Evidence Links Remains To Caylee's House

Officials Release 911 Call Made After Discovery Of Remains Found In Woods Near Home Of Missing Fla. Toddler

(CBS/AP)  The search for missing Caylee Anthony may be over.

A medical examiner found evidence among a child's remains that link them to the home of the missing toddler, the county sheriff said Friday, offering the strongest indication yet that the remains may be those of the 3-year-old girl who disappeared last summer.

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

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

The remains were found Thursday by a water meter reader on a wooded lot less than a half-mile from the house where 3-year-old Caylee lived with her grandparents and her mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony.

Meanwhile, Florida officials on Friday released a 911 call placed by the worker who found the remains.

During the approximately 2 minutes of tape released Friday an official identifies the area where a skull was found as "the Caylee Anthony area."

A male caller from Orange County Utilities emergency dispatch center tells the 911 operator, "We've found a human skull" before handing the call over to another man. The 911 operator gasps and tells the caller to make sure the worker doesn't touch it.

CBS News correspondent Mark Strassman reported that DNA testing of the remains is underway, and detectives hope to have a positive ID of the remains by this weekend.

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

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

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

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

A judge denied a motion Friday filed by the defense to inspect the remains, saying they must wait for a positive identification.

"The investigation continues, and with this recent development, I believe that everybody is going to be probably re-interviewed and we're going to talk to everybody," Police Captain Angelo Nieves of the Orange County Sheriff's Department told CBS Early Show anchor Julie Chen.

The investigators' focus now: the Anthonys' home. Detectives searched it again overnight, with the family kept out.

CBS affiliate WKMG reports that crime scene detectives removed materials, including seven large paper bags and four boxes of evidence. They also seized four vacuum cleaners and two pesticide tanks.

CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom said investigators are likely searching for possible matches between trash bags and duct tape found at the crime scene and what is at the grandparents' house. "If so, there is potentially a case against the grandparents," Bloom told Chen. "I emphasize 'potentially' for accessory after the fact, although no charges are pending against them."

It's the latest turn in a sad, six-month mystery in which a three-year-old girl disappeared one month before her mother reported the disappearance.

Caylee's mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was indicted in October on first-degree murder and other charges, even though the toddler's body hadn't been found. She has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn't report Caylee missing until July.

But Casey and her family have insisted she killed no one.

"We still believe firmly that Caylee is alive," said Cindy Anthony, Caylee's grandmother, last month. "That's where our focus has been from day one."

And in an earlier, recorded jail conversation, Casey Anthony said this about her little girl: "She's not far. I know in my heart she's not far. I can feel it."

Lawrence Kobilinsky, professor of forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (who has also been retained by Casey Anthony's defense team), told Chen that Caylee's mother, when informed of the discovery, "is apparently quite upset by this finding.

"I'm sure she's having psychological counseling."

Kobilinsky said the first step is to identify the skeletal remains, which he said can be difficult, particularly for a young child. "So you really need to use techniques such as mitochondrial DNA analysis [daughters and mothers share the same mitochondrial DNA]. If there is any soft tissue that remains, the normal PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis that we hear about in criminal cases is applicable."

Testing, however, may be compromised because of the exposure of the remains to contaminants in the environment. "Keep in mind, this area was under water because of Hurricane Fay until a couple of months ago," Kobilinsky told Chen.

"We may not know the cause of death and that is a key factor here. Even the postmortem interval may not be established with a degree of accuracy, so there are still a lot of questions."

Prosecutors announced last week that they would not seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony. But if DNA tests confirm these remains are little Casey, prosecutors could have the evidence needed to make this a capital case after all: a body.

"If the defense had been able to go to trial without a body being discovered, hopes for reasonable doubt might have been compelling. If the body proves to be Caylee, then it immediately becomes an uphill case for the defense," former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey said.

But law experts said it was unlikely the state would reverse its decision because prosecutors still have not determined a motive.

And depending on what the evidence yields, the discovery could also help defense attorneys.

Bloom said that if the remains prove to be Caylee, it drastically alters the defense of her mother: "If they can establish the manner of death is different than what the prosecution alleges, that would be helpful to them."

"If the body was tampered with, if wild animals got to it, if the evidence they get with it is contradictory in some way, then the job (for prosecutors) just got tougher," said Jim Cohen, a law professor at Fordham University in New York.

"This can verify or help to verify their theory: that the child was killed when the prosecution thinks she was killed," said Richard G. Lubin, a criminal defense lawyer based in West Palm Beach. "But until you do some of this scientific work, we don't know what it's going to show."

A spokeswoman with the state attorney's office said Thursday that officials wouldn't comment until the investigation was complete.

Even if it's Caylee, no one can say when the sorrow will end.

"It's a double-edged sword," said family friend Holly Gagne. "Either way there's pain, either way there's suffering. So there's no answer, no right answer."

[cepe10-2009]

Too phony - no one would leave evidence not even buried right on their street.

[medwar37]

I hope they fry Casey Anthoney for killing that precious little Caylee. Casey''s parents aren''t innocent either, they knew she didn''t want her when she got pregnant with Caylee, they should have adopted her themselves or let some other family that want children to have her. She is one of gods angels know.

[tincup356]

too bad Americans dont want to go after congress for treason as bad as they want this little girls mother convicted.strange how no one cares enough about what congress and Washington are doing to this country, to stand up and defy them.But scared young people are much easier to defile and accuse without evidence.

[msay3]

You were loved by all here on earth.

Posted by ALIBAMA01 at 10:55 AM : Dec 13, 2008
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Not all, apparently....

[eyedrive1]

I don''t think anyone here knows or will ever know the complete truth of this tragedy. Only Casey Anthony knows and she''s not telling--she has been lying and generally uncooperative with authorities from the beginning. In any case, if this turns out to be Caylee my thoughts and prayers go out to those who loved this innocent child and to Caylee herself who I''m sure is in a better place.

[usgeneral-2009]

Meanwhile, just as OJ continues to hunt for the "real killer", Cindy and George continue to search fast-food restaurants and shopping malls trying to find Caylee.

A chronic, habitual, absurd lie is hard to stop.

Casey must be executed for 1st degree murder; Cindy and George must be jailed for obstruction of justice.

[edward1975-2009]

This "mother" has been lying since day one, she has been not interested in the least bit, as to the where abouts of her daughter. With all the evidence found in her car and her consistent fabrication of lies, I hope they give her the exact treatment she gave this little angel. May Caylee finally rest in peace, and may her grandparents finally have some closure. Godspeed little one.

[jbright9]

Pray for Caylee and her family. This is very sad and none of us know the true story, not even Nancy Grace who exploits these tragedies.

[LaniLpo]

It was reported on NG that the defense is putting together a dream team for Casey. It is going to take more then a dream team to keep this monster from going to prison or death row. IMO, there was much less evidence against Scott Peterson in the murder of his wife and child then there is against Casey, and Peterson is on death row. I think the only reason that Susan Smith wasn''t given death for the murder of her sons was because she confessed and lead LE to her murdered sons. This will not be the case for Casey, I hope they put death for her back on the table.

[deliverus]

I do hope these are the remains of this little angel Caylee,who has left a lasting impression in all our hearts.As painfull and sad as this story is only God is the judge in all things.So i do hope and pray that Casey and her parents seek refuge before the Lord if involved in this tragedy in any way.Our God is merciful and longsuffering and above all he is forgiving and if we as a people has misjudged them,then we too should seek forgiveness of the Lord.

[barbjc1]

I read stories like this and I become almost physically ill. Here is a quote from Hillary Rodham Clinton "If we do not take care of our children, anything else we do does not matter". If a girl/woman is unwed and pregnant instead of subjecting the child to abuse and poverty, please, please give it up for adoption so the child can have a decent life.
Also, there is absolutely no excuse for any woman/ girl 16 years old or older to become pregnant in today''s medical technology.
I see unwed pregnant highschoolers all the time and it is absolutely ridiculous. Oh of course, the parents of that girl put the pressure on about "oh don''t give up my grandchild, we''ll help you raise it." And they have forgotten the stress of having a baby around again and/or a toddler.
Girls get smart, that boy/man doesn''t love you if he is pressuring you to have ***.

[alibama01]

I know "Little Caylee" you are with the angels now and you are not in any more pain. I know you will never have to worry about or be scared on anything or ANYONE (MOM & GRANDMA), anymore. And, to think that "LIFETIME" has offered to PAY the Anthony''s 2M for movie rights MAKES ME SICK. I will probably STOP watching LIFETIME and encourage everyone to do the same if Lifetime pays anyone for the death of a child story--both TV and the ANTHONY''S will profit??? from Caylee''s death----We live in a mixed up world.
Caylee may you rest in peace little one. You were loved by all here on earth.

[mydiatribe]

It''s all well and good that we have advanced CSI Forensics that can eventually convict this troubled young mother, but until our society at large finds effective deterrents to protect our innocent little citizens from their deranged caretakers this sad story is bound to repeat itself.

[ffoulkes-2009]

The LAW says that she is innocent, it is THE basic tenet of our Court System. One MUST presume the innocence of the accused until it is proven otherwise.

Posted by DaVicar1 at 01:55 PM : Dec 12, 2008
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Only the LAW must presume innocence. Individuals have no such compulsion. The court of public opinion is not litigated by the Constitution, only the Courts of Law.

[tmittelstaed]

I don''t care how the defense spins it, once a body is discovered it makes it that much more difficult to get a murderer off.

[kyttykkyttyk]

Lord bless little and keep little Caylee, may she finally rest in peace. I was abused as a child and my goal in life with my children was to give them a better life than I had. They may not have had all the extravagances, but they were well taqken care of and loved. I am so sick of hearing about these women who kill their children and getting away with it. The mental institute or prison is too good for them. Hasn''t anyone else noticed that they always claim some sort of mental disorder to prevent prosecution. What kind of message is that sending people. Lots of people can fool an psychiatrist into thinking they have a mental disorder. Now, that just gave them a get out of jail free card for murder. I am a believer in the death penalty. And let''s not let them sit on death row for 20 years. Let''s put them in the express lane. They did it, they die. It states in the bible, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. So let''s abide, a death for a death. I also think that we should go back to more primitive means of the death of the convicted. Lethal injection is too good for them. Let''s give them to the family of the victim. If the family is the guilty, let''s put them in the town square and let anyone have a shot at them. What KIND of mother or even grandparent would wait for a month to report their child missing. I''m sorry, these stories get me really POed! GOD BLESS CAYLEE AND ALL OTHER CHILDREN WHO HAVE SUFFERED AT SOMEONE ELSES HANDS. At least all the children are in a better place now.

[guest173]

I bet her head-in-the-sand mother is going to believe someone is planting this evidence, at least her dad seems to live in reality

[stevex47]

Sorry little child.

Do you think there''s a bit too much anger and hate in too many peoples Hearts?

[smurfcrusher]

Nancy Grace is awesome. She tells it like it is! Hangs on like a pit bull. I don''t think any of this surprises her.

[antizion]

CASEY IS NOT INSANE, NOR ABUSED...SHE IS JUST PURE EVIL...DEMONS REALLY WALK AMONG US!!!!

Posted by cmackcoop at 07:46 PM : Dec 12, 2008

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Yes they do and an they always shout BY USING ALL CAPS LIKE A MORON!