Evidence Mounts Against Missing Tot's Mom

Fla. Police Say Mother's Car Smelled Of A Decomposing Body

(CBS/AP)  The mother of a missing 2-year-old is a person of interest in a case that is beginning to look like a homicide, prosecutors said Tuesday. Sheriff's deputies said they still hope to find the girl alive.

Casey Anthony, 22, is charged only with child neglect and lying to investigators. Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland set her bond at $500,000 Tuesday, saying the law did not allow him to hold her without bail.

CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports that for two and a half hours, Anthony listened, and at times cried, as witness after witness - five in all - took the stand in the bail hearing that sounded more like a murder trial.

Strickland set the unusually high bail amount after hearing about evidence of human decomposition allegedly found in Anthony's yard and car. Her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, has been missing since mid-June.

"Not a bit of useful information has been provided by Ms. Anthony as to the whereabouts of her daughter," Strickland said. "And I would add that the truth and Ms. Anthony are strangers."

Anthony is charged with child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. Authorities say she did not report the girl missing until last week, and only then at her own mother's insistence.

Sheriff's deputies said Anthony's car smelled of decomposition, and a cadaver-trained German shepherd noted a smell of human remains in the car and her yard. They said they found a stain, dirt and what seemed to be Caylee's hair in Anthony's trunk. A search of the yard turned up no body.

Cobiella reports that detectives say a neighbor remembered Anthony asking to borrow a shovel around the time her daughter went missing.

"The risk of her flight if she is released on some low bond increases exponentially, especially now that she's heard this additional evidence and that she is their person of interest," said assistant state attorney Linda Drane-Burdick.

Deputies emphasized they were still looking for the girl - alive - and urged anyone with information to step forward.

Defense attorney Jose Baez requested bond around $10,000. He said Anthony's family can't pay a high bond and she has the right to freedom while facing lesser charges.

"This is not a capital case, and if it were they certainly would file it, if they had evidence to," Baez said. "There is circumstantial evidence of a possible homicide, I will give them that. But circumstantial evidence has not made them confident enough to charge her with any specific homicide or kidnapping, or any capital offense."

Anthony's parents became concerned after her car was towed from a check-cashing business where it had been parked for days. She and the child lived with her parents, and she told them she worked as an event planner at an area theme park.

Investigators say Anthony was unemployed, and a purported babysitter seems to never have existed. The mother and child hadn't been home in the month before investigators were notified that Caylee was missing. Investigators believe the girl's father is dead.

Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony, acknowledged in court that her daughter had lied before, but said she was a caring mom. The registered nurse believes the girl is alive, and Casey Anthony lied to police because she was somehow threatened. Cindy Anthony said she would even sell her house to free her daughter.

"I know Casey as a person," she said. "I know what she is for a mother and I know there's only one or two reasons why Casey would be withholding something about Caylee. I believe that it's something that someone is holding over her and threatening her in some way."

Casey Anthony's face filled with tears at the hearing, watching her parents at the witness stand and again after Strickland set bail.

"Casey, we love you!" yelled Cindy Anthony as the courtroom cleared.

Her daughter nodded and sobbed before being led away in chains.

[thewarning2]

Nothing like a mother''s love!!

[kitty000]

Did anyone see this woman Cindy on Greta Van Sustern??? Talk about strange beyond belief. She started the interview by saying she only had so much energy and she''d spend her energy trying to find her granddaughter & NOT answering stupid questions. This woman is a nurse!! I''ve got a family member who''s a nurse I''m convinced most nurses are NUTS!

#1 her daughter Casey AND the granddaughter lived in her home and she didn''t notice in a month''s time that her granddaughter was missing?

#2 I think she knows her daughter did something to the granddaughter. She was hoping it would all go away but she thought she''d get caught in the middle so she called the police.

[kitty000]

I say the daughter is a NUT CASE and she came by it the hard way she got it from her mother! This little girl is dead......the mother said that 2 days ago some woman somewhere at some beach said she saw Caylee but she didn''t know she was missing...BS!!! How much do you want to bet that the gradmother, nurse is going to be arrested too!

[newtagagain]

Judging by her photo, she doesn''t seem to be too concerned does she.

[newsreader57]

I watched the bond hearing on TV yesterday, I could not believe what a piece of work the grandmother is. I think the baby and the baby''s father are both dead and in the same place.
Very sad.
Why don''t they just charge Casey with murder???

[patriot12436]

t

[jetlizhan]

i think this piece of trash is having a field day with the cameras and media - she loves it! what a sicko. let''s just hope her 15 mins of fame turns into life w/out parole or even the death penalty. that poor precious beautiful little girl, caylee.

[cricketbeers]

Sure appears that she had something to do with little Caylee''s death. I look at Casey''s face in that picture and I think "she doesn''t seem the type!" But then, what is "the type"?

How could anyone harm a child? Especially their own? These are the worst kind of predators and if it''s found that she did, indeed, murder her daughter, she should get the death penalty. No question.

Your child depends on you for EVERYTHING. You take that trust and love and shatter it into a million pieces with murder, abuse, etc. you deserve death, IMO. I don''t care what the excuses are. She''s gone over one month and hadn''t even reported her missing?

The writing is on the wall, folks. She''s just trying to figure a lie to get out of the heavy charges.

[chatarpatar]

MY GOD!!! THE PICTURE OF Casey Marie Anthony UP HERE, I THOUGHT WAS FROM HER FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM!!!

NO NO NO... THIS HAPPY LAUGHINH SMILING PITURE OF THIS *** Casey Marie Anthony WAS TAKEN "AFTER" HER DAUGHTER WAS GONE!!!!!?$%^&*@#

HOW CAN A MOTHER BE HAPPY AND LAUGHING LIKE THAT WHEN HER CHILD IS LOST????@##%^&*

LOOKING AT HER PICTURE IT IS COMPLETELY OBVIOUS AND CLEAR AS WELL AS PROVEN THAT SHE AND HER MOTHER BOTH HAVE DONE SOMETHING HORRIBLE TERRIBLE TO THAT LITTLE ANGEL (I SINCERELY HOPE WISH TO BE WRONG).

ONLY A MONSTER EVEL SATAN MURDERER PIECE OF S.HIT CAN LAUGH LIKE THAT AFTER HER CHILD IS LOST.

SOMEONE PLEASE FRY THESE 2 WOMEN ALIVE SLOWLY BIT BY BIT

[newsreader57]

At the bond hearing the grandmother said she was mistaken about the date of which she last saw the baby. She said she remembered she saw her on June 15th, father''s day, not June 8th as she had been saying for days. There is even a video of the baby on that date.

[slim1h2o]

About the picture,it could have been taken 3 yrs ago. Not that it matters, if she killed her kid, Why? That doesn''t matter either really. Truly Tragic.

She needs to pay for what she did, if she did it.

[concorde5]

White women do this all the time. Even animals know to protect their children.

[hasher47]

I hate to say it, but I''ve got bad vibes about the well being of the little girl.

The mother must have gone nuts.

What a shame.

[hasher47]

"Give the mother and grandmother scopalamine, get a confession...."
Good point. I''ve always wondered why it''s illegal to use "truth syrium" on suspected criminals.

[katia327]

Did anyone see this woman Cindy on Greta Van Sustern??? Talk about strange beyond belief. She started the interview by saying she only had so much energy and she''''d spend her energy trying to find her granddaughter & NOT answering stupid questions. This woman is a nurse!! I''''ve got a family member who''''s a nurse I''''m convinced most nurses are NUTS!

#1 her daughter Casey AND the granddaughter lived in her home and she didn''''t notice in a month''''s time that her granddaughter was missing?
Posted by kitty000
------------------
First, the very LAST thing I would do, is go on television, to be interviewed and answer questions. If I were indeed, innocent, in NOT knowing where my granddaughter was, I would be out there taking every avenue I COULD, to try and find her. And privately, ONLY answer questions from the sheriff, lawyer, etc.

Second...I think you should be VERY careful on your assessment of nurses. What you said was nasty and wrong.

Third...if you had read the story properly, you would see that the daughter and her child hadn''t been home in the month before Caylee was reported missing.

All we can HOPE, is that she is alive. Why ANYONE would do anything to such a precious little girl, is beyond me.

[newsreader57]

I agree she does look 32 instead of 22.
The grandmother is a nurse, I wonder if there is illegal drug use involved here.
I saw the grandmother on tv at the bond hearing and she kept "chewing" and her mouth seemed to be very dry and she was moving her jaw around a lot.
I have seen enough people do the same thing while taking diet pills or on cocain.
But, also she might have just been nervous from being questioned about her granddaughter and daughter.

[liebchen21]

Anyone else beside me thinking "Trenton Duckett"???!

[lovesamerica]

concorde is at it again folks...ignore his fishing expedition....or if you are really offended give it to him with both racist barrels

[chatarpatar]

QUESTION (to little miss hottie): Why did you wait 5 weeks to report your child missing?
ANSWER (from little miss hottie): Cause it takes that long to get rid of the body.

Posted by DaVicar2 at 10:42 AM : Jul 23, 2008


I sincerely hate to say that she barried the evel Monster Casey Marie Anthony burried the body in obvious place then her mother told her dig out and burry in other non obvious place .... and that took 5 weeks for them to report

(I SINCERELY PRAY TO GOD THAT WHAT I AM SAYING IS ALL GO WRONG AND THE ANGEL CHILD COME BACK ALIVE!!)

[chrisraye]

If she was kidnapped, & her mom was threatened then why would the grandma & lawyer take a chance w/such threats & tell the world that she knows who has her? IF this whole kidnap story was true then why didn''t she breakdown to her family when they told her they were calling the cops & tell them she had been threatened by the kidnappers? Or tell that to the cops from the moment they arrived at the house?
I''m suppose to believe someone kidnapped this child & thought they could keep her mother from telling anyone, by threatening her? Like they just thought, the family & friends weren''t ever gonna question where Caylee was & why they couldn''t see her for the rest of their life? She sure don''t act like a mother who has had a child kidnapped, not much worry where her child is, if she''s safe, hurt, alive, scared & all the things a mother would worry about if their child was really kidnapped!
If she''s worried about her daughter at all & if her daughter is kidnapped the 1st thing she''d do is tell the cops who has the child! No excuse!
Ur child gets kidnapped yet ur gonna w/hold the info that might find her and save her? There''s no freakin excuse for that, except that she''s lying!!

[concorde5]

Lovesamerica....I''m not racist. I have nothing against white people or anyone else. It''s just a fact that usually when someone kills their child they are white. Like teachers sleeping with their students. They are usually white. However if I heard of a car jacking I would assume the offender is Black or Hispanic. Different races commit different kinds of crimes in general.

I''m just not sure why white women kill their children. I can understand a robbery because the offender has something to gain from the crime, I don''t understand killing your child.

[noprejudice]

White females get away with all of their crimes.
Posted by GOP_forever
********************************
according to jailed demographics, it may seem that way. but to come here and state something so biased and so ridiculously uninformed and such a blanket generalization, what are you looking for? clearly not good conversation? maybe it is that under the demographic of ''white women'', there are fewer crimes to be had? perhaps? bring your stats and your citations to the table!

[talkingham]

This story has been in the news for 2 weeks now and I have not heard one mention of the father of the child. Did she have the baby by artificial insemination or what?

[concorde5]

immaculate conception

[eyewideopen]

''Investigators believe the girl''s father is dead.''

[noprejudice]

the father of Caylee is supposedly dead. So this Duckett case, I''m curious if Casey was as warped as Trenton''s mother. She was clearly a borderline, and put her son in harm''s way repeatedly until she finally allegedly offed him, probably on accident but meant for a show for her husband''s benefit. This Casey is clearly mentally ill and yet without a diagnosis. She offed her daughter weeks ago. how obvious is this?

[concorde5]

By the way....There are racist comments all the time about blacks and hispanics here. In fact CBS had to temporarily stop comments on any story about Obama because of all the racist comments that followed. So don''t start whining when someone points out facts about white women.

[noprejudice]

I''''m just not sure why white women kill their children. I can understand a robbery because the offender has something to gain from the crime, I don''''t understand killing your child.

***********
a person''s ability to kill their own child has nothing to do with race or culture or ethnicity! get informed!

[loves_storms]

The picture is from the first hearing. Go to this link: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/orl-bk-cayley-marie-missing-071708,0,6768806.story

Scroll down to Related Links, Caylee Anthony goes missing, and click on Photos. Go to end of photos (#43) which is the picture shown here -- notice gray padded chairs in background. Then look at #42 and notice she is wearing same blue hoodie, hair is same, and chairs in background are covered in same gray padded plastic as other picture. Then #41 is her mug shot -- again, same blue hoodie, same hair, etc.

This was the day or day after she was arrested, and so, yes, she is smiling that hugely for the cameras!

[chatarpatar]

This story has been in the news for 2 weeks now and I have not heard one mention of the father of the child. Did she have the baby by artificial insemination or what?

Posted by talkingham at 11:48 AM : Jul 23, 2008


I read somewhere he died in an accident.

[noprejudice]

most people capable of committing a crime like this have ''antisocial personality disorder''. they don''t understand consequences or remorse, or reality as we know it. a lot of folks with this disorder come from a patterned cycle of the same from their parents. so take a peak at grandma dearest: for a month she says nothing about her granddaughter''s sudden absence? please. call her the accessory.

[liebchen21]

According to what I''ve read, the baby''s father died in an auto accident about a year ago, and the police seem to believe that. About the only thing they''ve been able to believe. Her ex bf is a cop, and is the one saying he heard Caylee in the background during a phone conversation the end of June. So, now they''re not sure exactly how long she''s been missing. Too many conflicting statements.

[bobnjersey]

[So don''''t start whining when someone points out facts about white women.]
[Posted by concorde5 at 11:52 AM : Jul 23, 2008]

isn''t it written in the constitution that online message threads are intended to allow/provide for unlimited whining?

[noprejudice]

well then let''s all start making blanket biased statements about race and gender, regress quite a bit, and forget attempts at good dialogue and debate! who''s next?

[noprejudice]

no kidding on the lack of quality in this family. no one is accountable, or intelligent enough to realize that they need to give up where this little girl is. guaranteed, mom and grandma know where Caylee is buried.

[averjane]

GOP_forever

Wow you sound almost jealous or something. You keep harping on that.

Anyway, it''s a shame and I believe she''s dead; poor little doll. How precious 2 year olds are, I can''t imagine. Maybe she accidentally did something to her and doesn''t want to face up to it. The "cirsumstancial evidence" can get you convicted too though. It''s seems to be adding up. What I find amazing also is the fact that her mother just refuses to believe that her daughter could have done something like this. I''d be shocked as a mother but I''d have to realize that anyone has the potential to commit this kind of crime. The fact that she didn''t even report the child missing until a week later would have been my wake up call. She would have been interrogate by me before the police ever got a hold of her.

[averjane]

How do you just not know where your kid is? Her attorney said she told him that. You don''t just let a child that age out of your sight let alone not know their whereabouts. Like that''s normal or something. What do you mean, where''e she at, of course you know where she''s at, you''re the last one with her right? No way! And the video of her mother and father being interviewed is weird too. Her mother seems to know something and is vaguely trying to describe a scenrio of it.

[noprejudice]

yes of course casey''s mom knows something. no grandmother doesn''t know where her grandchild is for over a month, WHEN THE GRANDCHILD LIVES WITH THE GRANDMA! and you''re so right...no mother in their right mind ever doesn''t know where their babies are!! not physically, emotionally, mentally, or innately possible.

[casarez6]

I find the story amazing, that a mother has no clue what happened to her child and not contact law officials until a month later and for the grandmother... don''t cry for your daughter, I would be angry not to know what happened to my precious two year old granddaughter. These stories never have a happy ending in sight. Family of these situations need to stand up for what is right and having a child (granddaughter) missing for over a month or so is places alot of concerns. Family members need to protect the children and stop protecting the adults that make wrong decisions in life. The children pay for their mistakes....

[khadilov]

I agree that you could ''probably'' tell the race of the person by their crimes, but that is no longer the case. Just recently a black women cut a baby out of its teenaged mother stomach. Crimes are now a equal opportunity activity now. Remember the sniper in (DC what it?).

I feel that we have to start doing more to protect our children. I have harsher punishments are the only proper punishment. Throw whoever (most likely the mother and grandma) under the jail for so long that they die in their. I am all for castration for pediphiles.

[goodday9]

How could a mother or grandmother expect anyone to believe that a child was missing for over a month--and not call attention to it. Even if you left the child somewhere with another person--you would know exactly who and where. All of these people need to be put in jail until this child is found. When my grandchildren are at my house--I do not even leave them alone in a room without an adult--call me overprotective-- (the two I keep the most are 1 year and 2 1/2 years)..children this young can get in trouble in a heartbeat--I have never left them outside unattended either. You just don''t do that--the mother knows what has happened and if the grandmother does not know--it would fool me--the child was living in her house..how could she not miss her. These people are not only crazy-acting--but they are evil --I pray the little girl is found safe--but I seriously doubt that she will be. If she is found she should be removed from these people permanently.

[mswolfestock]

GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY

[wakeup60]

Oh...what a web she weaves...full of holes/one ...that''s for sure! Agree with every single other comment here...Now, this morning, the grandmother said-yesterday-that there was a pizza left in the trunk of the car that these shephards have sniffed decomp/and traced back to Anthony''s yard-which is the same yard as the Grandparents of course..."A Pizza"!!!!! She said it smelled so bad!!! "A PIZZA"!!!! 1st of all...who puts a PIZZA in the trunk??? A baby that turned into a melted pizza ...by the name of "CAYLEE"!!! A dead pizza and a dead body smell nothing alike folks/if you have never smelled a human corpse before-you would still know what you are smelling! The local Fire Dept.,Church,Police,Friend,anybody will take care and assist anyone that does not want a child/This was probably an accident/she freaked out and disposed of this baby...borrowing a neighbors shovel/not too bright/either-or she killed this child out right/crying or bothering her/she is a psychopath-people-her eyes are laughing/and yes this is a screwed up family and mess of a case! A full month before telling anyone the child is missing/the mother & child live w/her parents and they haven''t missed her!-An unknown babysitter has her!Come on!Keep her under wraps/this judge is great/bail should be 10 million $/till she tells them where she buried her!Unbelievable/the whole thing!What a shame!

[newsreader57]

I just read the transcript from the interview on Fox network between Greta Van Susteren and granny dearest. It is absolutely unbelievable.
Because truth is stranger than fiction, we might never find out what happened to that beautiful baby. Something unthinkable must have happened to her.

[concorde5]

Khadilov....I agree. You do find other races now who will kill their children but it is still mostly white women. Not sure why they would kill their children, maybe it''s something messed up in their thinking process.

[slim1h2o]

CBS ... where''''s the JOHN EDWARDS story?

Posted by thisandthat1 at 01:18 PM : Jul 23, 2008

Whats my neighbor up to?

[chyenna-2009]

GOP; your comment that white women get away with all their crimes is offensive to me. Marta Stewart got nailed, didn''t she, Leona Hemsley is another. Both rich and well known but being white and rich didn''t save their azzes did it? Maybe if Martha and Leona were O.J''s sisters they would have been found innocent!!

chyenna, how many times was Whitney Houston busted for drugs? I never saw her do any time at all.....quit seperating the whites and blacks....enough is enough....

[jennmarikp]

White women do this all the time. Even animals know to protect their children.


Posted by concorde5 at 10:19 AM : Jul 23, 2008

CONCORDE5 - I''m sure what you meant to say was women not white women. Because I am a white woman and this is not something I''ve done

[chatarpatar]

I M STRICTLY VEGITARIAN. I HAVE NEVER TOUCH MEAT.

I HAVE NEVER STEPPED ON A TINY BUG NEVER HURT AND NEVER WILL TO AN ANT EVEN BY MISTAKE!!

BUT I, WITHOUT THINIKING TWICE, WILL CHEW AND CUT THESE 2 EVIL MONSTER WOMAN ALIVE INTO MILLION PIECES, WITH MY BARE TEETH.

GROSS? NO. NOT AS GROSS AS THE CRIME THEY DID.