Fear That Missing Fla. Girl Murdered

Prosecutor Says 2-Year-Old May Have Been Killed; Bond Set At $500,000 For Jailed Mom

(CBS/AP)  Prosecutors in Florida say the case of a missing 2-year-old Orlando girl is beginning to look like a homicide.

A judge set bond at $500,000 Tuesday for the girl's mother, who was charged with obstructing the investigation after investigators say she lied to them.

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland says he's concerned that evidence presented in court possibly implicates 22-year-old Casey Anthony in 2-year-old Caylee's death. An investigator testified that Anthony's car smelled of decomposition when it was found.

Anthony was arrested last week after reporting her daughter missing. The girl hasn't been seen since last month.

Anthony's attorney says there is circumstantial evidence of a possible homicide, but not enough to give prosecutors the confidence to charge Anthony with homicide, kidnapping or any similar offense.

Anthony reported her daughter missing last week, more than a month after the little girl allegedly disappeared.

Anthony was arrested last week after telling authorities her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, had been missing since June 9. She was denied bail at a hearing last week. Investigators say Anthony has done nothing but lie to them, but the woman's attorney says she's been cooperating and wants to help investigators.

Anthony's mother, Cindy, said her daughter knows who has the toddler and told CBS News' The Early Show her daughter should be released so she can help detectives.

"I think Casey entrusted her with the same person she's entrusted her with in a long time," she said, "and that person has betrayed her and since then has been threatening her and that's why she can't be 100 percent honest in everything that she's, you know, telling people."

Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, said his client wants to cooperate with authorities.

"She is a good mother and has no history of being a bad mother," Baez said. "She wants to find her daughter."

Baez said Anthony doesn't know where the girl is, but he was sending investigators a letter pledging her cooperation. He told The Early Show he expects his client to be released after her bond hearing.

"I expect her to get a bond because of the charges she's facing," Baez said. "She's facing two misdemeanor charges and a very low grade felony."

Sheriff's officials say Anthony has repeatedly lied to them and showed little emotion or concern in interviews just before her arrest.

Orange County Sheriff's deputy Carlos Padilla said Baez hasn't returned detectives' calls to set up a meeting.

"The key lies in the mother, and we would hope the lawyer would allow the detectives to speak to her in his presence to find out exactly where this child is," Padilla said. "This lawyer has taken the time to take this to the media, but he's not yet returned the phone calls to discuss this."

Padilla urged the person who might have the girl but is worried about being prosecuted to drop her off at a hospital or law enforcement office.

Last week, investigators used cadaver-sniffing dogs and dug through Cindy Anthony's backyard looking for the toddler. Detectives say Casey Anthony asked a neighbor to borrow a shovel around the time her daughter went missing.

They said she contacted police last week because the girl's grandmother was concerned.

Anthony told detectives she didn't call authorities immediately because she was conducting her own investigation, according to the charging affidavit. The apartment where she said she dropped off the girl hadn't been occupied in months, and Casey Anthony gave detectives a bogus employer, manager's name and work telephone number, according to the affidavit.

[ybotheratall]

I really, really, really hope that if this beautiful little angel is gone that whoever could look into those eyes and take that life is put to death over this. What kind of animal can harm a lovely child. I will never understand it no matter how long I am on this earth.

[medmom04]

decomp? the mother terminated her own child. her indifference certainly points to mental illness. and at age 22, she''s ripe for the timing.

[tehkummah-2009]

A "good mother" waiting a month to report her child missing...and Grandma thought nothing of them "not being home for weeks"??? Gene pool appears a bit shallow to me.

[eyebyeye]

I don''t think this so called mother should be bailed. This person lied and is occulting information about her own baby. I cannot conceive this possible. I pray to God that this precious baby is ok and will soon be back with her grandparents.

[noprejudice]

surreal. it seems the child''s welfare is not priority to grandma or mommy. some folks should NOT reproduce! and who suffered? the child, totally defenseless and at the mercy of her crazy mom. look at mom''s deadpan eyes, her lack of emotion, she hurt her own daughter and lacks the remorse for it!

[bkylws]

httpwwwnews

I agree with you. If she''s released will she run? Will she cooperate with the investigation?

[medmom04]

mommy''s car smelled of her own baby''s decomposition. think this crazy wench will reveal what she did to her baby?

[medmom04]

Posted by Jackyl5555 at 04:24 PM : Jul 22, 2008

Right. and what happened to the second parent of this little girl? clearly grandma is playing a game, and it is the pattern of disfunctional lack-of-coping skills that prevails in these cases. it takes ONE generation to change the cycle, and that may have saved this little girl. too late now. may her mom and grandmom receive the karma they deserve.

[teekaa1]

I just think that it is highly questionable that the grandmother had not seen the child or talked to her in a month--especially when she and her mother lived there. Even if they did get away for some mother/daughter time, wouldn''t they have touched base on a regular basis? Think I smell a big dirty lie!!

[medmom04]

right. if both lived with grandma, how long did it take grandma to realize the baby was missing???? question is, is grandma in on the child''s slaying? clearly the baby''s body was in her mommy''s cartrunk, and the grandma couldn''t have been that out of it for that long not to realize that some random unknown person was holding the baby!

[joan1v]

Sure is similar to the Duckett missing baby. This mother did something to this little one and will not tell. She would rather let her mother suffer forever thinking someone has stolen the baby. This is NOT A MOTHER SHE IS EVIL. I believe she was jealous of the baby.

[mark46n]

What a terribly sad story. I pray that this precious little baby is still alive but as much as I hate to think it I really don''t think she is. After hearing about the car that really makes you wonder. I''ve seen this mom on t.v. as she is walking with law enforcement hand cuffed with a smirk on her face and shaking her but like some kind of bar tramp. If she had something to do with this she needs to pay the ultimate price.

[medmom04]

Posted by mark11a_99 at 04:41 PM : Jul 22, 2008

I don''t think mom is well. Grandma refers to a person that mom talks about alot, and allows this ''person'' to babysit her daughter. Grandma has never met this person, in the three years of Caylee''s life, Grandma has never met this close friend of Casey''s. I think this ''person'' is a hallucination that only Casey sees. and perhaps, like the typical decompensation of someone with severe mental illness, they follow the advice of the ''voices''.... it would explain Casey''s absence of emotion, if she were spiraling into a mental illness of sorts.

[newton221]

I agree it looks very bad. But since when can you hold a U.S. citizen without bond, based on pure speculation? What these lazy detectives should do is get off their butts, come off vacation early, and find some actual evidence. Yes, 1 of the lead detectives has been on vacation, while the suspect has been held in jail for nearly a week. Without bond or recourse. The way this case has been handled so far is a complete joke.

[melanie2448]

I can''t bare to watch the news anymore. My heart breaks thinking about what this poor baby went thru at the hands of her own mother most likely. What kind of woman can do that to a gift so precious is beyond me. More and more everyday I wish we as a society could go back in time and punish an eye for an eye in these situations. I pray that they find little Caylee safe!

[ann3332]

why for heaven sake heartless people hurt children.what did they do to deserve that.apparently those whom harm children has no conscience at all.

[everson7]

i cant believe shes getting out this is going to be another melinda ducket case where she is going to take the answer to her grave what a stupid judge

[medmom04]

Posted by everson7 at 04:50 PM : Jul 22, 2008

she''s getting out?????

[medmom04]

why for heaven sake heartless people hurt children.what did they do to deserve that.apparently those whom harm children has no conscience at all.

______________
it begs the question...what happened to them that they can, without remorse, hurt a child? usually to inflict atrocities onto someone, it happens to the inflictor as well.

[everson7]

yes the bond is $500,000 but the parents need $50,000 and i guess the family is helping come up with that money what a screwed up world huh

[lovesamerica]

ONCE YOU HAVE SMELLED DEATH YOU nEVER FORGET IT. iF THE SMELL WAS IN THE TRUNK OF THE CAR,UNFORTUNATELY IT PROBABLY MEANS THE POOR CHILD IS DEAD.Her Mother cannot tell the truth and whatever the grandmother is thinking,I have no idea.Police can do nothing until mom decides to be truthful,if she even knows how...there are No circumstance where she should not be able to come clean with the police.

[frankbowers]

This is very strange the child was missing for several weeks prior to the mother turning in the missing child report.
I think she has did something with the child and waited several weeks so the trail would be very weak for the DA to follow. The chance the child is alive is beyond my wildest imagination, the truth will be produced in the end which is that the child is dead and the mom knows a lot she is not telling, as it will put her on death row. I do not think 500,000 is a big enough bail, it should have been 10 or 20 million to make sure she does not get out.

[frankbowers]

At the age of 70 that picture brings tears to my eyes just thinking of what that has happen to her from the hands of her mother.

[clwolfram]

Although my two children are in their 30''s and far away, I talk to each of them daily, as well as tell my grandchildren goodnight via computer. This baby''s grandmother is sooo intent on getting the baby''s picture out so they can find her. So, how can she not miss seeing the daughter or granddaughter, which live with her, for weeks, without questioning the whereabouts?? I''m sorry, but if my 2 year old grandchild was missing, I would be all over my daughter (or son, for that matter) for real answers. And if I got the excuses this mother has given, then I would be the one in jail!

[isisochun]

HELLO!! SHE IS BEING HELD FOR CHILD NEGLECT AND REPORTING FALSE INFORMATION TO POLICE ... THE HOMICIDE IS THE CIRCUMSTANIAL EVIDENCE. (MY OPINION PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE TO APPLY TO HAVE CHILDREN ..A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOULDN''T BE PARENTS THEIR PSYCHO!!)

[isisochun]

THAT IS TRUE I WOULD BE ALL OVER MY DAUGHTER (OR SON)

[missy_pithy]

ISISOCHUN at 05:28 PM .... not any more. She was charged with obstructing an investigation.

Please take your caps off!

[missut2]

Actually, the grandmother was the one who reported the baby, Caylee, missing. The mother, Casey, and baby had lived with her parents since she was born, but more than a month ago she decided to take a "vacation" with Caylee so that they could "bond". This tells me that the grandmother was the primary caregiver. During the month they were gone, the grandmother spoke to her daughter many times, but the daughter always had an excuse why she couldn''t speak to Caylee (in the pool, gone to Disneyland, taking a nap, etc). Finally, the grandmother reported her missing. Another tragedy is that Caylee''s father died a year ago in an automobile accident. So far, I have not heard anything about his family in all this mess. I pray that they find this beautiful little girl alive and well.

[concorde5]

White people are weird. They are always killing their children for no apparent reason.

[ddkem]

This grandmother is very, very strange acting. I understand she wants Caylee''s picture out but she''s very evasive about her daughter''s actions. I think she knows more than she''s saying...

[lovesamerica]

Keep the racist remarks out of this

White people are weird. They are always killing their children for no apparent reason.

LOL, concorde5.

I''m a white person, and I havent'' killed any of my children, so I guess that hoses up your theory.

And I''m not trying to sound racist or anything, but some of my best friends are white people, and they haven''t killed any of their kids, either. So there!

[concorde5]

I''m not racist and I didn''t mean to offend anyone. I was just pointing out the fact that usually when someone kills their child it is a white person. Yes some hispanics, blacks, asians, etc have killed their children but that is not usually the case.

If I hear of a car-jacking I assume the offender is Black or hispanic. I don''t mean to be racist but it''s a fact.

[Bodiethebulldog]

TO CONCORDE5...want to be my child!!!!

[slim1h2o]

At the age of 70 that picture brings tears to my eyes just thinking of what that has happen to her from the hands of her mother.

Posted by frankbowers at 05:21 PM : Jul 22, 2008

Me too Frank. Who could kill an innocent little girl like that, especially with those big brown eyes, or whatever color they are. They are just beautiful eyes.

[smurfcrusher]

Sounds like she might have left the kid in the car and she died accidentally.

Her lack of cooperation will hurt her though.

[yorkiemomm]

mom should be in jail, grandma knows more than she says and I pray the child is found alive although I doubt she will be. I dont think the child should be returned to any of them. There is more to this story, and none of them are willing to tell all of it or the truth. They all should be jailed

[everson7]

if the child is found alive i would be surprised, i hope to god she is but the mothers face says it all, what a beautiful little girl too.

[mainemade]

"(CBS/AP) Prosecutors in Florida say the case of a missing 2-year-old Orlando girl is beginning to look like a homicide."
Gee....Ya think?!

[bloggirrl]

What kind of a world do we live in where a child can not be safe in the hands of her or his own mother? What kind of world do we live in where a mother can hurt or kill her own child? Until our laws change and start making it a mandatory death or life without parole sentence for any crime that involves hurting, torturing , molesting and killing children our world will continue to see this happen because it is being allowed.

[gaut0130]

I think the grandma knows more than this. Grandma has mentioned that it may be the same sitter she had a long time ago. If daughter resides with grandma - why didn''t grandma not notice that her granddaughter was not living with them for the last five weeks. Seems very strange - could be that grandma saw the green light and advised daughter to declare to police missing daughter.

[jo46032]

Posted by mark11a_99 at 04:41 PM : Jul 22, 2008
+ report abuse

Sure is similar to the Duckett missing baby. This mother did something to this little one and will not tell. She would rather let her mother suffer forever thinking someone has stolen the baby. This is NOT A MOTHER SHE IS EVIL. I believe she was jealous of the baby.

Mark,
I agree 100% with what you have said.

[medmom04]

what is the Duckett case?

[carlsbad77]

medmom04 - Melinda Duckett was a woman who was basically doing the same song and dance about her missing child that this one is. Duckett commited suicide when the police started to suspect murder and the child has never been found.

[serieux-2009]

"......There should be laws written that state any time a woman is found to be pregnant, she must obtain authorization to have that child. Authorization would be require that she be part of a two-parent household, and that there be adequate income to support the family. If not, upon delivery, the child is put up for adoption by people who really want a child and will protect and nurture it. It''''s time that young, unmarried idiots stop bringing children into this world that are abused, neglected, or murdered.
Posted by abarafi at 04:39 PM : Jul 22, 2008"

Really? So only smart, wealthy, middle aged, married couples should be allowed to have children? After extensive child rearing classes of course....
And what then if the couple gets divorced? Or loses a job? Will they lose their kids? Yup. Nice. Oh, and by ''it'' I''m sure you meant ''him or her''

[orchidblue1]

The more we learn about this story the more confused we become. There''s more to this families missing child story that will eventually surface. Meanwhile, the mother and grandma both seem to have a problem with truth. I don''t trust either one of them at all.
It''s just so bizarre that none of it makes any sense.

[stevex47]

The mother is seen in video''s entering court, with what looks to me like a smirk, almost laughing.

That hurts.

[orchidblue1]

I agree with other people posting here - if the mother and baby were living at the home of grandma, then something bigtime is missing in the stories that both of them have told. Where was Kayce going for five weeks and why wouldn''t grandma have more to say about events that led up to Kayce leaving with her daughter for weeks? These two women are peas in a pod, IMO.

[alysmommy]

This story is so upsetting to me. How does this grandmother not know that her grandaughter-who lives her-is missing for over a month???? Didn''t she ever ask where is my daughter and grandaughter???? Any normal mother would have ran to authorities the moment they realized their child was lost!!!!!!!!!

[patriot12436]

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