Message Board

[Admin]

2-year-old girl missing for more than a month

Susan Jacobson and Willoughby Mariano
Orlando Sentinel
Jult 17, 2008

She's 3 feet tall, loves her teddy bear and hosts tea parties with her stuffed pig and Elmo doll at a toddler's picnic table.

The last time her grandma and grandpa saw her, she was moving out of their Lee Vista-area home with her mom.

The question is, where is Caylee Marie Anthony?

The 2-year-old girl hasn't been seen in more than a month, and her grandparents are worried. So are Orange County investigators.

Caylee's mother, Casey Marie Anthony, 22, told detectives she dropped Caylee off at a baby sitter's house June 9 but that the child was not there when she went to pick her up.

She never notified deputies.

She didn't tell her parents.

She did her own investigation, she told detectives. She went to clubs that the baby sitter, a woman she identified as Zenaida Gonzalez, is known to frequent. She said she was afraid her daughter would get hurt if authorities got involved because she had seen that happen in movies.

Early Wednesday, Caylee's grandmother, Cindy Anthony, insisted her daughter call the Sheriff's Office. Now, detectives are asking for the public's help in finding Caylee -- and Gonzalez, who authorities think may not even exist.

Investigators discovered that the apartment Casey Anthony said belonged to the baby sitter had been vacant for nearly five months.

"It's difficult to sort through what we've been told, given that what we've been given was false," said Sgt. John Allen of the sheriff's child-abuse unit.

Detectives are retracing Anthony's steps and trying to locate people who may have seen her with -- or without -- Caylee in the past month.

Cindy Anthony has been asking her own questions. Where is Caylee? she has asked her daughter. Can I see her?

Caylee is fine, Casey Anthony has replied. We're living together with friends.

"I've been asking my daughter for the last month to talk to Caylee," Cindy Anthony said. "All I want is Caylee."

Casey Anthony was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of child neglect, providing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. She was being held late Wednesday without bail at the Orange County Jail.

When questioned by deputies, Anthony did not "show any obvious emotion as to the loss of her child. She did not cry or give any indication that she was legitimately worried about her child's safety," according to an arrest report. "She remained stoic and monotone during a majority of our contacts."

But her mother insists Anthony has been a good mom.

"And I could never dream she'd put her in harm's way," Cindy Anthony said.

Investigators are wading through a stack of information to try to come up with the truth. For instance:

*Allen, the child-abuse detective, said Anthony initially insisted she worked at Universal Studios and provided a phone extension and the name of her supervisor. All proved false, Allen said. In fact, Anthony was fired from the theme park in April 2006, according to the report.

*Anthony told investigators that Caylee's father is dead. They don't know whether that's true.

*Since Caylee's disappearance, two friends said Anthony told them her daughter was at theme parks or the beach with a nanny, according to investigators.

*Acquaintances describe Anthony as "a habitual liar" who stole checks and $700 from one woman, according to Anthony's arrest report. No charges have been filed.

Anyone with information about Caylee can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477

[Admin]

Grandmother Of Missing Girl Praying For Toddler's Safe Return

WFTV 9
July 17, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Caylee Anthony's grandparents are getting national media attention. They're trying to get coverage to lead to their granddaughter's safe return.

The grandparent's house is surrounded by local media and it has been throughout the day Thursday. They said they have appreciated the local support, but at this point they're so desperate for information they need a larger platform to help find 2-year-old Caylee.

Cynthia Anthony says it has been overwhelming.

"This is very hard. This is not what we had in our future, but we're going to get through it because we're a strong family," she said.

She's taking her story of her missing granddaughter to the national news hoping someone knows where 2-year-old Caylee Anthony is located.

"I don't care if she's in California right now. If someone in California knows where she's at, they'll get the word back to us and we'll get her," Cynthia told Eyewitness News.

Cynthia Anthony said she's trying not to focus on her daughter's arrest or first appearance in court Thursday morning.

"Caylee Marie is the one we want to all of the prayers to remain focused on and just positive thinking," she said.

The grandmother said she's also been thinking about another missing child. Trenton Duckett's father gave her a call Thursday morning.

"Oh my gosh, I mean, if anyone knows what we're going through, it's him," she said.

Anthony said she'll be making the rounds on national news programs in the morning Friday.

[Admin]

Judge denies bond for mother of missing 2-year-old daughter

Walter Pacheco, Susan Jacobson and Willoughby Mariano
Orlando Sentinel
July 17, 2008

A judge this morning denied Casey Marie Anthony bond, saying she showed "no regret or concern for her actions" following the disappearance of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Marie Anthony.

Despite Casey Anthony's lack of a criminal history, Orange County Judge John Jordan said no condition of release could protect the community from harm.

Casey Anthony, 22, just nodded as Jordan offered his comments.

"You left your 2-year-old child with a person who does not exist at an apartment you cannot identify and you lied to your parents about your child's whereabouts," Jordan said. "You cared so little about your child."

Jordan ordered that a mental health evaluation be conducted on Casey Anthony and that she have no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 17.

The child hasn't been seen in more than a month, and her grandparents are worried. So are Orange County investigators.

Casey Anthony told detectives she dropped Caylee off at a baby sitter's house June 9 but that the child was not there when she went to pick her up.

She never notified deputies.

She didn't tell her parents.

She did her own investigation, she told detectives. She went to clubs that the baby sitter, a woman she identified as Zenaida Gonzalez, is known to frequent. She said she was afraid her daughter would get hurt if authorities got involved because she had seen that happen in movies.

Early Wednesday, Caylee's grandmother, Cindy Anthony, insisted her daughter call the Sheriff's Office. Now, detectives are asking for the public's help in finding Caylee -- and Gonzalez, who authorities think may not even exist.

Investigators discovered that the apartment Casey Anthony said belonged to the baby sitter had been vacant for nearly five months.

"It's difficult to sort through what we've been told, given that what we've been given was false," said Sgt. John Allen of the sheriff's child-abuse unit.

Detectives are retracing Anthony's steps and trying to locate people who may have seen her with -- or without -- Caylee in the past month.

Cindy Anthony has been asking her own questions. Where is Caylee? she has asked her daughter. Can I see her?

Caylee is fine, Casey Anthony has replied. We're living together with friends.

"I've been asking my daughter for the last month to talk to Caylee," Cindy Anthony said. "All I want is Caylee."

Casey Anthony was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of child neglect, providing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. She was being held late Wednesday without bail at the Orange County Jail.

When questioned by deputies, Anthony did not "show any obvious emotion as to the loss of her child. She did not cry or give any indication that she was legitimately worried about her child's safety," according to an arrest report. "She remained stoic and monotone during a majority of our contacts."

But her mother insists Anthony has been a good mom.

"And I could never dream she'd put her in harm's way," Cindy Anthony said.

Investigators are wading through a stack of information to try to come up with the truth. For instance:

*Allen, the child-abuse detective, said Anthony initially insisted she worked at Universal Studios and provided a phone extension and the name of her supervisor. All proved false, Allen said. In fact, Anthony was fired from the theme park in April 2006, according to the report.

*Anthony told investigators that Caylee's father is dead. They don't know whether that's true.

*Since Caylee's disappearance, two friends said Anthony told them her daughter was at theme parks or the beach with a nanny, according to investigators.

*Acquaintances describe Anthony as "a habitual liar" who stole checks and $700 from one woman, according to Anthony's arrest report. No charges have been filed.

Anyone with information about Caylee can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

[Admin]

Search for Missing Fla. Toddler Continues
Investigation Continues as Neighbors Say Mother Borrowed Shovel Last Month

Kelly Moeller
ABC News
July 18, 2008

The search continued Friday for Caylee Anthony, a Florida toddler who disappeared five weeks ago but was only reported missing on Wednesday, police said.

Late Thursday night, Orange County Sherriff's deputies dug up the backyard of Caylee's grandparents' home after they received a tip from a neighbor claiming the girl's mother, Casey Anthony, borrowed a shovel from them a month ago, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV, the mother's former fiancé was cryptic when asked whether Casey Anthony could have killed Caylee, age 2.

"I don't want to say yes or no to that. I really don't know," Jesse, who didn't want his last name used, told the TV station.

According to police, Caylee's 22-year-old mother told them she dropped off the child with a babysitter on June 9. The sitter, Zenaida Gonzalez, whom Anthony claims to have known for four years, had watched Caylee on and off over the last year and a half, Anthony said.

Anthony told police that when she returned to the apartment after work there was no answer, according to a police report. She says she began to search places that she knew Gonzalez visited but was unable to locate Caylee or the babysitter.

Anthony said that she has been conducting her own investigation but never went to authorities.

"Detectives are very concerned," Deputy Sheriff Carlos Padilla of the Orange County Sherriff's Office tells ABCNews.com. "We are talking five weeks here. The quicker you call, the easier it is to track someone down."

Frustrated investigators held a press conference Thursday afternoon to plead for the public's for assistance in tracking down Caylee.

"We are no further than we were yesterday at this time," said Padilla.

Authorities were finally notified of Caylee's disappearance on Wednesday after her grandmother, Cynthia Anthony, called police, she told ABCNews.com.

"I first learned Caylee was missing on Tuesday of this week. I found something that put Casey in Orlando instead of Jacksonville and she was without Caylee. When I found out I called the police," said Cynthia.

"Casey was an excellent mother. A loving mother. I have no reason to doubt anything other than that," she added.

According to police, Anthony has made excuses for her daughter's absence over the past month, including telling friends that Caylee was at Disneyland, Universal Studios or the beach with her "nanny."

"Mommy kept making up excuses as to where Caylee was, and the grandmother finally located [Anthony] and was insistent in seeing Caylee. The daughter finally told her and the grandmother said we have to call the police," said Padilla.

Once the investigation began, police discovered that the apartment that Anthony claims to have dropped Caylee off at on June 9 has been vacant since February 29.

Anthony was transported in an unmarked car with Orange County investigators to the last three known locations for Gonzalez in hopes getting more information. One residence turned out to be a senior-only facility, and at another no one could verify that Gonzalez or Caylee had been there.

Throughout this investigation, Anthony has shown very little emotion, according to police. "She has a very calm demeanor. She doesn't seem to be too worried," said Padilla. "To me, if one of our children is missing, your stress level goes up, but she shows no signs of it."

According to the report, Anthony told police that she was currently working as an event coordinator for Universal Studios, but when Anthony gave investigators the name and extension of her supervisor, both proved to be false. In addition, the head of the events department confirmed that Anthony has not been an employee in the past or present.

Anthony was also unable to provide investigators with the address of her work or a company ID, according to police.

"Detectives have been working around the clock but a lot of [Anthony's] statements have been false which make it much more difficult," said Padilla.

Since the missing person report was released, police have received numerous phone calls from acquaintances of Anthony claiming that she is a habitual liar and has stolen from friends in the past, according to police.

Investigators continue to wade through the information they have received. "We're ready to go out to where she has been staying in hopes to find any evidence or anything to point to where Caylee might be," said Padilla.

Anthony was placed under arrest on Wednesday for child neglect and providing false information regarding the investigation. She was granted a public defender and despite the fact that she has no criminal history, her request for bond was denied.

In the bond hearing this morning, Judge John Jordan said, "You left your 2-year-old child Caylee Anthony in the custody of a person who does not exist, at an apartment you cannot identify, and you lied to your parents and friends about your child's whereabouts."

"I don't know what to believe at this point. I have no idea what happened to Caylee and that's what we're trying to get to the bottom of," said Caylee's grandmother, Cynthia.

"It seems like there are a lot of things missing right now," said Padilla. "I compare this case to a very very difficult puzzle to put together. There are a lot of pieces missing."

[Admin]

Police conduct grim search for 2-year-old girl

Walter Pacheco and Bianca Prieto
Orlando Sentinel
July 18, 2008

Crime-scene technicians are digging through Cindy Anthony's backyard this morning, looking for clues into the disappearance of her 2-year-old granddaughter, Caylee Marie Anthony.

Capt. Angelo Nieves of the Orange County Sheriff's Office did not give details on the investigation, but said the property was the focus of the probe.

Cadaver dogs roamed the Hopespring Drive property Thursday after a neighbor told investigators that 22-year-old Casey Anthony had borrowed a shovel about a month ago. Detectives recovered that shovel as evidence.

While investigators probed the backyard, residents in the south Orange County neighborhood woke up to news crews and media trucks parked along their streets.

Neighbor Diana Centeno, whose children have played with Caylee in the past, said the whole investigation is "just scary" and hopes Casey Anthony - the child's mother - did not have anything to do with the disappearance.

"This is tedious work, and we're going very slow," said sheriff's Sgt. John Allen, who heads the child-abuse and missing-persons squad. At one point, investigators shifted a playhouse from its spot in the yard and looked at the ground beneath it.

Investigators' work has been more difficult, they say, because of a web of lies Casey Anthony has told about her daughter's disappearance nearly five weeks ago.

"As we continue to investigate this, we find more inconsistencies in the mother's story, so we continue to look for witnesses," Allen said Thursday. But one investigator put it more bluntly in Anthony's arrest affidavit:

"Based on the repetitive lies that the defendant has told, we do not know with whom the child is or even if the child is alive," wrote Cpl. Yuri Melich of the missing-persons unit. "It should be noted that at no time during any of the above interviews did the defendant show any obvious emotion as to the loss of her child."

Casey Anthony reported Caylee missing Wednesday -- after Cindy Anthony urged her to contact authorities.

Casey Anthony told officials she dropped her daughter off with a baby sitter she identified as Zenaida Gonzalez on June 9 but that the child was gone when she returned to pick her up. Investigators have questioned a Zenaida Gonzalez who said she had never met Anthony or Caylee. Detectives are looking for others with the same name.

The Sheriff's Office arrested Anthony late Wednesday on charges of child neglect, providing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation.

Detectives spent Thursday talking with possible witnesses and following up leads, including seizing electronic equipment from the Anthony home. Crime-scene investigators carried a large item out of a house next door on Hopespring Drive. Casey Anthony and her daughter had lived with her parents at their Lee Vista home until June 9.

While deputies searched for Caylee, Casey Anthony remained locked up at the Orange County Jail. Investigators did not question her further Thursday.

Orange County Judge John Jordan denied Casey Anthony bail Thursday, chastising her behavior.

"You left your 2-year-old child with a person who does not exist at an apartment you cannot identify, and you lied to your parents about your child's whereabouts," Jordan said. "You cared so little about your child."

Casey Anthony, who has no criminal record, nodded as Jordan spoke. The judge ordered a mental-health evaluation.

Casey Anthony, investigators say, created a trail of lies that has left them with little information.

"At this point, there is no indication that [Caylee] is deceased," Capt. Angelo Nieves said. "We don't know where she is. Our concern is for the child and to locate her."

Authorities have not issued an Amber Alert for the girl because the information they have does not meet the criteria, Nieves said. Detectives say they are challenged because so much time has passed since she was last seen.

"If we had been called the day she disappeared . . . it would have been much easier to find the child," Allen said.

Cindy Anthony can't explain the lies her daughter told.

In early June, Casey Anthony told her mother she was being sent to Tampa for work and would be back in a few days. Later, she said she was going on a "mini-vacation" with friends and taking Caylee with her. Cindy Anthony never thought much of it.

Casey Anthony told detectives she worked at Universal Studios and identified people who could vouch for her -- another lie. The apartment Casey Anthony identified as the place she left her child with Gonzalez in June has been vacant for five months.

"I had no reason to believe they weren't where they were supposed to be," Cindy Anthony said. "I don't know why she fabricated this."

Now, Cindy Anthony finds solace in her missing granddaughter's bedroom -- a place where she goes to hold on to the girl's favorite teddy bear and pray.

"I've found a lot of peace here the last few days," Cindy Anthony said. "There's an emptiness in my heart because she's not here."

Anyone with information about Caylee can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

[Admin]

Missing Boy's Father Assists In Toddler Search
Trenton Duckett Has Been Missing Since 2006

WESH 2
July 18, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The father of a missing boy in another high-profile case is lending a hand in the search for Caylee Anthony.

Trenton Duckett disappeared two years ago, when he was 2 years old

The boy's father, Josh Duckett, showed up at the scene of the search for Caylee on Thursday.

Josh Duckett said he understands what Caylee's grandparents are going through. His son's disappearance remains a mystery.

Melinda Duckett was also young, and she reported her son missing in 2006. She said Trenton had been abducted, but evidence contradicted that claim.

Investigators became suspicious and Melinda Duckett committed suicide.

Josh Duckett commented on the investigation into Caylee's disappearance.

"If she's got the information, I wish she would just tell. I mean, because honestly, the family deserves closure, and the family deserves to know where the baby is at. I mean, no 2-year-old should have to be away from their family," Josh Duckett said.

Duckett has been active in the search for his own son consistently. He's made his voice heard and presence known during the search for Caylee Anthony.

[Admin]

Where is Caylee Marie? Orange County detectives continue search for missing 2-year-old girl

Bianca Prieto and Sarah Lundy
Orlando Sentinel
July 19, 2008

Orange County detectives are working to track down dozens of tips in their search for missing 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony.

Crimeline has been fielding calls since news broke of the toddler's disappearance earlier this week. Family members haven't seen the girl since early June.

On Friday, crime-scene technicians dug for the second day in a row in the backyard of the family's Lee Vista home on Hopespring Drive. Authorities used cadaver dogs but turned up nothing, detectives said.

A neighbor alerted authorities that Caylee's 22-year-old mom, Casey Anthony, had borrowed a shovel about a month ago. Detectives removed a shovel from the neighbor's house.

"We're not giving up that Caylee is still alive," said Sgt. John Allen of the Orange County Sheriff's Office child-abuse unit.

Cindy Anthony said she reported her hazel-eyed granddaughter missing on Tuesday when she learned Caylee had not been seen since June 9.

Detectives have received about 40 tips since Wednesday night, said Barb Bergin, a law-enforcement coordinator at Crimeline.

Allen wouldn't discuss the tips, but said investigators were searching for the girl in more than one place.

Casey Anthony told investigators she dropped her child off with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez on June 9. When she returned later, they were both gone. So far, investigators have not been able to find the woman who Casey Anthony said last had the girl.

Casey Anthony was arrested Wednesday night on charges of child neglect, providing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. She remains in the Orange County Jail without bond.

Her attorney, Jose Baez, lambasted the Sheriff's Office on Friday for its efforts to locate Caylee.

"Police really haven't been looking for [Gonzalez]," Baez said. "They've been digging in the grandparents' backyard."

Anyone with information about Caylee can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477.

[Admin]

Family, friends distribute fliers around Orlando

Gabrielle Finley
Orlando Sentinel
July 19, 2008

Family and friends began distributing fliers in Orlando on Saturday in hopes of finding 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, who hasn't been seen since June 9.

The little girl's uncle, Lee Anthony, said his family was focused on one thing today: spreading the word about Caylee's disappearance.

Lee Anthony was joined by Josh Duckett, the Lake County man whose son, Trenton, has been missing for nearly two years. About 20 others gathered at the Publix at the intersection of Lake Underhill Road and Chickasaw Trail to get fliers and start handing them out.

Anthony didn't want to talk about the investigation or Caylee's 22-year-old mother, Casey Anthony, who has been arrested.

"We're not talking about the investigation or anything else ongoing, except for how we are effectively getting the word out," Lee Anthony said.

Small groups of teams went out various directions, some to Goldenrod and State Road 50, others to UCF and other major intersections around Orlando to hand out fliers, Anthony said.

The fliers show two photos of Caylee. She's pensive in one of them and grinning widely in the other. The fliers ask anyone with information to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office or Crimeline.

[Admin]

Search For Caylee Hits The Streets

News 13
July 20, 2008

ORLANDO -- It’s almost two weeks before her birthday, and there’s still no sign of Caylee Marie Anthony.

Caylee's grandparents began handing out fliers at the Publix at Lake Underhill Road and Chickasaw Trail at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, hoping anyone will have information on the girl's whereabouts.

The group that met at Publix also included strangers who just wanted to help.

"My last prayers last night were for this family," said Kathy McGiness, who felt motivated to help search for Caylee. "This morning, waking up, seeing it again, I was like, 'Stop with the praying. Now get out and do something.' So that's why I'm here, to get the fliers and pass them on."

Meanwhile, Caylee's family spoke to reporters about the latest phase of the search and shared some interesting new information.

Earlier this week, we told you about how the 2-year-old's disappearance came to light after Casey Anthony's car had to be towed from an Amscot.

The Anthony family said it was because Casey had run out of gas.

As for the smell of decay inside the car, which some thought could be a clue, the family said the stench was from a piece of rotting pizza in the trunk.

However, Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mother, told reporters she does believe Casey is holding back vital information to protect her family.

"I don't want to wait until afterwards to find Caylee, you understand?” said Cindy. “Our focus has to be on finding Caylee first, and then sorting out all the details of what led up to the reason why we don't have her here in our home afterwards."

Cindy recalled a phone conversation Casey had with Caylee just this past Tuesday. She said the 2-year-old spoke to Casey briefly, but when she asked Caylee to put an adult on the phone, the line was disconnected.

Orange County Sheriff's deputies spent Friday focusing on the backyard of Caylee's grandparents' home, on Hopespring Drive, where Caylee and her mother lived before the toddler disappeared in June. See previous story.

Casey Anthony's Friends React
Friends and family of Casey Anthony are in shock over her recent arrest, describing Anthony as a supportive friend, who got along with everybody.

Rebecca Adams and Krista Balcarvajal said they lost touch with Anthony after high school, and when they saw her again after four years on the news, they said they could not believe it.

"I am extremely shocked," said Adams. "To me, to find somebody that I know that's going through such an emotional roller coaster and not really giving up much information is hurtful to all of her friends and family. You know, everybody's showing a lot of concern for her daughter, and I don't know if something happened to where she feels uncomfortable of disclosing that information, but I personally feel that's not her at all."

"She's blank, she has no emotions. That's not her," said Balcarvajal. "She had a spark, whether -- you know, she was making you feel better, or trying to crack a smile with you -- but the fact that she just sees people, but she doesn't see them -- that's not her. That's not her at all."

Anthony's friends said the last time they spoke to her was online, just months ago, but they had not physically been with her since graduating from high school.

Lawyer: There Are Other Suspects In The Case
Questions are being raised as to whether Casey Anthony had anything to do with her daughter's disappearance.

For the first time, we're hearing from Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, who said there are other suspects in the case.

In addition, Baez said he plans to reveal evidence that will exonerate Anthony once they get their time in court.

Meanwhile, a motion was filed Thursday to get her bonded out of jail after a judge denied her first request this week.

He said Anthony has undergone psychological counseling while behind bars, but mental illness is not a factor in her defense.

Baez said Anthony's first priority is finding her daughter, despite some sensationalized media reports.

"She's doing her best to keep it together and to assist in any way she possibly can because now is not the time to lose it,” said Baez. “She needs her composure and her ability to think so it can best help Caylee."

Baez said he is outraged that Anthony is still in jail considering she has not been charged in connection with her daughter's disappearance or harming her in any way.

[Admin]

Where is Caylee Marie? 'We implore everyone to get the word out,' uncle pleads

Gabrielle Finley
Orlando Sentinel
July 20, 2008

Family, friends and volunteers beat the pavement Saturday to distribute fliers in hopes of finding 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony, who has been missing more than a month.

Meanwhile, Orange County sheriff's detectives have found a car seat and are sifting for more clues in an abandoned car that belongs to the missing toddler's grandmother. The woman at the center of the case, the child's mother, remains in jail, and an official said Saturday that she has had no visits from family members since her arrest Wednesday.

Caylee's grandmother, Cindy Anthony, told the Sentinel that she received a letter informing her that the car was found abandoned and had been towed. The white 1998 Pontiac was towed June 30 from an Amscot Financial store at Colonial Drive and Goldenrod Road, said sheriff's spokesman Carlos Padilla.

"It had been with the wrecker a while before the family found out," Padilla said.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, had been using the car to get around, records show. Cindy Anthony said she questioned her daughter about Caylee's whereabouts when she received the letter from the tow company.

She reported her granddaughter missing Tuesday when she learned from her daughter that Caylee had not been seen since June 9.

Details on what kind of clues the car holds were not available, but Padilla said a child's car seat was found in the Pontiac.

Casey Anthony, 22, has been charged in connection with her daughter's disappearance. She has told investigators she left her daughter with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez on June 9. But investigators have been unable to find Gonzalez.

On Friday, crime-scene technicians halted their search in the backyard of Cindy Anthony's Lee Vista home on Hopespring Drive, where Casey and her daughter also lived.

Cadaver dogs were sent to sniff out the backyard, but nothing was found and detectives have moved elsewhere in their search.

Padilla said Casey Anthony is the key to finding Caylee, who turns 3 next month.

"What really would break this case is if the mother would just tell us the truth: Where is Caylee?" he said.

Since June, Casey Anthony could be seen at the Fusian Ultra Lounge in the Waterford Lakes area almost every Friday night, Fusian owner Bruce Lam said. She recently dated Anthony Lazzaro, a promoter for the club, he said.

"I had no idea she had a kid," Lam said. "I thought she was a typical college kid. All the promoters were cool kids. I was very surprised."

Casey Anthony was arrested Wednesday night on charges of child neglect, providing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. Sheriff's detectives have said she repeatedly lied to investigators when she was questioned.

Caylee's uncle, Lee Anthony, would not comment Saturday on anything to do with his sister or the investigation. He said his family and friends were focused on one thing: spreading the word about Caylee's disappearance.

"We're not talking about the investigation or anything else ongoing, except for how we are effectively getting the word out," he said.

About two dozen friends and volunteers gathered at Publix at Lake Underhill Road and Chickasaw Trail to pass out fliers.

Joshua Duckett, the Lake County man whose son Trenton has been missing nearly two years, also joined in.

Small teams also were passing out fliers at the University of Central Florida, in the Conway area, in downtown Orlando, at large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target and at major intersections.

Kid Finders Network, an organization in West Palm Beach that aids the search for missing kids, said companies have donated fliers and are working to put together a mobile billboard detailing Caylee's disappearance. It will start rolling across Orlando on Tuesday morning, said executive director Sherri Milstead.

"We realize this is not only touching the lives of people in our community, but nationwide," Lee Anthony said. "We implore everyone to get the word out in their area. There's no limit to the places we need to go to right now."

[Admin]

Search For Toddler Continues, Prayer Vigil Scheduled In Her Honor

WFTV 9
July 20, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Sunday marked the sixth day of searching for missing 2-year-old, Caylee Anthony. Family, friends, and volunteers continued handing out flyers and a prayer vigil has been scheduled for 7:00 Sunday night.

Saturday, we learned new information about a phone call. The grandparents of the missing 2-year-old say the child's mother got a mysterious phone call a day before she was arrested and charged with felony child neglect. That call gives them hope that Caylee Anthony is still alive.

"Casey got a phone call, 'Hi, Mommy?' Casey said, 'Put an adult on the phone Caylee.' The phone went dead," said Cynthia Anthony.

Cynthia is Casey's mother and Caylee's grandmother. Investigators have been on an all-out search for Caylee Anthony since she was reported missing last week. They have arrested her mother, Casey, on child neglect charges and say she has told them a string of lies about where her child may be.

The Anthonys say they're sure Casey is telling the truth about that phone call despite lies to law enforcement.

"We don't know why she's been misleading them (law enforcement)," said Cynthia.

Cynthia believes if someone took Caylee, that person might have threatened Casey, the toddler or her family. She also feels Casey knows that person.

"And she feels compelled to put the blame on herself than some other person," said Cynthia. "That's the type of person Casey is."

Investigators did not release many new details about the case, Saturday, other than to say that weeks after Casey Anthony last saw her daughter, Casey got a tattoo that says "Bella Vida" in honor of her daughter.

Investigators did not release further details about a car they had been searching, Friday.

A strong smell led investigators to focus on an Orange County parking lot and a car that was found there.

The car was parked in a lot near State Road 50 and Goldenrod Road (see map) for a few days earlier this week. A business owner had it towed and it turned out to be Caylee's grandparents' car, one the toddler's mother drives.

The car or the parking lot might hold the only clues right now. Channel 9 has learned investigators came back to square one again Friday afternoon and searched for possible evidence at the place where Caylee Marie Anthony's mother had, for some reason, abandoned her car earlier this week.

While they didn't find anything at the parking lot, sources told Eyewitness News they might be finding clues in the white, 1998 Pontiac GT that Caylee's mother Casey left in the east Orange County parking lot. Eyewitness News has learned there was a stench in the car, which could indicate evidence of a body, but sources said investigators don't have any more than that to go on and they haven't figured out what the stench was from.

"We get information that comes in that sometimes suggests one thing, sometimes suggests another," Sgt. John Allen said Friday.

Friday morning, investigators brought cadaver dogs in to comb through Caylee's grandparents' backyard (see map) looking for anything that might explain what happened to her, all because a neighbor told them Caylee's mother had borrowed his shovel about a month or so ago, around the time she told investigators Caylee had disappeared.

Caylee's grandmother, Cynthia Anthony, said the shovel was for yard work and said Casey didn't have keys to the family tool shed.

"We have bamboo growing in our backyard. The only way to get rid of it is to use a shovel," Cynthia told Eyewitness News.

One of the dogs seemed to pick up on something, so police thoroughly searched the yard, under a playhouse, in the bushes and found nothing Friday.

"I got sick initially, because you get that thought, what if, but we knew deep inside there can't be anything wrong here," said grandfather George Anthony.

"If I have to go out myself, door to door, and look for this child, until the day I die, I will walk every inch of this earth and open every door and knock on every door everyday and I will look in every nook and cranny," Cynthia said.

The pair says they have faith in their daughter and are paying for her attorney.

Investigators, too, remained optimistic Friday.

"We're going to continue working in hopes that we find her alive, we find her alive and safe and sound," Allen said.

Caylee's mother apparently abandoned her car in the parking lot earlier in the week. When Caylee's grandparents found out two or three days later, it was then they also found out Caylee was missing and asked the sheriff's office to investigate. It is unclear, though, why Casey left her car sitting in the parking lot.

Casey Anthony's lawyer has said his client is cooperating with investigators, although investigators say that's not necessarily true. Attorney Jose Baez said Anthony has even volunteered to help investigators develop a composite sketch of the babysitter, with whom she insists she left her daughter with on June 9, the last time Casey saw Caylee. Detectives say the child's father died in a car accident.

Anthony is being held in the Orange County jail in protective custody, which means she doesn't have contact with other inmates. She's being held on a charge of child neglect, a third degree felony. She's also charged with making false official statements, which are misdemeanors. Prosecutors have 33 days to file formal charges.

Friends say Casey Anthony frequented nightclubs and most recently did events planning for a local entertainment company. She was a member of the Travel and Tourism Club when she attended Colonial High School.

[Admin]

Orange County deputies field tips in Caylee Anthony's disappearance

Sara Clarke
Orlando Sentinel
July 20, 2008

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said they plan to spend the day working the phones, following up on tips that have come in regarding the disappearance of 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony.

There were no new developments in the case Sunday, even after Caylee Marie's family implored people to get the word out and handed out fliers Saturday in hopes of finding the girl.

Caylee was reported missing Tuesday, but her mother told authorities the toddler has not been seen since June 9. The girl's mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was arrested Wednesday night after telling investigators a string of lies about the child's disappearance.

"Nothing concrete has come in," said Carlos Padilla, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. After so many hours of searching, Padilla added, "We need to regroup and get out thoughts together."

Padilla said detectives also will follow up on reports that Cindy Anthony, Caylee's grandmother, has told television reporters that her daughter got a call from the little girl on Tuesday. The grandmother told reporters that when Casey Anthony asked the girl to put an adult on the phone, the line went dead.

But authorities said Cindy Anthony hadn't brought up the mysterious call until now.

"At this point, we don't know that to be true," Padilla said. "That never came up. To my knowledge, that wasn't brought up when the investigation started."

Padilla said deputies are still operating under the hope that Caylee is alive. He repeated earlier assertions that help from Caylee's mother is key to finding the child, saying Casey Anthony has "not done anything to facilitate us locating this child."

[Admin]

Police Question Acquaintances of Mother for Clues in Girl's Disappearance

Fox News
July 20, 2008

Police in Orlando, Fla., are interviewing dozens of acquaintances of Casey Marie Anthony whose two-year-old daughter, Caylee, has been missing for more than a month.

"We believe Casey knows where the girl is because everything she’s told us so far has turned out to be lies," Orlando sheriff's spokesman Carlos Padilla told FOXNews.com on Sunday.

"We're making phone calls to anyone who has had contact with her to see if she's said something," Padilla said.

On Saturday, the mother's attorney suggested his client's toddler daughter, Caylee might have been taken out of state — possibly to Miami; Charlotte, N.C.; or even New York City, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

Baez did not explain why he believes the child might be outside the area where she lived. He said the investigation into Caylee's disappearance has been hindered by her 22-year-old mother's imprisonment.

"I think her detention is actually hampering the search," Baez told MyFOXOrlando.com. "It's just counterproductive."

Orange County detectives spent Friday digging through the backyard of Caylee's grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony, in hopes of turning up clues in the child's disappearance.

Cadaver dogs were at the scene, and several items were removed from the Orlando home, which became the focus of the investigation after a neighbor said Casey Anthony had borrowed a shovel about a month ago. Police found and took the shovel as evidence.

"This is difficult, tedious work," sheriff's Sgt. John Allen, who oversees the department's child abuse and missing persons division, told reporters during a press briefing Friday. "Just because we’re here with cadaver dogs doesn’t mean we’re giving up hope that Caylee is alive."

Allen said they have not found signs of the girl in the yard but it is only "one of several places we're looking." He would not elaborate.

Casey Anthony has been in custody since Wednesday, when she finally told authorities the child was missing. A day earlier, Caylee's grandparents filed a report after learning their daughter's car had been towed from a location that was nowhere near where she claimed to be staying.

The little girl lived in the house with her mother and grandparents until June 9, when Casey said she vanished.

"When all of the facts come out, it will be a little bit more understandable as to why there was a delay in time in this case," Baez told MyFOXOrlando.com.

Caylee's grandparents had been "very cooperative" in the investigation, according to Allen; the sheriff's office said the search of their property in no way implicated them in the case.

"It's very clear to us that they want their granddaughter back," Allen said.

Cindy Anthony said she wants the focus for now to be on finding little Caylee, not on her daughter's arrest.

"I will look in every nook and cranny until I find her," she told MyFOXOrlando.com, breaking down in tears. "I know in my heart that she's alive."

The hunt for evidence began Thursday night but stopped when darkness fell, resuming Friday morning. Detectives found "abnormalities" in the dirt that caused them to be suspicious, according to MyFOXOrlando.com. They searched for much of the day, suspending their efforts in the afternoon.

Described by friends as a "habitual" and "compulsive" liar, Casey Anthony told investigators that she dropped Caylee off with a friend on June 9. Authorities have been unable to locate that woman or verify anything else Anthony told them.

The FBI told FOXNews.com that the bureau is aware of the case but is not playing a part in the probe.

"We're definitely aware of it and monitoring the situation, but that's the extent of our involvement," said Special Agent Dave Couvertier, a spokesman for the Orlando and Tampa FBI.

Orange County Sheriff's Capt. Angelo Nieves said the grandparents' property on Hopespring Drive is central to the investigation, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Allen said sheriffs spent several hours with Casey Anthony after her arrest, but procedural regulations have barred them from interviewing her further in jail without her attorney.

Neighbor Diana Centeno, whose children have played with Caylee in the past, called the situation "scary," according to the Sentinel. She said she hoped Casey Anthony didn't have anything to do with the toddler's disappearance.

Anthony was arrested Wednesday on charges of child neglect and providing false information to law enforcement. She showed no emotion Thursday as she was ordered held without bond at the Orange County Jail.

The judge scolded the mother, saying she had "no regret or concern for her actions," the Sentinel reported.

"You left your 2-year-old child with a person who does not exist at an apartment you cannot identify and you lied to your parents about your child's whereabouts," Judge John Jordan said. "You cared so little about your child."

He ordered a mental health evaluation be done on Anthony, according to the newspaper.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department told FOXNews.com that they have no reason to believe the toddler is dead.

"[We are] still operating under the hope she is going to turn up alive," Deputy Sheriff Carlos Padilla said Thursday.

Padilla said Anthony claims the child's father is dead — something authorities are still looking into.

Investigators said their job has been made more difficult because Anthony continues to spin stories that aren't true.

"Based on the repetitive lies that the defendant has told, we do not know with whom the child is or even if the child is alive," sheriff's Cpl. Yuri Melich wrote in the arrest affidavit, according to the Sentinel. "It should be noted that at no time during any of the above interviews did the defendant show any obvious emotion as to the loss of her child."

Anthony told her mother that she was being sent to Tampa for work and would be back in a few days, but later changed her story and said she was going on a "mini-vacation," according to the Sentinel.

"I had no reason to believe they weren't where they were supposed to be," Cindy Anthony told the newspaper. "I don't know why she fabricated this."

It was not clear why Casey Anthony didn't report her daughter missing earlier.

"I’ve had the feeling the past couple of weeks that Casey's been holding back," Cindy Anthony told MyFOXOrlando.com. "I’ve been asking to speak with my granddaughter and she’s been making excuses that I can't talk to her because she’s with someone else or she’s swimming or napping."

Casey Anthony told police that her daughter wasn't at the baby sitter's house when she went to pick the child up, so she started to do her own investigation.

She went to clubs that the baby sitter frequented and identified her as Zenaida Gonzalez, police said. But when detectives went to the apartment Anthony said belonged to the alleged baby sitter, they learned it had been vacant for almost five months, the newspaper reported.

Once detectives caught up with Gonzalez and showed her pictures of both Anthony and Caylee, Gonzalez said she didn't recognize them.

George Anthony said his daughter wouldn't hurt Caylee.

"My daughter is a fantastic mother," he told FOX News. "She was nurturing, she always did the right thing. ... I never once saw my daughter raise her voice."

Allen said police want to keep the case in the public eye, and are following up on numerous leads that have come in because of the media coverage.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who has seen Caylee to call the crime line at 1-800-423-TIPS.

[Admin]

Grandmother says her daughter knows who has Caylee Anthony

Walter Pacheco and Sara K. Clarke
Orlando Sentinel
July 21, 2008

Deputies arrested the mother of missing 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony too soon after she reported her daughter's disappearance, the child's grandmother said this morning on NBC's Today Show.

"They made a huge mistake by arresting her that quickly," Cindy Anthony said.

The grandmother said 22-year-old Casey Anthony, who was arrested Wednesday after telling Orange County sheriff's investigators a string of lies about the child's disappearance, could help deputies find Caylee if she wasn't in jail.

"I know Casey knows who has her, but doesn't know where they are at right now," Cindy Anthony said. If released, "maybe she'll take us to her."

Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said he has insight on the disappearance and the reasons behind the mother's lies.

"I know the reason [Casey lied], but I can't disclose that at this time," Baez said on the Today Show.

At a press conference in Kissimmee this morning, Baez said he and Casey Anthony are "willing to cooperate fully" with law enforcement.

Carlos Padilla, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office, said detectives also will follow up on reports that Cindy Anthony has told television reporters that her daughter got a call from the little girl Tuesday. The grandmother told reporters that when Casey Anthony asked the girl to put an adult on the phone, the line went dead.

Investigators acknowledged the information and were made aware of it on Tuesday when the girl was reported missing, said Sgt. John Allen f the sheriff's child-abuse unit.

Today, the girl's grandmother refused to discuss the alleged phone call or other details about the toddler's disappearance. She wanted to focus on the search for Caylee instead. "If we don't' focus on finding Caylee, we'll never get the facts straight," she said.

Jail records show Casey Anthony is scheduled for a bond hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. She will ask Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland to release her on some type of bond. Judge John Jordon had denied Casey Anthony bond last week.

The Anthony family expects to receive 50,000 fliers today that they will distribute. They have already reached out to hotels on Florida's east coast and plan to contact hotels on the Gulf Coast, Cindy Anthony said.

They are targeting beach communities since Casey Anthony told several friends that Caylee was at the beach, Cindy Anthony said.

Meanwhile, detectives with the Orange County Sheriff's Office plan to regroup today, after almost a week of hunting for the missing 2-year-old.

There were no new developments in the case Sunday, even after Caylee's family implored people to get the word out and handed out fliers Saturday in hopes of finding the girl. Authorities spent Sunday working the phones, following up on tips.

"Nothing concrete has come in," Padilla said. After so many hours of searching, Padilla added, "We need to regroup and get our thoughts together."

Caylee was reported missing last week, but her mother told authorities the toddler has not been seen since June 9.

Authorities have already followed up on numerous tips, including sightings in Dade and Brevard counties and in Virginia. Those tips were unfounded, Padilla said.

"We're still getting calls from people who believe they sighted her and people who are watching the news and have some advice for us," said Allen. "We're getting all kinds of calls."

Padilla said deputies are still operating under the hope that Caylee is alive. He said help from Caylee's mother is key to finding the child but that she has "not done anything to facilitate us locating this child."

[Admin]

Traveling billboard for Caylee Marie

Bianca Prieto
Orlando Sentinel
July 21, 2008

A six-foot photo of missing 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony will soon be seen around Orlando and Orange County as a traveling billboard.

The Kid Finder's Network, a West Palm Beach non-profit, is donating the 14-foot long billboard to the family, said co-founder Sherri Milstead.

Milstead and her husband Dennis plan to arrive in the Orlando area tomorrow around 10 a.m. and will stop first at the Anthony home in Lee Vista.

Caylee was last seen on June 9, but was not reported missing to Orange County authorities until Tuesday - nearly five weeks later.

The girl's mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was arrested on Wednesday on several charges including child neglect and filing false information.

Casey Anthony maintains that she dropped her daughter off with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez on June 9, but when she went to pick her up, both of them were gone. Detectives have not been able to find anyone by that name who knows the Anthony family. Casey Anthony also led investigators to an apartment where she said she dropped the girl off, but it had been vacant since February.

Volunteers handed out missing person flyers around the Lee Vista area this weekend in hopes of finding the girl. Meanwhile, Caylee's grandmother, Cindy Anthony, has been making appearances on several national news shows.

The Milsteads will cart the billboard around the city in places where the Anthony family and deputies would like them to target, Sherri Milstead said. The well-known photo of the missing girl - with her head resting in her hands - will decorate the left side of the billboard and phone numbers for the sheriff's office and tip line are on the right.

The couple began Kid Finder's Network in October 2006 after the Milstead's saw Leesburg-boy Trenton Duckett's case. The 2-year-old boy went missing on Aug. 17, 2006 from his home. He has never been found.

"He felt like he wanted to do more" Sherri Milstead said of her husband's inspiration to start the business. "So many kids are missing."

The couple has paid thousands of dollars out of pocket and are struggling for donations. Each traveling billboard runs the Milstead's about $3,000, Sherri Milstead said. The raising cost of fuel isn't helping.

To donate, go to, http://www.kidfindersnetwork.com