Somebody is going to have to give an explanation at some point as to when she last saw the child, who she gave the child to," he said. "And until that is done, I don't care what they put together, it's not going to carry any weight."

[Admin]

Caylee Anthony's Funeral To Be Private

wftv
December 21, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Toys and gifts given to a memorial for little Caylee Anthony will be give to the Orlando Union Rescue Mission, according to her grandparents.

Dozens of people had left small tokens as a way to remember the child at the scene where her remains were discovered more than a week ago.

"Caylee is not here, she can't play with them, she is looking down," said Brad Conway, the attorney for George and Cindy Anthony. "The Anthonys want everyone to know this is what Caylee would've wanted."

Investigators have cleared the scene where Caylee's remains were found.

Detectives finished their search of the area late Saturday afternoon. "No Trespassing" signs have been posted and a camera is watching over the property, which is less than a half a mile from the home of her grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony. George appeared in public for the first time since learning the news that the remains were those of his granddaughter. He didn't make any comments while accepting flowers from a family friend.

Minutes after a convoy of investigators pulled out of the search scene, a crowd of people marched down Suburban Drive so they could have a first look at the area where Caylee was found. Deputies said any cars parked along the road would be towed.

"This is private property," said Capt. Angelo Nieves of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "Onlookers do not have the right to go in the property. They could be subject to arrest."

Caylee's mother, Casey, is in the Orange County jail, charged with her daughter's murder. She has insisted that she left the girl with a babysitter in June, but she didn't report her missing until July. The babysitter has never been found.

Attorney Brad Conway said George and Cindy Anthony would like to visit their daughter in jail but won't because jail visits are a matter of public record. Anthony did say Caylee's funeral would be private.

Also Saturday, detectives served a search warrant on the Anthonys' home. Conway said deputies took shoes and clothing belonging to Caylee and Casey.

"Obviously, we are going to treat this family with respect as well, due to the pain they're going through," said Nieves.

EVIDENCE SHOWS REMAINS ARE CAYLEE'S

Forensic evidence revealed Thursday shows the remains belong to Caylee, and that the child was murdered, according to the Orange County medical examiner.

"This identification was made from nuclear DNA taken from the remains and compared to a known profile of Caylee Anthony," Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia, the Orange County Medical Examiner, said. "There was no trauma to the bones prior to the death. The manner of the death in this case is homicide. The cause of death will be listed as homicide by unknown means."

The announcement was made at an afternoon news conference. Dr. Garavaglia said a substantial amount of Caylee's skeleton was found. She said investigators combing over the scene had done a very thorough job, noting that some of a child's bones are as small as a pebble.

More tests are coming in. The Medical Examiner's office said reports from a botanist, anthropologist, and toxicologist would arrive at a later date. Garavaglia said there was no tissue found and there was not much chance of determining whether a chemical such as chloroform was used to silence the little girl.

"It will be difficult to interpret levels from these specimens and this will not be definitive in helping determine the cause of death," said Garavaglia. "Should other information become available the cause of death may be revisited."

The remains were found near the Anthonys' east Orange County home last Thursday by an Orange County meter reader. The discovery site is less than a half-mile from the house.

METER READER IDENTIFIED

The meter reader came forward Friday afternoon. Roy Kronk, 46, read a short statement confirming he'd called authorities three times before the remains were discovered.

"I have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation with the sheriff's office and the FBI," said Kronk. "I respectfully decline to get into details about what I saw at the crime scene."

Kronk refused to answer questions and said he would not grant any interviews.

"His participation in this matter is strictly as a concerned citizen with a sharp eye and good instincts and perseverance. He has no connection whatsoever to this case. He has no connection to the Anthony family… Those who have speculated to the contrary could not be more wrong," said David Evans, Kronk's lawyer.

Steve Triggs, Director of Communications for Orange County, said Kronk has been a county employee for a relatively short time. Triggs said Kronk is being represented by outside counsel at the county's expense

Kronk's role in the case has raised issues because the sheriff's office admitted Thursday that he had first notified its call center and Crimeline on August 11, 12 and 13, that he'd spotted something suspicious in the woods.

The sheriff's office is currently investigating at least three deputies who responded to the scene, but cleared it without finding anything. In the August 13 visit, Kronk even accompanied deputies to the scene. Officials aren't releasing the names of any of the deputies involved, but they are under administrative investigation.

"If we missed a window of opportunity we don't know," Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said. "I'm not throwing anybody under the bus because we don't know. That's why we conduct an administrative review."

Sheriff's investigators said Kronk is not under investigation.

"He is not a suspect in this case," Captain Nieves said. "He is a credible witness and we consider him so at the Orange County Sheriff's Office."

Despite the fact that investigators could have found the remains four months ago, in better shape and prevented all the expense to taxpayers of the exhaustive search that's gone on, investigators said they feel very confident about the evidence they have and that it strengthens their case tremendously.

FAMILY NOTIFIED

Casey Anthony was notified about the determination by a jail chaplain, Friday afternoon. She refused a visit from her family pastor. Jail officials refused to say what her reaction was. They did say she was not on suicide watch or under psychological evaluation.

Her attorney, Jose Baez, blasted the sheriff's office for not allowing him to break the news to Casey.

"That courtesy was not given to us," he said. "That lack of professionalism, I'm really at a loss for words ... She's innocent and we are moving forward and again you really don't know half of the story," said Baez.

The jail said it follows a strict protocol when notifying inmates about a death.

George and Cindy Anthony were told the remains where their granddaughter's Friday afternoon. The Anthonys were secluded in their home with their son, Lee. Lee's lawyer, Thomas Luka, said the Anthonys were devastated by the news. They had long held out hope their granddaughter would be found alive.

"As you would expect, the Anthonys are extremely on edge and upset," Luka said.

Brad Conway, the attorney representing George and Cindy, read a statement from the family:

"As everyone now knows, the remains recovered off Suburban Drive are those of Caylee Marie Anthony. The Anthony family did not give up hope that Caylee was still alive until we were notified by the Orange County Sheriff's Office at approximately 1:30pm today. The Anthonys want to thank you for your prayers and best wishes that have been said on behalf of Caylee. They now know that their precious granddaughter is safe and hope that she will serve as the angel that protects thousands of missing children and their families. Please continue your prayers for Caylee, the Anthonys and the families that still hope and pray that their children will be found. We would like to thank crime scene investigators for their exhaustive efforts. The Anthonys want the same answers as everyone who has been assigned to investigate and prosecute this case. In an effort to determine the truth, the Anthony family will be available to law enforcement as the investigation continues. As you can imagine, the Anthonys are grieving deeply about this loss. Please respect their privacy and understand they will stand together as a family in order to get through this. Your thoughts and prayers are welcome, but they also ask that you pray for the families who have lost a child under any circumstances. This is a tragic moment in the lives of good and honorable people. Please treat them respectfully so they can grieve with dignity over the loss of this precious child, Caylee Marie Anthony."

INVESTIGATORS STILL AT SCENE

Sheriff Kevin Beary defended the long investigation and many searches for the body saying, "I don't put price tags on finding a little child ... I think this has been an open wound in the community and I think we can put some closure to this wound ... No child should have to go through this."

An FBI spokesman said his agency had investigated more than 400 leads nationwide and there were no other suspects besides Casey Anthony. Orange County detectives investigated more than 5,600 leads.

Friday, investigators remained at the scene where the remains were found. They continued their search for clues as a small crowd gathered and put together a memorial to Caylee. Visitors dropped off photos and momentos, some wiping away tears as they passed by.

LEGAL ANALYST SAYS DEVELOPMENTS FAVOR DEFENSE

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said the fact that the medical examiner couldn't determine a cause of death benefits the defense.

"This is going to bring the forensic evidence even more to the forefront to show if this child was killed by Casey Anthony," said Sheaffer.

Casey's attorneys have talked about having a second autopsy performed on the remains. Sheaffer said that's likely to happen.

"You can look forward to a second autopsy in this case when the body is released to the mother," he said. "We've seen a list of powerhouse forensic witnesses [for the defense] and you can bet they're going to attempt to reach a different conclusion than that of the medical examiner."

CASE HISTORY

The case captivated the community where the little girl's family lived, and Caylee has been a staple on national news as her mother and grandparents pleaded for tips, promising that the girl was still alive.

Caylee's grandmother first called authorities in July to say she hadn't seen the girl for a month and her daughter's car smelled like death.

Deputies immediately interviewed Casey Anthony and soon said everything she told them about her daughter's whereabouts was false. The baby sitter was nonexistent and the apartment where Anthony said she had last seen Caylee had been empty for months. Anthony also lied about where she worked, they said.

Other troubling details emerged: Photos surfaced of Anthony partying after her daughter disappeared. Friends said she was a habitual liar, but also a good mother.

Last month, the Orange County State Attorney turned over almost 800 pages of documents showing someone used the Anthonys' home computer to do Internet searches for terms like "neck breaking" and "household weapons."

In mid-March, someone searched Google and Wikipedia for peroxide, shovels, acetone, alcohol and chloroform. Traces of chloroform, which is used to induce unconsciousness and a component of human decomposition, were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car during forensic testing, the documents say.

[Admin]

Casey's Closet, Caylee's Room Searched

wftv
December 22, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- WFTV has learned crime scene investigators stripped Caylee Anthony's room and then raided Casey's closet during a recent search of the home.

Crime scene investigators have confiscated boxes of items from the Anthony home two times in the past week.

Sources tell Eyewitness News last Thursday, investigators were focused on Caylee Anthony. They took her clothes, shoes and her toys.

Over the weekend, another search warrant was executed and investigators came back for Casey Anthony's belongings. They took more of Caylee's clothes, five to eight pairs of Casey shoes and her clothes as well.

Legal expert Bill Sheaffer believes investigators are trying to take as many items as possible to help build their case because they don't have a cause of death.

"Any forensic evidence linking Casey to the scene is extremely important for the state's prosecution," said Sheaffer.

We are also told investigators took soil samples from the Anthony home. Once defense attorney Jose Baez found out that the samples were taken as part of the evidence, he sent out his own team and they collected soil from the home for their forensic experts.

Sources tell WFTV, investigators also took two pairs of sunglasses and a pink-zippered bag.

TOYS DONATED

Toys that were collected at a memorial for Caylee were handed out to needy children Monday.

Cynthia Melendez and her four children were forced into the Orlando Union Rescue Mission shelter a month ago. She lost her job and worried her children wouldn't have a Christmas. Now, she'll benefit from the community's outpouring over the Caylee Anthony tragedy.

"It's a blessing to them, but it’s heartbreaking at the same time," said Melendez.

Employees at the Mission unloaded armfuls of stuffed animals and toys brought from the Caylee Anthony memorial site where the child's remains were found more than a week ago. All 85 children staying at the shelter picked out a toy for Christmas. George and Cindy Anthony said their granddaughter was a giving child who liked to share and would have wanted this to happen.

The children at the mission couldn't stop singing and smiling when they saw the gifts under the tree, Monday morning.

"I feel excited, happy and thankful," said Katherine Lane, one of the children. When asked if she knew who had donated the presents, she answered, "Caylee and her grandparents."

Some parents said they were praying for the Anthonys and a few even said they sympathize with Casey Anthony, who stands accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter. She could go to prison for life is she's convicted. A tentative trial date has been set for March of 2009.

"I hope the courts understand that she was a young mom and there are hard times," said Jennifer Gonzalez.

Dozens of people have contacted WFTV, saying they were upset the Anthonys donated the items instead of leaving them at the memorial. However, parents at the shelter believe it's one way to keep alive Caylee's memory alive and help children who didn't think they'd receive anything this holiday season.

"I will tell my children that this was given to a child who lost her life, but you are living in her memory," said one mother.

FORMER BOYFRIEND SPEAKS

A man who once planned to marry Casey Anthony and take in Caylee as his own spoke publicly for the time Monday morning.

Jesse Grund appeared on "The Today Show." Grund reiterated claims made by several of Casey's friends that she had a problem telling the truth. But Grund said the Casey he knew wasn't capable of killing her daughter.

"I don't know what this Casey is capable of," said Grund. "I don't really know her at all they way she is now."

Grund said he believes this case will follow him for the rest of his life.

COURT HEARING CANCELLED

A hearing scheduled for Monday in a defamation lawsuit against Casey Anthony was cancelled.

George and Cindy Anthony were expected to testify in the civil case filed by Zenaida Gonzales. Gonzales was named as the mystery babysitter Casey claimed kidnapped Caylee. Detectives have long said Casey made up the story and Gonzales was never connected to Casey, Caylee, or the case.

Gonzalez's attorney voluntarily asked the court to delay the scheduled deposition in light of the discovery of Caylee's remains. Casey's attorney is asking the deposition be delayed until after the criminal trial.

[Admin]

Casey Anthony Can't Attend Daughter Caylee's Funeral
Florida Jail Says Anthony, Mother Accused of Killing Daughter, Can't Attend Caylee Anthony's Funeral

ABC News
December 23, 2008

Casey Anthony, the 22-year-old accused of killing her daughter, Caylee, is not eligible to attend either a funeral or a viewing of her daughter's remains, the Orange County Corrections Department says.

The department said corrections policy prevented Casey Anthony from attending, based on the severity of the charges against her and safety and security risks.

Casey Anthony was charged in October with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, who was reported missing in July. The child's remains were found Dec. 11, less than a quarter mile from the home she shared with her mother and grandparents.

No funeral has been scheduled for Caylee, who would have turned 3 in August, though her grandparents announced today that they would hold a public memorial service for the girl.

Casey Anthony is being held in the jail in Orange County, Fla.. She has pleaded not guilty.

Caylee's death was ruled a "homicide of undetermined means" by Orange County chief medical examiner Jan Garavaglia last week. The medical examiner has asked for toxicology tests to be performed on the girl's remains.

[Admin]

Public memorial service planned for Caylee

CNN
December 23, 2008

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- The grandparents of slain toddler Caylee Anthony said Tuesday they will hold private and public memorials and asked people not to donate any money toward funeral expenses.

The announcement came on the day that a judge in Orlando granted an attorney for Caylee's mother, who is accused of murder, the right to inspect autopsy photos, X-rays and other relevant material.

Attorney Jose Baez said the defense wants to conduct a second autopsy and needs the material beforehand.

Assistant State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton had told Baez in an e-mail Monday that the material would be provided "in due course."

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland ordered prosecutors Tuesday to provide the material within 14 days.

Caylee was 2 when she vanished last summer. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was arrested October 14 and charged with murder even though her daughter's remains had not yet been found.

Skeletal remains were discovered earlier this month in woods about a half-mile from her grandparents' house, where Caylee and her mother had been living.

DNA testing indicated the remains were Caylee's.

The Anthonys' family lawyer said Tuesday that reports that they were seeking donations for Caylee's funeral are incorrect.

"It is important that people's kind donations of hard-earned money during difficult times go toward their intended wishes," said attorney Brad Conway. "All money currently held in any account dedicated to finding Caylee will be given to an as-yet-undetermined nonprofit organization devoted to finding missing children."

Conway also announced the family's plans for a public memorial service.

"The Anthonys appreciate and respect the public show of love and affection for little Caylee, their only granddaughter," Conway said. "It is their intention to have both a private ceremony as well as a public ceremony. The Anthonys want to begin the process of healing not only for themselves, but for our entire community."

No date or location was announced.

"The public memorial will have to be located at a large venue so that everyone who wants to pay their last respects to this beautiful child may do so," Conway said.