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.

[grandma50]

It breaks my heart to see a Mom not wanting an adorable child like her. I have 4 grown children and 10 grandchildren in all (some step) but I don''t look at them like that. I am proud to say that my children are great parents and would go through H*ll and high waters for their children and so would I.
So something is not right with this Mom and Grandma.
I would be turning every stone, so why aren''t they? They are hiding something.

[bdoug412]

I agree with other posters here that psycho grandma knows what happened to that baby, and is trying to protect her equally as psycho daughter, a 2yr old doesnt just disappear into thin air, it is sad to think but I think that beautiful little girl was killed by her mother and the grandma knows it. If any of my grandbabies were missing and my daughter or son acted like the mom does I would only need 5 minutes alone with them and I would beat the info out of them, there are so so many people that would have opened their homes and their hearts and taken that little girl in as if she were one of their own, I know I would and I have 3 grown kids and 4 grand kids
but would have taken that little girl and protected her in a heart beat ( I am sure there are others on here that would do the same) A wild animal has more maternal instinct than this psycho mom and grandma are showing. A mom would give up their own life to protect their kids and grandkids at least a NORMAL mome would

[bangalee-2009]

Let me just say, if my grandbabie was missing and my daughter acted like this woman has...I would just need 5 minutes alone in a room with her..and I would know where my grandchild was...you can bet on that.

[eggy1620]

Little Caylee probably interfered with her mom%u2019s social life. That%u2019s why she had to go. Just like the British girl in Portugal.

[lowerbamagal]

My heart goes out the Cindy and George. They love their child as much as their grandchild and I think that Cindy is so worried about finding Caylee alive that she can not see clearly right now at what has really happened to her. I pray for her that she does have her grandbaby returned in her arms safe. But my heart tells me different. My prayers are with the family and finding Caylee one way or another.

[renee1957]

I think the grandma knows something .I see my grandkids everyday believe me if one of them was missing i would know about and i would be doing my whatever i could to find them .If you will look the mother is smiling when they arrest her .She knows where the little Caylee is .Read John 3:16

[patriot12436]

t

[patriot12436]

lovesamerica
Then you know it is a smell you never forget.

[patriot12436]

soverysmart
If the kids weren''t viewed as a paycheck the trash wouldn''t be having them.

[patriot12436]

t

[jetlizhan]

i think grandma has blinders on - a child is missing since june 9th and the mom doesn''t report her missing until last week? come on - that stinks from the get-go.

[kitty000]

The people waiting to adopt are waiting to adopt pure lily white kids with no behavioral issues. Every black or mixed child is labeled as "special needs." All they need is someone to love them unconditionally.

Tons of people like Casey have ***, get pregnant & surprise, surprise they wind up with a baby they didn''t plan for and quite frankly don''t want. I don''t think they should be forced to turn those babies over to rich yuppies. They shouldn''t have those kids in the first place. To all of the bleeding hearts waiting to adopt why don''t you adopt a need child right in your own back yard!!! Why fly to Africa or China.....

[petro49l]

Casey Anthony should submit to a polygraph. If she fails and then later proven guilty, Ms. Anthony must be lobotomized by a surgeon to prevent further homicides against children.

[michtop]

String her up on the court house steps and slit her throat,guilty as charged with justice carried out quickly.Dont want to hear you liberal bleeding hearts complaining either.

[newsjunky5]

The grandma says she didn''t know the little girl she lives with was missing, after that long. The mother gives conflicting answers and conducted her own investigation, and looks smarmy going into court. The authorities can''t find her child.
I''m beginning to think there never was a little girl there at all. Is that picture just a "file photo?"
One can only hope.

[tasty18484]

OMG!!!! Such a DOLL BABY

[adams483-2009]

I noticed in the video interview the grandmother stumbles with what she is saying alot i think she knows something but is protecting the daughter. misdemeanors and a low grade felony? if the mother killed her child she deserves the death sentence and if grandma is involved she needs to go to

[noturbusns]

Stop allowing people to collect welfarte just because they have a kid and prengnancies will drop dramatically.

Posted by patriot12436 at 11:28 PM : Jul 22, 2008
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Right to lifer? ROFLMAO

[lovesamerica]

No sir, I vol. at a hospice, and also live in the country with much wildlife around..believe me I do know the smell of death.

[lovesamerica]

What about the guys that kill their kids? What about women that sell their children into prostitution,what about drug babies,incest ect...It was a totally racist remark by concord and luckily nobody threw verbal garbage back at him.