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August 28, 2008
DNA Tests From Car Trunk Indicate Caylee Anthony Is Dead
Topics: NewsORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Tests have confirmed the stench in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car did come from a dead human body and evidence indicates it is that of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony. A California bondsman is reconsidering his decision to put up the money to free Casey.
Concrete results were back from FBI DNA tests on physical evidence found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car. The samples, which included hair that investigators said was scientifically linked to Caylee, a stain and dirt, came back positive for signs of decomposition. Investigators said more results were expected from tests done on other evidence but all indications are Caylee Anthony is dead.
The State Attorney's Office also confirmed on Wednesday that Casey Anthony was invited to their office to shed light on the disappearance of Caylee. The State Attorney's Office is not revealing details about the offer of limited immunity. Eyewitness News has learned there is a time limit on that offer, however.
"Just putting the hair under the microscope, one can tell the difference between a normal hair root and one that's been infected with bacteria after death," said forensics expert Michael Baden. Baden said the inside linings of the mouth and nose release fluid when they begin to decompose. The fluid can be identified by DNA.
Investigators from the sheriff's office and the FBI met with Casey Anthony on Wednesday afternoon at her attorney's office. Cindy Anthony was also there. Casey only met with investigators for about 10 minutes and said nothing when she departed. Cindy Anthony left later in the afternoon, followed by the investigators. An investigator went to the Anthony's home but only stayed for a few minutes.
The sheriff's office, though, is not commenting on this development and issued the following statement late Wednesday afternoon: "Preserving the integrity of the investigative details of a case of this magnitude is paramount to its successful conclusion. We are unable to comment any further on information that has recently surfaced regarding the Caylee Anthony investigation. Any future returns in regards to evidence or submissions pertaining to this case will remain privileged or exempt unless the release of such information will be beneficial to the investigation or if it becomes a matter of public record in a legal proceeding."
The Anthonys have disputed the results of the tests, pointing out that Caylee hasn't been found. Casey Anthony's attorney refused to comment. The family was holed up in its home, Wednesday night. Casey's attorney remained there well into the evening, even parking his car in the family's garage.
It was Caylee's grandmother Cindy who first expressed concern about the disgusting stench that came from the trunk of Casey's car. It came during a 911 call when she reported Caylee was missing.
"It smells like there was a dead body in the damn car," Cindy told the dispatcher.
Cindy Anthony went on to change her story and say rotting pizza was behind the smell.
Casey Anthony has another meeting scheduled with her lawyer Thursday morning.
BOUNTY HUNTER QUESTIONS DECISION TO POST BOND
Wednesday night, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla reiterated to Eyewitness News earlier comments he'd made about the decision to post Casey's bond. Padilla's nephew, a California bondsman, put up $50,000 to free Casey Anthony. Padilla said his nephew was deciding Wednesday night whether to revoke that bond.
"I was wrong," said Padilla. "The people were right that said I should have left her in there."
When asked where he thought Caylee was now, Padilla answered, "You know, the car was parked next to a dumpster. I would hate to think the worst. God, it's terrible to think she'd be at the local garbage dump. It's terrible to think that."
In an interview Tuesday night on CNN's Nancy Grace, Padilla said he doesn't think he would have bonded Casey Anthony out of jail if he had read the information contained in 400 pages of documents released related to the case.
"After reading it, I don't believe I would have talked my nephew Tony Padilla into posting the bond. And I don't think I would have come to Orlando after reading that. I mean, I'm still hoping that little girl's alive, but there's a lot of information in those 400 pages that would lead those people to believe something different," bounty hunter Leonard Padilla said during an interview with CNN's Nancy Grace.
The released court records reveal how Orange County Detective Yuri Melich grilled her, saying she could seem "cold, callous and a monster who doesn't care, who's just trying to get away with something." He told her Caylee "may not be the way we or the way your family last remembers her. We need to find out from you where Caylee is. This, this, this right now is just, this has gone so far down hill and this has become such a mess."
Casey replied, "Uh-huh." Then Melich said, "We need to end it. It's very simple. We just need to end it." Casey answered, "I agree with you. I have no clue where she is."
The documents also show Casey's parents actually led investigators to search a new depression in the dirt near their backyard pool after they had done their own search and that they had their own lawyer the day after her arrest. The documents include a poem Anthony wrote on July 7, eight days before she reported her daughter missing: "What is given, Can be taken away. Everyone lies. Everyone dies."
The State Attorney's Office released the more than 400 pages of documents Monday. Eyewitness News found out Casey wanted to give little Caylee up for adoption before she was born, but her mother, Cindy Anthony, was against it. Casey's own mother called her a sociopath and warned friends to stay away from her. Casey's ex-fiancé told detectives she had deleted more than 200 pictures of her with her daughter Caylee that were posted online.
According to the transcripts, hours before Casey's arrest one detective told her, "Caylee's out there somewhere and her rotting body is starting to decompose." Casey replied, "I know my mom will never forgive me. I'm never going to forgive myself because there's that chance that I may not see Caylee again and I don't want to think about that."
The documents also show investigators grilled Casey about what happened to her daughter, telling her after the lies she told them they were thinking either she "gave Caylee to someone that you don't want anyone to find out because you think you're a bad mom or something happened to Caylee and Caylee's buried somewhere or in a trash can somewhere and you had something to do with it."
Casey kept insisting to investigators the last time she saw Caylee was June 9. The detective told her, "The longer this goes the worse it's gonna be for everyone, everyone."
Casey kept insisting she doesn't know what happened to her except that she was last with Zenaida the nanny, who no one knows. She also told investigators she's absolutely petrified.
Posted by admin at August 28, 2008 6:56 AM
