Big surprise. And although Jose Baez & Co. will surely try to pin this on the meter reader who led police to the remains, and/or to the “mystery” (= nonexistent) “nanny” Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, it seems pretty obvious to me (as it has since the very beginning) that Casey Anthony is responsible for the death of her toddler daughter. Particularly gruesome, in my opinion, was that the skull of the child found in the woods still had duct tape over its mouth. Duct tape. As in, Caylee’s mouth was taped shut. This might indicate that she was still alive when she was placed into a plastic trash bag (and left there to suffocate?). Ugh. I cannot believe that prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty against Casey.
Here is the full story, via the Orlando Sentinel:
It’s Caylee Anthony. Remains identified as missing toddler of Casey Anthony
Walter Pacheco, Sarah Lundy and Amy L. Edwards
Sentinel Staff Writer
2:14 PM EST, December 19, 2008
It’s Caylee Marie. The five-month mystery ended today when authorities confirmed that skeletal remains discovered in woods last week belong to the missing two-year-old girl.
Sheriff’s officials delivered the news at a 2 p.m. press conference in Orlando. Word came after the FBI forensic lab in Virginia matched Caylee’s DNA with bones found a quarter-mile from her grandparents’ home.
Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Gervais said, “With regret, I am here to inform you that the skeletal remains found on Dec. 11 are those of the missing toddler Caylee Anthony.”
“There was no trauma to the bones prior to death.
“The manner of death in this case is homicide. The cause of death will be listed as homicide by undetermined means.
“While I would love to explain the forensic aspects of this case to you… we must remember that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
“I will not discuss specifics of the findings in this case at this time.
Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony, was notified in jail, where she is awaiting trial on a murder charge stemming from the child’s disappearance this summer. Her reaction to the announcement was not known. Orange County Jail spokesman Allen Moore said a psychologist would be available for Anthony if needed.
The toddler’s grandparents — George and Cindy Anthony — learned the news at their home on Hopespring Drive. Their attorney, Brad Conway, said earlier Friday that the couple had remained hopeful that the remains were not Caylee’s, but were realistic about the alternative.
On Thursday, sheriff’s officials reported that the Orange County utilities worker who found the remains last week off Suburban Drive had alerted law enforcement three times in August about a suspicious grey bag on the side on the road.
Three times deputy sheriff’s checked the tips, with no results. This discovery raised questions of whether Caylee’s remains could have been found much sooner.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating how the calls were handled. The utilities worker — who will have a news conference later today — is not a suspect, a sheriff’s spokesman said.
Anthony, 22, was indicted in October on various charges, including first-degree murder. She was first jailed in July, shortly after her daughter’s disappearance was reported. Caylee was last seen alive in June.
Casey Anthony and her family have long insisted that Caylee Marie was alive, kidnapped by a baby sitter. Detectives have been unable to find the sitter and maintian she does not exist.
In late July, Casey Anthony told her brother, Lee, that “in my gut, she’s still OK,” during a conversation recorded by the jail.
“It still feels like she’s, she’s close to home,” Anthony said. “That’s still my best feeling at the moment.”
The state attorney’s office said last month it would not seek the death penalty for the mother, but prosecutors could reconsider based on new evidence. Hundreds of volunteers spent weeks searching for Caylee in the Orlando area, and law enforcement agencies across the nation have run down tips about possible sightings in their communities.
For the past nine days, federal and local crime scene investigators have been scouring the wooded acre where the remains were found, recovering bones and other evidence.
The property was under water in mid-August after Tropical Storm Fay – about the time when searches were being conducted.
Several hours after the first remains were found, Orange County detectives went back to the Anthony family home and searched for evidence that could link the home and the crime scene. Detectives removed a several items in large paper bags, as well as two vacuum cleaners and pesticide tanks.
Check back for more updates.”
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel
Source article here.
Police ‘Somewhat Confident’ Child’s Remains Are Caylee Anthony;
Evidence Discovered With Child’s Skull ‘Linked’ to Anthony Home, Prompting Police Search of House
By LEE FERRAN
Dec. 12, 2008 —
Police are “somewhat confident” that a child’s remains found Thursday near the home of Caylee Anthony’s grandparents belong to the missing toddler, Carlos Padilla of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News today.
The remains of a young child, including a skull, were discovered in a nearby wooded area less than half a mile from the Anthony home in Orlando, Fla., prompting authorities to execute a search warrant on the home.
While police have been tight-lipped about what was found with the skull, Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary told The Associated Press that “some clues that came out of the remains … linked it to the [Anthony] house.”
Padilla told ABC News, “It had to be pretty good to be able to get a search warrant. There was enough probable cause.”
A Florida judge denied a request by Jose Baez, attorney for Caylee’s mother Casey Anthony who is currently being held on murder charges, to inspect the child’s remains.
Police were seen this morning taking boxes and bags of evidence from the home.
“A lot of items were taken into our custody for review,” Beary told “Good Morning America” today.
Source URL is here.
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