Randi Kaye
AC360° Correspondent
I’m here in Orlando Florida covering the Caylee Anthony story. You may know by now she’s the girl that’s been missing for more than two months now.
Her mother, Casey Anthony, didn’t report she’d disappeared for more than five weeks. She’s now in jail charged with, among other things, child neglect.
I just wrapped up an interview with Caylee’s grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony.
They were swarmed by the media, as they a have been, but especially today since they are spending the day driving around a massive mobile billboard with little Caylee’s face plastered on it, asking the question,
“Have you seen me?”
George Anthony, who seemed on the verge of tears, told me, “I think it’s the best connection to try and find my granddaughter, people can identify, ‘that’s the grandfather,’ they’re actually focusing on the mobile billboard with her photo on there. “
The Anthonys said people have been waving to them all day on the road and offering their prayers.
Cindy said one of their first stops this morning was the Sheriff’s Department. They saw how all the tips are being investigated. She said more than 1200 tips have come in in the last month… more than 200 just this morning.
Cindy and George have their own ideas about what has happened to their granddaughter. Both believe very strongly she is alive and likely being held by someone.
I asked George what the motive might be and if his daughter owed anyone money that may have contributed to Caylee’s disappearance. He told me, “possibility. It’s a possibility. I don’t know. Maybe she saw something somebody did and my granddaughter happened to be there, I wish there were other scenarios but I can’t be specific.”
Here’s the problem. They believe Casey, Caylee’s mom, knows who has Caylee but doesn’t know where she is. Since she’s being held on $500,000 bond she can’t get out and look for her. George also says since the meetings with his daughter in jail aren’t private, she can’t tell them what they need to know to find her. Plus, those jailhouse visits are recorded. They have no doubt she knows more than she has let on but can’t give away the details because it would put Caylee in jeopardy. Cindy told me Casey would never harm Caylee. She said, “Anyone who knows Casey knows she’d do anything including sit in a jail cell to protect her daughter.”
We also learned today the so-called “Body Farm” at the University of Tennessee is testing air from the trunk of the car Casey had been driving when Caylee disappeared. Apparently there are certain chemical compounds that are only found in decomposing bodies. George Anthony says he doesn’t think the test is a waste of time but he’s convinced it won’t turn up anything.
What do you think really happened to Caylee?
Program Note: Watch Randi’s full report tonight on AC360° at 10pm ET.
| Betty Ann, Nacogdoches,TX |
August 11th, 2008 5:04 pm ET Randi, |
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| Cindy |
August 11th, 2008 5:06 pm ET Unfortunately it seems to me like Casey is another Susan Smith, who killed her kids then blamed their kidnapping on someone else until it was found out that she had drowned them in a lake. Casey has done nothing but told one lie after another. If you were so set on finding your child you would do anything to get her back. So why isn’t she? And her saying she can’t tell anything because it will put Caylee in danger is absurd. Casey’s parents need to get out of denial and see their daughter for what she is. Someone with a lot of problems who more than likely killed their granddaughter. Cindy…Ga. |
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| Presley Grace, Walled Lake, Michigan |
August 11th, 2008 5:13 pm ET Oh PLEASE, all the media attention should tell everyone Caylee is not “being held” somewhere, the only mystery is what Casey has created, everything starts and ends with her, period. I feel for the grandparents, family members, searchers and the police. Where is Caylee’s father in all this? His family? MY PRAYERS ARE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY GIVE A DAMN AND ARE DOING SOMETHING 24/7 TO RESOLVE THIS! |
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| Crystal, Clearwater, Florida |
August 11th, 2008 5:25 pm ET I do not understand why this women would wait 5 weeks to tell the police of her child’s disappearance and would hold information on her daughters whereabouts but I hope the speculation that Caylee’s mother knows some sort information on her daughter is true and she is not dead. |
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| Mindy Chatsworth, Ca. |
August 11th, 2008 5:53 pm ET Casey’s parents are in denial, or else she is such a good liar that she even has them believing her stories. She knows exactly what happened to her little girl. Unfortunately, people who murder their own children don’t seem to have pangs of conscience. This nonsense about money Casey owed someone is really just the living, breathing end. It sounds like Casey has been watching way too many TV crime shows or else she is hallucinating. The police really have their work cut out for them with this case. The excuses given by Casey’s father as to why she can’t cooperate with the authorities are ridiculous. The fact that this young woman did not notify any for more than a month about her missing child, clearly indicates that she has something to hide. I would be running around out of my mind if my child was gone. It’s positively chilling. |
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| Diane N. |
August 11th, 2008 6:02 pm ET Why do you call the body farm “so-called” as if you doubt the reputation and ability of this research facility, who’s research is specific to decomposition and of which may break the case wide open??? |
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| Jim X. |
August 11th, 2008 6:20 pm ET I think now the grandmother is lying to cover her daughter. The little girl is dead in my opinion. Sad, but it’s the reality. NOW, we need to focus on finding out who is responsible and what happened. What I suspect is this: |
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| Gloria from Cambridge Ma. |
August 11th, 2008 6:37 pm ET Casey’s parents, Cindi and George know what happened. What they are doing is reaching out to the “jury pool” for the eventual trial. |
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| Melissa, Los Angeles |
August 11th, 2008 7:13 pm ET Casey knows where her daughter is. That’s why she went out to the clubs because she knew her daughter was no longer alive and now that “anchor” is gone and she could continue leading a single life until her mother called 911. It’s sad because Casey’s parents are in complete denial that there is no kidnapping by someone and the loss of the granddaughter falls completely on Casey’s immature shoulders. |
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| Maria Creel Biloxi |
August 11th, 2008 7:21 pm ET I think if someone has her (which I do NOT believe) its because Casey owes them drugs or owes them money for drugs. “Club Promoter” for those of you that sleep when the sun goes down is code for dope dealer. What I do believe is Casey decided to get wasted the night her parents left town. She left Caylee alone thinking she would sleep thru her being gone. The little girl either injured herself or ingested drugs and when Casey got home there was nothing left to do but make up a storey and ditch the body. |
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| Jolene |
August 11th, 2008 7:25 pm ET Randi: After reading your post today, I am still perplexed as to why it is taking so long to get the DNA testing results from the trunk and now they are testing the air from the trunk? Is it me or does it seem like they are pulling at straws here in the hopes that they can prove the child is dead. Just makes the case that much more intriguing. Good Luck. Jolene, St. Joseph, MI |
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| Heather |
August 11th, 2008 7:48 pm ET My husband thinks Im wrong,but:It’s obvious to anyone that the mother is very immature and didn’t get the my child becomes for me for the rest of my life memo.She seems selfish and has some psychological issues,lying etc.I think she had her daughter with her went to someone’s house or went into a building to go do something left her daughter in her car and forgot about her.It got hot and she died. She lost it and instead of calling 911,she panicked and kept her daughter in her car and avoided her parents and who knows what she did during that time.Then she thought she could burry her in her parents backyard,the shovel would help.Then she realized that would be a bad idea and got her body and used her car to dump her somewhere.We all know she is known for lying all the time.She lied to the police and her parents.She accused any innocent women of having her child.This women wasn’t living in the location she claimed .This women had to go on TV to clear her name.I don’t think her mother killed.She doesn’t seem that smart or clever.Lying is one thing,actually following through with it is different.Plus she is too selfish.It happened by accident through neglect by her or someone with her.I can’t think of any mom who goes out to clubs to party! I think she realizes now that she is in deep you know what.If she has any humanity left in her she would show she is capable of being a proper selfless mother and for once in her life be honest with herself and tell the police the truth. The police and the fbi all have families and they are spending all of their time looking into information that turns out to be false that is purposely given to them.Well the tax payers of the county pay those selfless law enforcement officials to do this. She needs to grow up and realize that she is no position to be making deals for immunity.I think the grandparents are being played for fools by their daughter. If you know your daughter has lied in the past and continues to lie what makes you think she isn’t going to keep lying to everyone,the fbi,police and even them. She is trying to cover her rear end! She needs to realize that when she is questioned it’s not about her it’s about her daughter. Finding the child is all that matters.I think she lacks the maturity to even grasp the severity of the situation she is in.I feel bad for the police and the fbi. |
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| Jan from Wood Dale IL |
August 11th, 2008 7:51 pm ET DNA might only be able to prove that Caylee was in the trunk of the car. Casey’s defense attorney could suggest that Casey was being forced to transport her living child in the trunk. The decomposition air test would fortify the fact that the child was already dead while being transported. Since Casey is still in jail, I would rather the state build the strongest forensics case against her because I think it is very doubtful Caylee will be found. |
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| Angela in Phoenix, Arizona |
August 11th, 2008 8:02 pm ET You know the saddest thing out of all this is, that just like Susan Smith…you know that those babies last words were crying for their mother…God help us. |
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| J. McDonald |
August 11th, 2008 8:32 pm ET Casey Anthony has played this scene for all it’s worth, no doubt allowing plenty of time for her daughter’s body to fully decay or be eaten by the fish or worse. What happens when the public media and TV exposure stops completely?? |
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| Annie Kate |
August 11th, 2008 8:47 pm ET I can’t imagine any scenario that would explain Caylee’s disappearance, her mother not reporting it but partying on according to pictures, and her constant lying to the police except the scenario which leaves Caylee dead accidentally or not at the hands of her mother. I would love to be wrong - for Caylee’s sake and the grandparents sake. IF there was a dead body in the trunk of that car, Dr. Bass’s body farm will be able to tell from that air - of course, if they do determine a dead body was there it isn’t hard proof that it was Caylee.. Annie Kate |
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| Jo Anne Cummings |
August 11th, 2008 10:07 pm ET This case really hurts my heart. Always the children are hurt or worse, why do we let this happen??????? is there no warning?? I wish we could be proactive instead of reactive. |
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| LouLou |
August 11th, 2008 10:17 pm ET If there was evidence of Caylee being deceased in the trunk of that car, they would have charged her with murder by now. IT wasn’t there, they are trying so hard to charge her with murder so they now want to check the air. I personally think she sold the child or traded her off. That would explain why she was out partying and did not seem worried, she knew who had her. Now I dont think she will talk in fear of the person having her getting upset about being ratted out and hurting Caylee. As long as she calls it kidnapping then that covers her butt. JMO |
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| Leslie. Phoenix, AZ |
August 11th, 2008 11:01 pm ET I’m sorry but i don’t understand why anyone including her parents should believe Caycee Anthony. Her father said in the article about if his owed anyone moneyer . “possibility. It’s a possibility. I don’t know. Maybe she saw something somebody did and my granddaughter happened to be there, I wish there were other scenarios but I can’t be specific.” if she really saw something and was as good of mother as she being said that she is, she would tell the police. if she really wanted to keep her daughter safe from, whoever, than she would tell the police, or her parents There is something Caycee Anthony is hiding and i think it just may be her daughter i hope to god that little girl is still alive, for her grandparents sake, because they seem to be the only ones in that family that care. |
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| Lilibeth |
August 11th, 2008 11:02 pm ET Randi, I don’t want to speculate on what happened to Caylee; I just pray that she’s found soon. This case is bizarre on so many levels, but I still believe in miracles. Lilibeth |
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| Katrina |
August 11th, 2008 11:08 pm ET The grandparents are guilt-ridden with good cause for not protecting their baby grand daughter. Too Little - Too Late. |
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| Tirso |
August 11th, 2008 11:51 pm ET One thing comes to my mind about October 1994 when a mother accussed a black man took her car and her two babies. She cried for two weeks for her kids to be return. At the end it was all a lie. She drove her care in a lake and killed her own kids. Her name was Susan Smith. |
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| Justin |
August 12th, 2008 1:35 am ET I believe little Caylee is dead. I Don’t understand how people can do such cruel things to innocent/defenseless little kids. I hear they took air samples and DNA from the car and sent them in for testing if they come back positive they should throw the book at Casey. I also hear she denied the lie detector test. If she has nothing to hide then why not take the test? I hope they find her alive but I highly doubt it, the story just doesn’t add up. |
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| Pat |
August 12th, 2008 1:51 am ET Sadly Caylee is dead. Casey knows this and is a sociopath. She lies and would continue the lie even if you have all the proof in the world. Even if you saw her do it or had a camera and showed it to her she would lie or blame someone else. She would tell you somebody made her do it like she lies and blames Zenaida Gonzales. Listen to the way she talks to her mother. She has a threatening voice as if she is in charge, like her mother is the child. I think Casey’s mother sadly realizes Caylee is dead–she said the car smelled like a dead body–and figures she lost her granddaughter and does not want to loose her daughter as well. I feel sorry for the family, the brother, father, and Caseys mother. I would like to go to that jail and kick her (Casey’s) butt until she talks. I would volunteer and go in as an inmate and kick her butt. |
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| Farah |
August 12th, 2008 9:27 am ET I am convinced more than ever that something just terrible has happened to this beautiful little girl. It does sound very familiar to the Susan Smith case unfortunately. I just wish the grandparents would stop making the “stupid” comments about their daughter and granddaughter, i.e. Casey is protecting Caylee and her family, Casey can’t talk because she believes her family is in trouble, We believe everything Casey tell us!!! Give me a break. They know Casey is a pathological liar. This does not happen overnight, I am sure Casey has always been a liar. And probably this behavior by Cindy and George, protecting their daughter, has only made her lying worse. The only thing Casey is worried about, it seems, is her boyfriend and protecting herself. When all this is over, the grandparents are going to regret all the interviews they’ve had and all the completely crazy stuff they have said to the public. The best thing they could do right now is to keep looking for Caylee, and to keep their mouths shut! |
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