Caylee Anthony Update 10 May 2010

The Associated Press
Monday, May 10, 2010; 10:07 AM 

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jurors in the trial of a Florida mother charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter will be picked from outside Orlando after attorneys argued residents there were tainted by negative media reports.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry ruled at a hearing Monday that the 12 potential jurors and six potential alternates in Casey Anthony's trial will be chosen from somewhere in Florida outside Orlando.
The judge says he will tell attorneys when he decides where to hold the trial, but that information will be kept secret until just before the trial begins.
Anthony has pleaded not guilty to murdering her daughter, Caylee, and said a baby sitter kidnapped the toddler. Her trial is set to start in May 2011.

Caylee Anthony Update 7 April 2010

I guess no one told Casey Anthony to be careful who you talk to in jail, because they will sell you out in a second. Because that's what has happened.
 
CNN) -- A woman who befriended Casey Anthony in jail told police that Anthony confided she would "knock out" her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, so she could go out at night while the child slept, according to a police report.


The inmate, identified in the document as Maya Derkovic, of Ocala, Florida, told police in a jailhouse interview that she used to talk with Anthony through the jail's ventilation system. She said Anthony told her she regretted having a child so early in life, and gave three different versions of the events surrounding Caylee's disappearance.

Another inmate, Robyn Adams, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, told investigators that Anthony said she used chloroform on Caylee to help the child sleep, the police report said. The mention of chloroform is significant because investigators found evidence consistent with human decomposition and traces of chloroform in the trunk of a car that belonged to Casey Anthony after Caylee disappeared in June 2008.
Caylee's body was found six months later, in a trash bag and wrapped in a blanket in a vacant lot near the home of Anthony's parents.

Hundreds of pages of jailhouse letters and investigative documents released Tuesday afternoon provide a glimpse into the mind of a young woman who seemed to have a darting attention span and who found Jesus in jail, wrote about a troubled relationship with her family and dreamed of what life would be like when she went free.

They'd go on RV vacations, Anthony wrote Adams in a letter dating from 2008, when the two were being held at the Orange County jail in Orlando, Florida. She'd dye her hair red or blonde so nobody would recognize her. She'd write a book, maybe turn it into a movie.

Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, has said he did not oppose the release of the letters because they contained nothing incriminating. The defense team elaborated on his comments in a statement released late Tuesday.

The letters "reflect the natural desire for companionship when isolated for 23 hours a day, and clearly demonstrate Casey's unconditional love for her daughter Caylee," the statement said. "Despite these intentions, it is obvious in the letters authored by Robyn Adams that her sole purpose and only goal in corresponding with Casey Anthony was to create 'leverage to get out of prison early.'"

Adams gave her letters from Anthonty to another friend, Tracey Neally, for safekeeping, according to the investigative reports. In her correspondence with Neally, Adams suggests the letters and notes might someday be worth something or lead to an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

"Thanks for doing something with Casey Anthony's notes, I certainly can't keep them in my cell with me since she is so high profile," Adams wrote Neally in a letter dated October 27, 2008. "I cry every day for my children and she is inviting me to Costa Rica??? "

Adams was convicted on drug charges in 2009 and is now serving time in federal prison.
Anthony has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and her lawyer, Baez, has said she had nothing to do with Caylee's death.

Written in a vertical, girlish hand, Casey Anthony's letters and notes include jokes, drawings and nicknames such as "Cookie," which is what she sometimes called Adams. And, they include scattered references to Caylee. But they offer no insight into how the 2-year-old died.

Anthony writes that she had planned to take Caylee and move away from Orlando but "my plans got beyond tangled" when a nanny wouldn't say where Caylee was.

"I had asked her to take Cays for a few days so I could put the rest of our stuff together, money I had saved, new clothes, new everything. That's why I waited to report her missing, because she was and wasn't. I would give anything to go back to that day and to not have let Caylee out of my sight."
When she mentions Caylee, Anthony often quickly moves on to other topics. Recalling photos she has of Caylee, Anthony writes, "Great, I'm going to make myself cry," and then adds, "Hmmm ... I wonder what I'm missing for lunch?"

In another passage, Anthony writes of a paternity test that showed a former boyfriend wasn't Caylee's father, adding "Joy to the world! I despise that loser and I pity him ..." She professes "unconditional love" for her daughter, saying that if it weren't for that love, she'd "end whoever is responsible" but does not elaborate.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about Caylee and wish that I could have protected her better," she writes on another occasion. "I tried my hardest and it wasn't enough."

She also writes about the difficulties of living with her parents as a single mother.
"My situation with living at home with Cays and my folks, staying home all day and going out at night looking for Mr. Right, same exact situation. I don't know one single mom who doesn't try to get their freedom regardless of how old they are."

She continues, "That's one of the biggest things that truly cuts me when I hear them talk about me as a mother -- I was a great Mom! And I love my daughter with everything that I have. I would give my life to have her back even for 5 minutes. It's so frustrating!"

Anthony had little good to say about her family, although she briefly expresses concern for her father following his suicide attempt, after Caylee's remains were found.

One passage is typical: "As far as my folks are concerned, it's only getting worse," she writes in a letter to Adams. "They're really good at putting on the supportive face/person for the TV, but behind the scenes, it's a daily battle. Ridiculous, unnecessary and downright shameful, but what are you going to do? I just have to keep my distance and hike up my Big Girl panties."

In one undated note, she said she was molested by a family member and questions whether she might also have been abused by another. She wrote that she felt she received no support from her family regarding the allegation.

"The Anthony family denies that there was any improper sexual behavior in their family nor was there ever a time when Casey told them of sexually inappropriate conduct," said Brad Conway, the Anthony family's lawyer. (Maybe this is why there is a mystery as to who Caylee's real father is.)

In her letters, Anthony also writes about what it is like to be infamous and incarcerated. She bristles at being a curiosity for people on tours of the jail.

"Another day, another series of rumors and ridiculousness. The life of a celebrity, huh? Right. If only I were old and ugly, then they wouldn't care."(Somebody should remind Casey that being infamous isn't the same thing as being famous. She isn't a celebrity, she is just another sideshow.)

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Caylee Anthony Update 19 March 2010

Like I have said all along, there is no way that Casey Anthony could pay for her expensive defense. And guess what, she has gone hat in hand to the judge in her case to ask for the State of Florida to pay. And guess what it probably will. Casey (and probably Jose Baez) knew that she couldn't afford to pay, so either publicity whore Jose should have worked pro bono or she should have use a public defender like all the others who can't afford a lawyer.


And it has come out that they have been making deals. Not movie or book deals, but deals none the less.

Attorneys for Casey Anthony, a Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, told a judge Thursday that state funding for her defense is needed, as their money has run out. "There is no dispute that Casey Anthony is indigent," J. Cheney Mason, the newest member of Anthony's defense team, said at a Thursday hearing.
Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland, however, required Anthony's attorneys to testify about how their funds have been spent to date before considering whether to allow public funds to be used, and he resisted attorneys' efforts to account for the funding behind closed doors.
"My problem is, you're seeking public funds," Strickland said, telling attorneys they are "trying to punch and get out of the way at the same time." Affidavits submitted by the defense, he said, were "pretty light in terms of full disclosure." He had the attorneys testify in court Thursday.
Strickland deferred a ruling on the issue until he receives not only the defense attorneys' testimony, but also information from the Justice Administrative Commission, the state agency that oversees funding. The commission has opposed allocating funding for Anthony's defense, saying in court papers it has "severe concerns" about whether she qualifies for financial assistance.
Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter Caylee and has pleaded not guilty. Her trial is scheduled to begin on May 9, 2011. The state is seeking the death penalty against her.
Caylee Anthony's body was found in a lot near her grandparents' home in December 2008, six months after she went missing.

The grandparents -- Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony -- have supported their daughter but now are fighting foreclosure on their home, according to a complaint filed by Bank of America.

Lead defense attorney Jose Baez testified Thursday that the defense received and spent about $275,000 over the past year and a half. Of that, $5,000 came from an anonymous donor, $70,000 came from a former defense attorney, Todd Macaluso, and $200,000 came from ABC through a "deal" with Anthony. The terms of the deal were not released.

That money, he said, was spent on defense costs including travel, depositions and retention of experts. "It's been quite an expensive task," he said.

Rumors that Baez is to receive $700,000 after the trial are "completely false," he said. Baez and other defense attorneys testified they have no book or movie deals in the works.

Baez, who testified that he has spent about 2,500 hours on the case, has been paid an estimated $89,454, according to financial affidavits released by the court and written in what appears to be Casey Anthony's handwriting. Attorney Andrea Lyon has received $22,500, but testified Thursday that all of that money went back into costs associated with the case. "There's not a dime" left, she said.

Anthony wrote that both attorneys "were or are being paid by myself" and said that her income is "zero" and her assets are "zero." She did not list her debts or liabilities.

A third defense attorney, Linda Kenney Baden, testified that she is working pro bono -- for free -- on the case. Mason said he also is pro bono.

An attorney for the Justice Administrative Commission participated in the hearing by telephone.

Baez and Lyon say in a four-page motion that they are not asking the state to pay their legal fees but to assist with funding for other costs to defend Anthony. The defense is seeking help with costs that include service of subpoenas, investigative costs, travel, fees charged by experts to interpret forensic evidence, expert witness fees and the cost of depositions.

The defense attorneys say in their court papers that Anthony is entitled to financial assistance under the Constitution's Sixth Amendment, which protects her right to a fair trial. Because prosecutors have said they are seeking the death penalty, Anthony also is entitled to "the unique standard of care required for a capital defense," the attorneys say.

The central focus of the commission's response appeared to be based on Anthony's own financial affidavit: "Because the defendant has been able to provide over $110,000.00 in her defense, the JAC has severe concerns regarding the defendant's indigence," it said.

The commission cites Florida law, which requires the court to consider "when applicant retained private counsel" and "the amount of any attorney's fees and who is paying the fees." In regard to travel expenses, the response says that counsel will need to properly complete a travel voucher, but also states that "JAC does not pay for reimbursement of travel expenses for privately retained counsel."

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Caylee Anthony 25 January

Casey Anthony, the young Florida mother awaiting trial in the death of her daughter, Caylee, pleaded guilty Monday to check fraud and was sentenced to time served.
Anthony admitted stealing a checkbook from a friend, Amy Huizenga, and writing four checks worth nearly $650. She wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke briefly in court.
"I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm sorry for what I did," she said. "I take complete and full responsibility for my actions, and I'd like to apologize to Amy. I wish I'd been a better friend.
Attorney Jose Baez asked the court to give Anthony credit for time served and place her on probation in the check case. The judge agreed that Anthony already has spent more time in jail than any sentence she could receive in the check case.
Anthony has made full restitution, Baez said. Before her arrest, she had no prior criminal record, he added.

The guilty plea means Anthony now has six felony convictions on her record. Her arrest in the check case came during a highly-publicized police investigation into the disappearance of her daughter, Caylee.

Anthony has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.
The toddler's skeletal remains were discovered December 11, 2008, six months after she disappeared. The remains were bagged and partially buried in a swampy, vacant lot, and duct tape covered the child's mouth.
Police released documents last year showing they believed that Caylee was killed within days of the time she was last seen and that her body was in the trunk of her mother's car for "a period of time."
Authorities have said that the cause of Caylee's death is homicide by undetermined means.

Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, were present in court for the plea. George Anthony waved to his daughter as she was led from the courtroom.
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Caylee Anthony Update 11 December

A Florida mother charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter sobbed in court Friday as a prosecutor speculated aloud that the toddler was methodically drugged and suffocated with tape.
Casey Anthony cried as prosecutor Jeff Ashton suggested that Caylee Anthony's killer restrained her arms, dosed her with something that knocked her unconscious and put duct tape over her mouth and nose.
Ashton offered the scenario when explaining why he believes the case would qualify for the death penalty.
"Her killer would prepare some substance in advance that would render her physically unable to resist," said Ashton during the pretrial hearing. "If the killer looked at her face, maybe the killer saw her eyes ... First one piece (of tape), then two, then three so that no breath was possible."
The cause of Caylee's death remains unknown, but duct tape was found on the body.
Ashton offered the scenario in response to a defense request to bar prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
Circuit Judge Stan Strickland said he would rule later.
Because the cause of death is still unknown, prosecutors are unable to prove that she suffered a heinous, cruel or atrocious death, which is the standard under Florida law for seeking the death penalty, said Andrea Lyon, one of Anthony's attorneys.
"The real reason the state has asked for the death penalty is because they wish to get as biased a jury as they possibly can," Lyon said. "It has the effect of coercing pleas in cases where that may in fact not be appropriate."
Anthony's attorneys contend that jurors in death-penalty cases, who are screened to eliminate those with moral objections to capital punishment, are more likely to convict defendants. The defense also says the threat of the death penalty could be used to coerce Anthony into making a plea agreement.
Anthony has pleaded not guilty and her trial is expected to start next year.

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Caylee Anthony Update 15 July

It has been a year since Cindy Anthony made the 911 call reporting her granddaughter, Caylee missing. Since then Casey has been charged with murder, and then the toddler's body was found near the family's home.
(CNN) -- One year ago, a sheriff's dispatcher in Orange County, near Orlando, Florida, received a strange 911 call. A small child was missing -- and had been for a month.

The child's grandmother was frantic, talking a mile a minute. But her mother seemed unemotional, disconnected from the drama around her.

So began the Caylee Anthony case, a mystery that became a nightly fixture on cable television and captivated true-crime buffs across the country.

Today, the tot's 23-year-old mother, Casey Anthony, is in jail, charged with first-degree murder, and faces the death penalty if convicted. She denies harming her daughter or having anything to do with her disappearance.

Her attorney, Jose Baez, has said that once all the facts are known, it will become clear that his client is innocent.

While reports of missing children are not unusual -- a Haleigh and a Haylee are two recent examples -- several elements came together in the Caylee case to make it a high-profile news story, said Robert Thompson, who heads the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"The fact that it's a toddler had that really dramatic, 'this is our worst nightmare' thing. It doesn't get any more dramatic than that," he said. "Then, of course, there's Casey herself."

The 30-day delay in reporting Caylee's disappearance, along with the frequent release of police documents containing the personal details of the family's life, whetted the public's appetite.

"By that time, it becomes self-fulfilling," Thompson said. "Once the story gets into the inbox of places that cover this thing -- Dateline, America's Most Wanted, Greta van Susteren, Nancy Grace, Geraldo -- it becomes a packaged drama. We want to know how it turns out."

Caylee's body was found December 11, six months after she disappeared and just a few blocks from her grandparents' house. The remains were bagged and partially buried in a swampy, vacant lot.

Duct tape covered the child's mouth. But the cause of Caylee's death is just one of many questions that remain unanswered a year later. And the answers are not likely to come soon, if at all. Casey Anthony's trial, originally scheduled to begin October 12, has been pushed back until some time next year.

Thousands of pages of court files have been made public. Police questioned Anthony's friends and boyfriends, pored through her cell phone records, went through her computer, and seized her digital photo albums. They even analyzed her sleep patterns. But the picture that emerges is far from clear.

The story begins at about 9:40 p.m. on the evening of July 15, 2008, with Cindy Anthony's call to 911. The call capped a day in which she and her husband, George, a retired police officer from Ohio, received an impound notice and tracked down their daughter's abandoned white 1998 Pontiac Sunbird -- and then their daughter, Caylee's mother, who was staying with a boyfriend.

"I found out my granddaughter has been taken," Cindy Anthony told the 911 dispatcher. "She has been missing for a month. Her mother finally admitted that she's been missing. ... We're talking about a 3-year-old little girl!"

"I need to find her," Cindy Anthony continued. "I told you my daughter was missing for a month. I just found her today, but I can't find my granddaughter. She just admitted to me that she's been trying to find her herself. There's something wrong. I found my daughter's car today, and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car."

George Anthony told police later that the car gave him "a bad vibe."

"I got within three feet of it. I could smell something. You look up and you say, please don't let this be. Please don't let this be," he said in a July 24 police interview.

A cadaver dog confirmed for police the scent of human decomposition in the car trunk. Casey Anthony's friends told police she said she hit an animal with the car. But many of her stories did not check out, investigators said.

Although Casey Anthony has frequently fallen out with her parents, they have always insisted that she is innocent. They haven't visited her in jail for months, in part because authorities record the visits and release them to the public.

During the search for Caylee, some say Casey Anthony didn't behave the way one would expect of a worried mother. She went to nightclubs and sent hundreds of text messages to friends, according to cell phone and text transcripts and investigative reports released by police.

Those phone and text records also showed that she hardly mentioned her missing daughter.

At one point, police analyzed her sleep patterns, finding that the cell phone calls and text messaging ceased for only three or four hours a night at about the time Caylee disappeared.

For weeks, curiosity seekers camped out in lawn chairs outside the Anthony home, where the family had posted large flyers asking, "Where is Caylee?" When the crowd grew unruly, Cindy Anthony waved a hammer and George Anthony shouted back at the hecklers.

Authorities say they also found traces of chloroform, a knock-out drug, in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car. And they said that on her computer, they found Internet searches of missing children and chloroform Web sites.

Investigators first labeled Casey Anthony a person of interest, and later, a suspect. She was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder on October 14.

But Thompson, the pop culture professor at Syracuse, cautions that the final curtain hasn't fallen on this drama.

"It isn't necessarily a slam dunk," he said. "We have the JonBenet Ramsey case to show that we may think one thing, and it isn't so." Early in that investigation, authorities said John and Patsy Ramsey were "under an umbrella of suspicion" in their daughter's death, but they later were cleared.

"These things are capable of twisting around," Thompson said. "But that's another element that makes them interesting."
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Murder And Mayhem Links 22 June

Autopsy: Caylee Anthony's Skull Was Duct Taped
Caylee Anthony's autopsy report was released on Friday. The body was completely skeletonized with duct tape still attached to the skull. The cause of death given is "homicide by undetermined means." And the medical examiner believes that the body was left where it was found soon after Caylee was last seen. Plant roots had started growing through the vertebrae. And wildlife had started scattering the remains. What kind of resting place is that for a child?

More links below.

Morgan Freeman "Incest" Shocker
The National Enquirer is reporting that a long term affair with his step-granddaughter is one of the causes of his divorce. Morgan is 72, and the step-granddaughter, E'Dena is 27. Is Morgan the new Woody Allen? If this is true his wife should be allowed to kick his butt up and down every street in Hollywood.


100 Pupils Walk Out Of High School In Protest Of Short Skirt Ban
A British school is threatening ban skirts because the girls are wearing them so short that male teachers are afraid to walk up the stairs behind female students. Of course high school students will walk out of class for anything.

We Won't Get To See Casey Anthony Jailhouse Video

The public will not see the video of Casey Anthony the day she learned a child's remains were found less than a mile from her home.

Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland ordered today that the video taken at the Orange County Jail on Dec. 11 be sealed.

"While the court is loathe to shield any public record, an argument can certainly be made that the contents of the video are highly inflammatory," Strickland wrote in his three-page order.

In making his decision, he watched the video and applied a legal three-part test, which included whether the video could impact a potential jury pool.

"Given the nature and scope of the pretrial publicity, it is not unreasonable to assume that many persons in the potential jury pool might view this video and develop a 'hardened' attitude in reference to the defendant's guilt," he wrote.



Anthony's defense team didn't want the video released and argued it would taint a potential jury pool and it violated her Constitutional rights. Media, including the Orlando Sentinel, had filed legal papers to persuade the judge to release the video.

Anthony, 23, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie. An Orange County meter reader found the 2-year-old's bones in December in woods a few blocks from the east Orange County home the girl shared with Anthony and her grandparents.

Hours after the discovery, jail officials moved Anthony from her cell and to the medical facility where a TV was showing reports of the find.

The video showed her reaction while watching the TV report. At that point, investigators had not confirmed the remains were Caylee but everyone believed it was the child.

There was no reason for anyone to see the video but to satisfy a nosy urge. Casey probably would of had a bad reaction even if if she hadn't killed her daughter. How would you react if your child was missing and they found a dead child's body that fit the description?
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Has It Really Been A Year Since Caylee Was Reported Missing

The grandparents of a murdered central Florida two-year old say the father of a missing northern Florida five-year-old is making a mistake by rejecting their offers to come to his aid.

"When your child's missing, you take any bit of help that you can," Cindy Anthony remarked to Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Tuesday. "You take every help. You don't turn anybody away. You can't turn anybody away." (They can't get their crap together, how are on Earth are they going to offer constructive help to someone else. All the press they get is bad press.)

Cindy's daughter, Casey Anthony, 23, has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder in the death of Casey's daughter, Caylee Anthony. Prosecutors say they'll seek the death penalty.

Caylee was last seen by Cindy and her husband, George Anthony, a year ago. It wasn't until a month later that Casey revealed Caylee was missing. Casey was arrested in October. Caylee's body was found in December. Casey's trial is tentatively set for this coming October.

Casey has claimed Caylee was with a babysitter when she vanished.

Cindy Anthony was responding Tuesday to the recent rejection of efforts by her and George to help Ronald Cummings, a 25-year-old northern Florida man whose daughter, Haleigh Cummings, has been missing since early February.

Haleigh was reported missing when Ronald Cummings returned home from work to his mobile home in a heavily wooded area north of Satsuma. Ronald Cummings' girlfriend, Misty Croslin, 17, says she tucked Haleigh into her own bed at 8 o'clock and, when she woke up, Haleigh had vanished.

Rodriguez reminded Cindy and George Anthony that, in nixing their efforts to reach out to them, Ronald Cummings had said they were doing so because have their own agenda.

"They have every right to say what they want to say," George observed to Rodriguez, "because they are controlling that. And I understand that. We're just here to help in any way we can -- just a little bit of support. I'll stand in the background. I'm not gonna be there in the forefront. I never was at the beginning. (The search for Haleigh would have been eclipsed by any involvement that the Anthonys offered. They are a travel freak show.)

"I was just offering some support, some moral support and some ways that he could possibly bring more awareness for his child. That's what I was trying to help with. ... And if he called and said, 'George, I need your help, I'd still be there to help him. I'm not going to stop unless he tells me to stop. But I understand. It's a tough situation for everybody."

Cindy told Rodriguez Cummings is erring in turning her and George away. "You know," Cindy said, "that one exposure of your child's face out there could be that one time. So, you know, to him I say, you made a mistake.

"We're the ones who got national attention for their daughter the first night, because I was on the phone with national media. And that was the day of Caylee's memorial, Feb. 10. We had just gotten home from her memorial and heard about Haleigh. So we hurried up and made desperate phone calls to people in the national media to say, 'Hey, start covering the story.' And that was a day that I should have been home just worrying about myself." (See, all about them. Haleigh's disappearance would have made the national news sooner or later because it is close to the area where Caylee disappeared, and Misty Cummings' story was shady.)

Cindy wept when telling Rodriguez how she feels at this point. "It's been a year," Cindy recalled. "Yesterday was a tough day. Today is a tough day. Every day has been a tough day this last year. And I just miss her. I just miss her so much."

George said, "The last time I saw her was June 16, one year ago today. I woke up with her in the morning at 7:30, got a chance to have breakfast with her. Just before 1:00 that day, I didn't ever realize that that'd be the last time I would see her, have a chance to kiss her, hold her. I would hear her call me Jo-Jo, and put her in a car and wave good-bye to her."

Cindy and George have set up a foundation in Caylee's memory "to continue to bring awareness of children, you know, children that are missing," Cindy says, and give their families emotional and financial support.
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Did Cindy Suspect Casey In Caylee's Disappearance

A crime-blog writer told investigators that Cindy Anthony suspected her daughter of having something to do with Caylee Marie Anthony's disappearance, according to documents released today.

Crime-blog writer Sean Krause told investigators on Dec. 2, 2008 that Cindy Anthony suspected her daughter, Casey Anthony, of having done something with her granddaughter, Caylee Anthony, the new records show.

"I spoke with [Cindy Anthony]…it was the first time that she agreed that she actually really believed that her [Casey Anthony]…actually did something to Caylee," Krause told Orange County investigator Cpl. Yuri Melich.

Krause, who died from cancer in February, said Cindy Anthony later retracted her comment, but wouldn't explain why she changed her mind.

He also told investigators he had received e-mails from Cindy Anthony's Yahoo! E-mail account, telling him that she had a scoop for his crime blog, The Daily BS.com.

When speaking to Cindy Anthony later, she denied ever sending the e-mail or others pertaining to any information for his crime blog.

Investigators also asked Krause about the person representing Casey Anthony's defense attorney Jose Baez. The Press Corps Media representative, who called himself Todd Black, had contacted Krause to tell him that the FBI's forensic tests were faulty.

Krause ignored Black's comments.

Krause's interview with investigators is part of the discovery released today by the State Attorney's Office.

Today's discovery does not include the autopsy report of slain toddler Caylee Marie Anthony because a judge late Thursday issued an order delaying the release of that information.

The order was issued because of last-minute objections raised by Casey Anthony's parents, George Anthony and Cindy Anthony.

The grandparents of the slain 2-year-old said releasing the autopsy report would be upsetting.

Casey Anthony, 23, is charged with murder in her daughter's death. Caylee Marie Anthony's body was found Dec. 11, a short walk from her home in east Orange County.

The documents that were released today include depositions, including several that have been previously released.

The Orlando Sentinel is reviewing the documents right now.

No reasonable human being could listen to Casey's story and not suspect her. And remember that it was originally Cindy who thought that Casey was lying about something and went hunting for her grandbaby. So no matter what tune Cindy is singing these days, in the beginning she didn't trust the story that her daughter was telling.
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Caylee Anthony Update 9 June

George and Cindy Anthony will not face charges stemming from an incident last week in which two St. Cloud women said they were chased by the couple.

The June 1 incident was investigated by detectives from the Orange County Sheriff's Office who determined no criminal violations occurred, said Sheriff's Sgt. Susan Soto.

The women told deputies they were chased by the couple after they caught Cindy Anthony removing a cross left at the former site of a memorial to the couple's dead granddaughter, Caylee.

The Anthonys' daughter, Casey Anthony, 23, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee. The toddler's remains were found on the Suburban Drive property, less than a mile from the Anthony home.


Lois Peter, 56, said she went to the site on Suburban Drive with her 13-year-old granddaughter and two friends to find out who was removing crosses they had left days earlier.

Peter could not be reached for comment Monday.

About 8:30 that night, Peter and her granddaughter left a cross and then watched. Their visit to the area followed news account about the former makeshift memorial being removed recently. No one has claimed responsibility for removing the items.

Several hours after placing the cross, Peter and her granddaughter they noticed the Anthonys' friend, Dennis Milstead of Kid Finders Network, driving up and down the road.

They moved their car, and Milstead followed them, Peter said. The brief pursuit ended when the women drove out of the neighborhood.

But they returned to the area, Peter said, and they saw Cindy Anthony putting something into the trunk of her car, which was being driven by George Anthony. The cross was gone.

One of the women snapped a picture and the chase -- involving Milstead and the Anthonys -- began, Peter said.

The Anthonys' attorney Brad Conway said the car was driving around the neighborhood suspiciously, with the lights off and that George Anthony got out of his car to tell the others they needed to stop and he was going to call police. Conway said George Anthony was nearly run over by the other car.

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Caylee Anthony Update 4 June

A criminal complaint has been filed against George and Cindy Anthony.

A group of women filed a complaint against George and Cindy Anthony on Wednesday, saying the couple chased them from the area where Caylee Anthony's remains were found.

The complaints were filed with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The women said they were chased in a car by George and Cindy after they caught Cindy removing a cross from a makeshift memorial site for Caylee.

Lois Peter said every time they've left crosses at the site, someone has removed them.

"We found broken rosaries in the woods. We found broken crosses in the woods. It wasn't just taken away, it was destroyed," she said.

On Monday night, Peter, Denise Hill and another woman left a cross at the site to see if anyone would take it. They watched from their car.

Peter said they then noticed the Anthonys and a friend, Dennis Milstead of KidFinders Network, driving up and down the road.

The women left, and then returned to the area and said they saw Cindy Anthony placing an object in the trunk of her car. The cross they had left was gone.

After they snapped a picture, the women said Milstead confronted them.

George and Cindy are the parents of Casey Anthony, who's accused of murdering 2-year-old Caylee.

"It was a picture. Seriously. Take my camera. I didn't know what they were going to do to us. Yeah, it was scary," Peter told WFTV.

In their complaint, the women said that Milstead and the Anthony's chased them.

"They were in pursuit of us in high speed. KidFinders had his strobe lights on like he was trying to pull us over," Denise Hill said.

The women came across a state trooper, who told everyone to go home.

Peter said she was in fear for her life, which is why the complaint was filed.

The incident is part of an ongoing investigation, according to the sheriff's office.

George and Cindy are the parents of Casey Anthony, who's accused of murdering 2-year-old Caylee.

I thought that the owners of the property didn't want a memorial to Caylee on the sight, so these people were trespassing. That doesn't give George and Cindy Anthony the right to flip out on people just trying to quietly honor Caylee's memory.

Caylee Anthony Update 2 June

More than 200 pages of transcripts from interviews with two Orange County Jail officials were filed in court this afternoon in the case against Casey Anthony, a 23-year-old accused of killing her daughter.

Lt. Tammy Unser and Sgt. Billy Richardson were questioned last month about what happened at the jail on Dec. 11 the day the remains of Anthony's 2-year-old daughter were found less than a mile from her family home.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie.

Unser and Richardson were questioned by Anthony's defense team, including Jose Baez and Linda Kenney Baden. Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick also was present.

Unser testified that a commander at the Orange County Sheriff's Office instructed jail officials to take Anthony to the medical facility where she could see the news reports on the television. A video recorded Anthony's reaction as she sat there for more than 30 minutes, according to the deposition.

Richardson told attorneys that he thought it was "a little cruel that they were doing this to her," he said. When asked about it, Unser agreed, saying it was unnecessary. (It seems like the commander just wanted to see what her reaction would be. It's no better than those prison guards that would make the inmates fight for their own enjoyment. What mother wouldn't freak out when they find out that their child is dead? So there is no way that the video would be useful in court.)

Baez has asked Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland to prevent the video from being released to the public.

Strickland has not ruled on the issue.

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Caylee Anthony Update 29 May

Three months ago, nationally known death penalty attorney Andrea Lyon spoke in Orlando at a seminar on capital punishment put on by The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Lyon was back in town Thursday, this time garnering the spotlight as the newest addition to Casey Anthony's defense team.

Needing to find a death penalty attorney that meets the state's criteria, which includes having five years' trial experience and being lead attorney in at least nine state or federal jury trials of serious or complex cases, Anthony's defense team secured someone who easily fills the role. Lyon, a DePaul University law school professor, has handled more than 130 murder cases and more than 30 potential capital cases.

"She is a fighter," said Terence M. Lenamon, a death penalty attorney from Miami who briefly worked on the Anthony's case last fall. "She will do things the way she thinks they need to be done."

Anthony, 23, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie. The toddler's remains were found Dec. 11 in woods less than a mile from her family home in east Orange County.

Last month, the state announced its plans to seek the death penalty against the single mother.

Lyon is a clinical professor of law and also directs the law school's Center for Justice in Capital Cases, according to her Web site.

In 1990, she founded the Illinois Capital Resource Center and served as its director until joining the University of Michigan Law School faculty in 1995.

Lyon also has a book coming out next year: Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer. It tells the story of the first woman in the nation to serve as lead attorney on a death penalty case. (Maybe that is the reason she took the case, she has a book to promote. Because it can't be for the money, Casey has none. I still have to ask, where is all the money for Casey's defense coming from if they aren't selling photos and stories. Her legal bills have to be approaching a million dollars , if they haven't already exceeded that amount.)

Outside the Orange County Courthouse Thursday, Lyon was quick to say she may be the lead attorney on paper but considers herself an equal member of an "excellent team," which includes Jose Baez from Kissimmee, Linda Kenney Baden from New York and Todd Macaluso from San Diego.

She said prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for "strategic reasons."

"You will hear about those strategic reasons in motions that I will be filing, challenging their right to even ask for the death penalty in these circumstances," Lyon said. "I believe Florida law simply doesn't allow asking for the death penalty in these circumstances."

She does not expect a trial to start in October, as scheduled. More time will be needed to prepare the case, she said.

News of Lyon's addition overshadowed Thursday's hearing, which focused on phone records and whether a video of Anthony taken in jail the day she heard about child's remains discovered can be released to the public.

The defense team doesn't want it out. The county and state don't object to sealing the video.

Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland said he wanted to provide the media an opportunity to argue why it should be public record. No hearing date has been set yet.

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Casey Anthony Update 28 May

Casey Anthony's defense team filed a request late today asking the judge to order the video of her reaction the day her daughter’s remains were found sealed.

Attorney Jose Baez wrote in the motion that the video must not be released to the public for medical privacy and other reasons that have been developed.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie. The toddler's remains were found Dec. 11 less than a mile from her family home.

Baez questioned two Orange County corrections officers who escorted Anthony to the medical facility on Dec. 11. After interviewing them, he learned several other people he needs to question and documents he must request to prepare for a later motion to suppress. Baez wrote that the scene was set up by investigators to capture her reaction on tape.

The video lacks any evidential value, Baez wrote, and could cause problems getting a fair and unbiased jury pool. (The Caylee Anthony case ceased to be about evidence a long time ago. It's all about us being nosy. And Casey and Jose Baez contributed to the media circus.)

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