Anthony Defense Team Gets First Look

The attorney representing the Orlando mother accused of murdering her 3 year old daughter got his first glimpse of the site where the remains of a child were discovered on Thursday.

Jose Baez stood behind crime scene tape, several yards away from where the remains were found in a wooded area just off Suburban Drive and within a quarter-mile of the home of the missing toddler’s grandparents.

“We should be able to observe the scene.  This isn’t just anyone we’re allowing in,  we’re allowing in people they (the investigators) come to when they train,” said Jose Baez speaking of a team of forensic experts assembled for the defense of 22 year old Casey Anthony.

Anthony was indicted in October on first-degree murder of Caylee Marie, even though the toddler’s body hadn’t been found. Casey has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn’t report Caylee missing until July.

A medical examiner found evidence among the child’s remains that link them to the grandparents’ home of the missing toddler, Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said Friday, offering the strongest indication yet that the remains may be those of Caylee Marie.

On Friday, an Orange County judge denied a motion filed by Baez to preserve and protect the body of the small child.  Judge Stan Strickland’s ruling also denied a forensic team for the defense to work alongside crime scene investigators and the Orange County Medical Examiner. 

Such experts include Dr. Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and  bestselling author of crime books, Dr. Werner Spitz, a renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Timothy Huntington, a board-certified forensic entomologist from the University of Nebraska, forensic scientist Dr. Larry Kobilinsky and criminalist Henry Lee.

Meanwhile investigators continued to collect evidence at the scene where a utility worker had found a small skull.

VIDEO: Baez news conference on Saturday
VIDEO: Former homicide detective on what was found
VIDEO: Analyzing the forensics
VIDEO: Full interview with Judge Napolitano

“The best defense is full disclosure.  That’s the main issue here.  If there are dozens of FBI agents and numerous law enforcement offiers doing something in this area, and then going to my client’s home,  I’m going to pay attention to it and I want to know what’s going on,”  said Baez during a news conference held on Saturday.  

When asked if he believed the remains were those of Caylee, Baez said his team was proceeding as if that was a possibility.  “We’re preparing as if it is, and we’re not going to ignore what investigators are doing.  If it’s not Caylee, we can’t even celebrate, because it’s someone’s child.”

Baez also elaborated on how Casey was handling news that remains of what could be those of her missing daughter were discovered and undergoing analysis.   “She’s not doing well at all.  She wants to know what’s going on, and it’s something she can’t do right now.  I can’t imagine a more difficult position for a mother to be in right now,” he said.

Things mostly quiet at Anthony home

It was a relatively quiet day outside the Anthony home on Saturday, that was until the uncle of missing Caylee and brother of Casey stormed out the front door.
    
Surprising the media and onlookers who watched, Lee Anthony walked over to a makeshift memorial in front of the house, grabbing up the teddy bears and pictures that were left there in memory of his three year old niece.
  
Shortly thereafter, Jose Baez drove up to the house in this silver Cadillac along with with members of his legal team.

“Uh, we’re just doing our work, really,” explained Baez.

FOX 35 News   Saturday, 13 Dec 2008, 7:49 PM EST

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Greta & Geraldo on Remains Found 12/12

Filed under: Casey Anthony, caylee anthony , Casey Anthony, caylee anthony

Lawyers for Caylee’s Mother Stand by Her Story in Planning Defense Strategy

 

For months, Florida mother Casey Anthony, 22, has blamed her daughter Caylee’s disappearance on a baby sitter, and Anthony’s lawyers apparently are sticking with that story in planning her criminal defense — even though they expect police to confirm that skeletal remains found Thursday are those of girl.“If this is Caylee Anthony, that doesn’t mean Casey Anthony did anything to that child,” Todd Black, a spokesman for Anthony’s lead attorney, told FOXNews.com on Saturday. “That doesn’t determine who or what caused the child’s death.”FoxNews.com   Saturday, December 13, 2008

Anthony is in jail accused of murdering Caylee, but Black said Anthony stands by her claim that she dropped off her 2-year-old daughter with a sitter in June and never saw her again. That won’t change if it turns out the skull and bones belong to Caylee.

“Casey Anthony handed her daughter off to a woman in a park who was with another woman in a car,” Black told FOXNews.com. “Her position and the position of the law firm has been that she handed her child off. … It would be difficult for a prosecution to absolutely tell a jury that Ms. Anthony is the one who injured the child.”

It will be at least a week or two before forensic tests confirm whether the skeletal remains that a utility worker found in the woods Thursday are the girl’s, but police haven’t stopped looking for clues.

Filed under: Casey Anthony, caylee anthony , Casey Anthony, caylee anthony

Defense: OCSO Says Bones, Hair Color Match Caylee FBI Continues To Work At Crime Scene

ORLANDO, Fla. — The remains found near the Anthony home are similar in size and hair color to Caylee Anthony, a defense team attorney said Friday.

Linda Kenney Baden said Casey Anthony’s lead attorney, Jose Baez, got that information from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after the remains were discovered on Thursday less than a half-mile from the Anthony home.

Baez was told “the anthropological measurements on the child for her being Caylee Anthony, that the hair color was correct, and they were proceeding as if this were little Caylee,” Baden said during a hearing on Friday over access to evidence from the remains.

Prosecutors, however, said they have not made a tentative identification of the remains, which were discovered by a utility worker about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. In his 911 call, the worker mentions finding a skull, which WESH 2 and NBC sources said showed evidence of duct tape on the mouth.

Investigators said Friday it could take up to two weeks to positively identify the remains, but investigators said they’re almost positive it’s Caylee.

“She’s the only child of that age range that was reported missing,” said Carlos Padilla, of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “The skull was the size and shape consistent with that of a young child, and of course it was close proximity to the residences.”

Baden’s announcement in court was one of the latest twists in the case against Casey Anthony, who is charged with killing her daughter, Caylee, sometime before she reported the 2-year-old child missing in July.

Also Friday:

- Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said something at the crime scene where the remains could be linked to the Anthony house. Investigators removed bags of evidence from the home overnight, including three vacuum cleaners, pesticide containers and a small pillow.

- The FBI was sifting through buckets of dirt on Friday from the scene where the remains were found.

- Cindy and George Anthony returned to their east Orange County home Friday afternoon, but made no comment to the media. They left about 5:30 p.m. with their dogs, again without talking to reporters.

- Judge Stan Strickland denied a defense motion for access to the autopsy of the remains.

The remains were found about one third of a mile from the Anthony’s home on Hopespring drive. Casey Anthony stayed at the home with Caylee before Caylee went missing. (View Map)

Beary, who appeared on “The Today Show” Friday morning to discuss the discovery, said Casey Anthony is on a psychological watch at the Orange County Jail and that he thinks the remains are Caylee’s. (Watch Video)

“My gut says yes, but I have to wait seven to 14 days for the DNA analysis to absolutely make sure. Just like we always have to, we are going to be waiting for facts,” Beary said when Matt Lauer asked him if he believes the remains are Caylee’s.

During a news conference Thursday evening, Baez confirmed that Casey Anthony was upset when she found out about the remains and requested a sedative at the jail. Sources described Casey Anthony’s reaction as an anxiety attack.

After a hearing Thursday morning, Casey Anthony’s trial was pushed back until March.

Friday night, the Anthonys were not at their home because, their spokeswoman said, they’re trying to get away from everything.

Just a few blocks away, crime scene technicians in the deeply wooded area worked late into the night.

Medical Examiner: Forensic Evidence Will Be Key

Forensic evidence will be the key in determining whether the remains are Caylee.

“With the remains allegedly or reportedly being found in a closed environment, in a bag, that would preserve much of the evidence,” said Volusia County Medical Examiner Dr. Marie Herrmann.

Herrmann said that, if the remains found near the Anthony family home were in a sealed plastic bag — despite weather and time — there will be evidence to determine if the victim is indeed Caylee and likely how she died.

“The evidence of injury may reveal itself as cuts or areas of discoloration with bleeding, contusions,” Herrmann said.

And secured out of the elements, there will likely be pieces of any other foreign materials in the bag — including clothing and duct tape.

“Yes, duct tape is a good piece of evidence, as it can hold fibers, skin cells,” Herrmann said. “It could potentially match to another roll. Duct tape can retain fingerprints, latent prints that can be obtained.”

Experts will surely test for the presence of chloroform, Herrmann said, which has been significant in the investigation. The chemical can linger in remains and beyond.

“There may be some metabolites or some other changes that could be detected that could indicate that chloroform was used,” Herrmann said.

Medical and criminal investigators will work together to solve the crime.

Copyright 2008 by WESH.COM.

Filed under: caylee anthony , Carlos Padilla, Casey Anthony, caylee anthony, Jose Baez, Police

Is It Caylee? Sheriff: Size Matches

ORLANDO – Orange County sheriff’s investigators returned to the scene where skeletal remains of what appeared to be a small child were found Thursday near the home of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony’s grandparents.

Investigators with the county and the FBI are busy sifting through the surrounding area, searching for any more evidence that would help them determine if the remains are, indeed, of Caylee.

In a statement Saturday, the medical examiner inspecting the remains, themselves, said, “The medical examiner’s office may utilize the services of consultants or other agencies – in this case, the FBI – but maintains control and jurisdiction in the case at all times. Because these remains are the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, and in consideration of the deceased’s family, preliminary reports will not be released.”

Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said Friday he thinks it is a good possibility the remains could be Caylee’s.

The defense team for Casey Anthony, the toddler’s mother charged with murdering her daughter, said Beary told them the remains’ general measurements and hair color matched those of Caylee. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kid Finders Cancel Search

The group that was helping the Anthony family look for Caylee announced Friday it is suspending its search.

The Kid Finders Network, which has been involved in the case for months, said while it will no longer actively be searching for the girl, but they are not giving up on the case yet, and will continue to update its Web site on the case, HelpFindCaylee.com.

It is not known if the Anthony family and the Kid Finders Network will keep up their headquarters, which most recently has been along Goldenrod Road, near Colonial Drive, in Orlando.

Central News 13

Filed under: caylee anthony , caylee anthony, caylee marie anthony, Kid Finders

Interesting Anthony Updates from CNN

Last night was a Casey Anthony trial fest on all the major networks.  For those of you that missed any or all of the shows, just know that you didn’t miss much by way of new information.  Most of the shows last night rehashed what we all already know about the case.  I think Dateline probably did the best.  The Anthony’s, as suspected, were not on the Larry King show doing an interview.

This short clip from a CNN report addresses most of the new developments in the case.  There has been quite a bit of speculation as to whether or not something was found at the recovery scene that lead police back to the Anthony home.  At about the 2:10 mark in the following video this is addressed by the police.

Filed under: Casey Anthony, Video, caylee anthony , Casey Anthony, caylee anthony, recovery scene

Larger FBI Team To Help At Anthony Search Scene

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A larger FBI team is expected to return Saturday to the scene where the remains of small child were found near Caylee Marie Anthony’s home. The team will help the Orange County Sheriff’s Office process the crime scene and the area around it.

 All evidence is starting to show the remains found in east Orange County were likely Caylee Anthony.

 George and Cindy Anthony spent Friday night away from their home for the second night in row.

 ”They want to be left alone,” said their attorney, Brad Conway. “They want to grieve and go through the process without the publicity that’s been focused on them so long.”

There was no indication where the Anthonys stayed Friday night. Thursday, they had checked into the Ritz-Carlton for the night. They had not been allowed in their home because investigators were searching for more clues into the disappearance of their granddaughter, Caylee. Caylee’s mother, Casey, is in the Orange County jail on charges she killed the 2-year-old child.

 Detectives have told Casey’s attorney that the body size and hair color of the remains recovered are similar to Caylee’s and the discovery of the child’s skull with duct tape on the mouth is telling a much more gruesome story.

 The residence on Hopespring Drive was cleared Friday morning as a crime scene and George and Cindy Anthony returned there in the afternoon for a short time after spending Thursday night at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel .

wftv 9

Filed under: caylee anthony , Add new tag, George and Cindy Anthony, search, Search for Caylee