Evidence Laid Out In Caylee Murder Case
Prosecutors in the murder case of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony revealed evidence they say points to the guilt of the Casey Anthony, the girl's mother, including a diary entry she allegedly made five days after her daughter's disappearance in which she wrote she had "no regrets."
Other evidence discovered in the woods where Caylee's body was discovered match items found in the house where she lived, according to court documents released by the State Attorney's Office Wednesday.
Casey Anthony has been charged with her daughter's murder. She claims that Caylee was kidnapped by a baby sitter and has pleaded not guilty.
In a diary entry dated June 21, Casey writes, "I have no regrets, just a bit worried. I completely trust my own judgment I know that I made the right decision. I just hope that the end justifies the means."
She also writes that "this is the happiest that I have been in a very long time."
But defense attorneys argue that the entry was made in 2003, before Caylee was born, not in 2008 as prosecutors claim.
"This is going to be critical. What is the time frame of this diary?" noted CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom on The Early Show Thursday. "Because if [it was made in 2008], when Casey says 'I'm very happy. I've never been so happy. I have no regrets,' it makes her seem like a sociopath."
Bloom said that forensic experts should be able to date the ink for that entry.
The same types of laundry bag, duct tape and plastic bag discovered at the crime scene also were found by investigators in the house where Caylee lived with her mother and grandparents, according to detectives' reports on the evidence.
Along with a skull and bones, investigators found a stained Winnie the Pooh blanket, pink-and-white-striped shorts and a shirt that said 'BIG TROUBLE Comes Small" in the woods at the crime scene. The skull had duct tape over the mouth similar to duct tape found at the Anthony house and the remains were found in a laundry bag and plastic bag that also were similar to ones found at the home, according to the documents.
Marti Mackenzie, a spokeswoman for Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said in an e-mail that the detectives' reports were "biased and speculative."
In a statement, Baez and defense co-counsel Linda Kenney Baden said that the brand of duct tape was the most widely sold in the United States and that it was significant that no fingerprints were found on the duct tape.
"It's very important to remember this is a one-sided release of evidence," said Bloom. "This is law enforcement's side. And there's a gag order in the case so the defense can't really respond. They gave a limited response [Wednesday] but their real response will be in the courtroom."
Also seized from the home were heart-shaped stickers. A heart-shaped sticker was found on the duct tape that covered the mouth of the skull found with Caylee's remains, according to detectives.
The report didn't say whether the sticker found at the crime scene was identical to the stickers found at the home, and Baez in a statement disputed that a sticker was on the duct tape found on the skull.
Other documents released Wednesday show Casey Anthony hyperventilated and asked for medication when she was notified that her daughter's body had been found last December.
The documents also feature interviews by detectives that reveal the tense relationship between Casey Anthony and her parents, George and Cindy Anthony.
Casey Anthony once told her friend, Annie Downing, that her mother was a "horrible person" who tried to control her life. Downing also told investigators that she believed Casey Anthony was jealous of her mother's relationship with Caylee and that Cindy Anthony was trying to assume the role of Caylee's mother.
Downing also told investigators that Casey Anthony lied to everyone she knew and that she stole from friends and family members. In 2006 or 2007, Casey Anthony told Downing and another friend, Michelle Murphy, that she was having a breakdown and wanted to be committed to an institution. Casey Anthony never mentioned having a breakdown again, Downing said.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Other evidence discovered in the woods where Caylee's body was discovered match items found in the house where she lived, according to court documents released by the State Attorney's Office Wednesday.
Casey Anthony has been charged with her daughter's murder. She claims that Caylee was kidnapped by a baby sitter and has pleaded not guilty.
In a diary entry dated June 21, Casey writes, "I have no regrets, just a bit worried. I completely trust my own judgment I know that I made the right decision. I just hope that the end justifies the means."
She also writes that "this is the happiest that I have been in a very long time."
But defense attorneys argue that the entry was made in 2003, before Caylee was born, not in 2008 as prosecutors claim.
"This is going to be critical. What is the time frame of this diary?" noted CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom on The Early Show Thursday. "Because if [it was made in 2008], when Casey says 'I'm very happy. I've never been so happy. I have no regrets,' it makes her seem like a sociopath."
Bloom said that forensic experts should be able to date the ink for that entry.
The same types of laundry bag, duct tape and plastic bag discovered at the crime scene also were found by investigators in the house where Caylee lived with her mother and grandparents, according to detectives' reports on the evidence.
Along with a skull and bones, investigators found a stained Winnie the Pooh blanket, pink-and-white-striped shorts and a shirt that said 'BIG TROUBLE Comes Small" in the woods at the crime scene. The skull had duct tape over the mouth similar to duct tape found at the Anthony house and the remains were found in a laundry bag and plastic bag that also were similar to ones found at the home, according to the documents.
Marti Mackenzie, a spokeswoman for Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said in an e-mail that the detectives' reports were "biased and speculative."
In a statement, Baez and defense co-counsel Linda Kenney Baden said that the brand of duct tape was the most widely sold in the United States and that it was significant that no fingerprints were found on the duct tape.
"It's very important to remember this is a one-sided release of evidence," said Bloom. "This is law enforcement's side. And there's a gag order in the case so the defense can't really respond. They gave a limited response [Wednesday] but their real response will be in the courtroom."
Also seized from the home were heart-shaped stickers. A heart-shaped sticker was found on the duct tape that covered the mouth of the skull found with Caylee's remains, according to detectives.
The report didn't say whether the sticker found at the crime scene was identical to the stickers found at the home, and Baez in a statement disputed that a sticker was on the duct tape found on the skull.
Other documents released Wednesday show Casey Anthony hyperventilated and asked for medication when she was notified that her daughter's body had been found last December.
The documents also feature interviews by detectives that reveal the tense relationship between Casey Anthony and her parents, George and Cindy Anthony.
Casey Anthony once told her friend, Annie Downing, that her mother was a "horrible person" who tried to control her life. Downing also told investigators that she believed Casey Anthony was jealous of her mother's relationship with Caylee and that Cindy Anthony was trying to assume the role of Caylee's mother.
Downing also told investigators that Casey Anthony lied to everyone she knew and that she stole from friends and family members. In 2006 or 2007, Casey Anthony told Downing and another friend, Michelle Murphy, that she was having a breakdown and wanted to be committed to an institution. Casey Anthony never mentioned having a breakdown again, Downing said.
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Barbara''s problems have nothing to do with the education system, but with her own lack of desire to take advantage of what it offered to her. I saw all these losers when I was in school too. At that time they had no interest, and in fact mocked the kids that were in it to learn and make good grades. Years later when the folly of their ''strategy'' became clear, many of them complain about their ''laok of opportunity''. Their lack of opportunity came from within, not from without.
Posted by vranger at 04:56 PM : Feb 19, 2009
You fvcking, insensitive, stupid prickkk. Barbara is disabled and a former product of a ruthless fosterchild upbringing. She can't see clearly, you idiot and was a special ed student. She has been maligned by many posters just as stupid and self centered as you, but enough already. If you don't like her postings, **** and don't read them. The last thing she or the rest of us need is a petty, small minded person, who can think of nothing else than straying from the article to simply attacking a legally blind poster. Get a life and a clue, you appear to be a waste of skin.
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Posted by vranger at 12:08 PM : Feb 19, 2009
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Barbara was a victim of her time as far as education is concerned..However, that does not mean that she can''t look at a situation and analize the truths and injustices that occured at the time.....She has the courage to speak her thoughts and feelings, even if they don''t muster up to your literary or gramatical standards....She puts herself and her feelings out there in spite of the risk
of being chastised by people like you....Give her a break, ok? Go, Barbara, keep on speaking up for yourself.....
Posted by willow313 at 12:19 PM : Feb 19, 2009
I agree wholeheartedly with willow313. I have read Barbara's posts for years (when she was Michelle too) and she has more common sense and astuteness than the majority of the posters on CBS. I also know that she is a product of her time, but beyond the grammar or syntax is a stout heart that has a lot of knowledge and insight. Barbara--we love to read your posts--usually, you are 100% correct in your analysis and know that I and toldyouso21, and b-easy63 and stoplying09 are all fans of yours!!!! You GO girl!!
Posted by srz25 at 09:34 AM : Feb 20, 2009
It wasn't 2 1/2 years it was a few weeks. I still think Casey's mom should have been suspicious sooner though.
Madat63
***???
She was such a selfish mother she ought never see daylight again.
"Murdering Party Mommy" Casey Anthony has a good chance after deciding raising a child while living off her parents was cramping her party girl lifestyle.
Another contender is the "Bedouin Breeding Machine" Nadya Suleman who says "Artificial insemination is cool!!" She doesn''t really need a job when the good folks of California are willing to pick up the tab for 14 children and her mom is willing to give up the rest of her life to help raise the B*A*S*T*A*R*D horde.
Let''s not forget the "Murderous Mommy Monster from New York" who decided maybe having three kids and being single wasn''t such a great idea after all and drowned them in the bathtub before attempting suicide.
Still in the race are the 17 "Future Fishwives of Gloucester High School" who decided no education is complete with crapping a fatherless snot-goblin into the world before graduation. Particularly at the expense of their parents and the taxpayers of Massachusetts. Sooo many choices!!
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Posted by wilsoncock at 10:44 PM : Feb 19, 2009
But I bet a 100 bucks that grandpa helped cover it up!