Caylee Crime Scene Was Reported In August

Meter Reader Called Police 3 Times To Search Wooded Area Where Child's Skull Was Found

(CBS/AP)  The meter reader who last week discovered the remains of a small child near missing toddler Caylee Anthony's house had called the sheriff's office on three consecutive days in August asking deputies to respond to the scene, a sheriff's spokesman said Thursday.

The meter reader isn't a suspect in the girl's disappearance, but the sheriff's office was investigating the circumstances that led to the calls and the response of deputies and dispatchers in August, said Capt. Angelos Nieves, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

"There are a lot of questions about the thoroughness of that response," Nieves said.

The sheriff's office responded to more than 5,000 tips regarding the missing girl, said Nieves, who described the August 13 call to the same wooded area "a window of opportunity."

"We are currently trying to determine the situation of that response, determine what the deputy did on scene at that time with the tipster that we received the information from, and we continue to be thorough as possible in order to determine the circumstances on that afternoon."

Caylee's 22-year-old mother, Casey Anthony, was charged in October with killing daughter, who was reported missing in July. Casey Anthony told authorities Caylee was kidnapped by her baby sitter but detectives didn't buy her story.

"This is a perfect example of why the public and media should not be prejudging the case," said Todd Black, a spokesman for Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez. "I would imagine the meter reader should get an attorney before the sheriff's office accuses him of a crime."

The meter reader first called the sheriff's office on Aug. 11 to report a bag on the side of the road. A deputy responded but didn't find anything and was unable to locate the meter reader. The meter reader called a crime hot line the following day and the information was passed on to the sheriff's office criminal investigation division.

On Aug. 13, the meter reader called the sheriff's office a third time. This time, the meter reader met a deputy and the area was cleared as a place of interest a short time later.

The remains found last week by the meter reader have not been positively identified. Because of their location and size authorities believe they are the missing toddler, who was 2 when she disappeared last summer.

CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported that teeth and more skeletal remains were found during a search of the woods on Wednesday. Officials have consequently widened their search area to more than half an acre.

Nieves said that they have found "significant" skeletal remains in the same area where a child's skull was found last week, Nieves said.

Crime scene technicians on Thursday spent an eighth day at the crime scene sifting through dirt and scouring the woods.

According to WKMG, assisting investigators are anthropologists, a forensic botanist and a forensic entomologist, who are examining insect and plant growth to help pinpoint when the remains were left there.

Gaaah! What a bunch of dumb a$$hats. The utility worker calls in numerous times, cops don''t respond. He goes past that place maybe once a month on his rounds. The water recedes more and more and he keeps seeing. Finally frustrated he calls it in again and you morons want him to be the killer? Hey how about blaming it on the Grandmother because she called in and said the trunk smelled like death? Casey is clearly the first suspect and likely the last. The girl has lied, and lied and lied. Actually now we know Casey''s Mother is a wackjob too, first calling in, nearly hysterical because the smell of death is unmistakable, she knew it and knew here daughter was involved. Hey death especially doesn''t smell like pizza! Blame everyone but the idiot mother who was partying like there was no tomorrow. Writing checks out of her best friends stolen checkbook? Duh this girl needs to stay in jail....

[tbbaot]

The area was under water the entire time that Police were searching this area. Cut them some slack. As a side note the meter reader needs to find himself a bathroom

[mydiatribe]

Some citizens who sit for jury duty are unduly influenced by Hollywood television shows such as CSI.

The consequence is that SOME well intended citizens may think that "beyond a reasonable doubt" means without ANY doubt.
A dead baby is found in a trash bag within 1/2 mile of the mother''s house who has no reasonable explanation for her daughter''s absence. DUH!
REASONABLE--BTW, Something Casey Anthony is NOT!
What''s the reasonable conclusion you draw?

[marymcq]

I know everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I have to believe that those who feel that this so called mother is innocent, must be the same people who believed O.J. Simpson was innocent. Please look at the facts, you don''t have to be Sherlock Holms to figure this out, and to the person that said the grandfather did it, why? what''s the motive?

[antivenin]

I wonder how much of the body would have been there in August.

[renonv5]

This meter reader seems very suspicious to me.

[tm12343]

if the meter reader did it explain the odor in the car and the fact that she had the body in the trunk and that evidence of a dead body being in the Anthony''s backyard. I think the police just blew it.

[deathofusa]

I think that it is quite strange that she had had a relationship with a police officer from the area, who was eventually fired, and no one responded to this call from a utility worker.
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Posted by APItaly at 04:18 PM : Dec 19, 2008


Yup. It''s very suspicious.

[apitaly]

I think that it is quite strange that she had had a relationship with a police officer from the area, who was eventually fired, and no one responded to this call from a utility worker.

[jw4949]

If Casey is "inicent" why did she wait until a month to report her missing???? Why did she lie to police about working at universal? If you ask me she is hiding something! RIP Caylee!!!!!!

[xyno-2009]

...it would be REALLY FUNNY if she didn`t do it...
but for us to find that out, we would have to wait until AFTER a trail; something you clearly have no intention of doing, do you?

Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:11 PM : Dec 19, 2008

=============

I don''t know if she did it or not, but the fact that she waited a MONTH to report the girl missing tells me she ain''t innocent.

[cherry9105]

IT WAS CAYLEE! POOR BABY! RIP ANGEL! LET''S GIVE HER A FINAL RESTING PLACE AND THEN FOCUS ON THAT ______ OF A MOTHER!

[koryn3]

I personally don''t think the meter reader has done anything bad. I think it was probably bugging the *** out of him that he did not feel like the police were listening to him. I have had to report a serious child crime to the police before, and sadly, it took SEVERAL phone calls just to find out who to tell. Casey is the one who had chloroform & a decomposing body in her car. Casey is the one who researched cholorform, missing children, & neck breaking just prior to Caylee''s disappearance. I hope these new facts do not take the focus off of Casey. I''m sure her disgusting attorney will make the most out of all this.

[ngspeaking]

I bet if the meter reader would have left a trail of donut crumbs the police would have found poor Caylee sooner. There is no doubt in my mind some lazy police offer refused to get his shoes wet so he made a false report on searching the area.

[spark171-2009]

I think it''s very apparent that in the court of public opinion, she''s guilty. However, in a court of law, she''s innocent until PROVEN guilty by a jury of her peers. Yes, I have formed my own opinion. I believe she''s guilty. Maybe not of killing her herself, but I believe she was definitely involved. The meter-reader? It does seem a little strange that he called 3 times back in August and then stopped until this last time. Hmmm.....I do wonder if there is a connection there. But, who am I? I''m just a law abiding, (higher and higher)tax paying citizen.

[cepe10-2009]

This is HIGHLY suspicious - the meter reader claims to be relieving himself and making this find but now it turns out he was reporting things like this months ago - He needs a GOOD attorney. More and more fishy...

[ccdsswrkr08]

this is what happens when the bottom of the gene pool breeds.

[likenoone-2009]

This is what happens when people don''t do there job

[mydiatribe]

This would be amusing, even if it was unbelievable if it were merely a Three Stooges comedy, but if some smart lawyer gets Casey Anthony off because of this lazy, bungled police procedure, then that AIN''T FUNNY!
NOT ONE BIT!

[deathofusa]

Deputy Fired After Lying About Alleged Secret Affair With Casey Anthony
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 %u2013 updated: 7:58 am EDT August 27, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County deputy was fired following allegations that he had a secret affair with Casey Anthony. The lead investigators working on Caylee Anthony''s disappearance, questioned rookie Tony Rusciano twice about his relationship with Casey. It turns out Rusciano met Casey''s ex-fianci, Jesse Grund, while at the police academy. Grund introduced him to Casey Anthony and they began a relationship. But when Rusciano was questioned by detectives about it, they said he denied a relationship.