Caylee Anthony's Family Spokesman Resigns, Citing 'Erratic Behavior'

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A man hired to be the spokesman for the family of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony has quit the job, citing their “erratic behavior.”

Larry Garrison was retained in August to speak to the media on behalf of the Anthonys. He resigned Wednesday, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

“Due to the erratic behavior over the last several months exhibited by the Anthony family, Larry Garrison is resigning as their spokesperson,” he said in a prepared statement.

“It is my opinion that others have manipulated them into situations that would not dignify the family. I can no longer be part of that behavior. I wish them all the peace and resolution they so deserve. The truth always comes out in the end, and in this case, ‘The truth is better than the spin.’ ”

The 3-year-old girl has been missing since mid-June and is believed to be dead. Her mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, is behind bars and charged with her murder.

Earlier this week, two groups of volunteers looking for signs of the child called off their searches, and a bounty hunter who led one said it was time to let Caylee rest in peace.

Texas EquuSearch and bounty hunter Leonard Padilla suspended their operations after several days of unsuccessful searches for the toddler.

Padilla believes that Caylee’s body was dumped in the Little Econ River in Orlando, the focus of his search with a dive team Monday at J. Blanchard Park, MyFOXOrlando.com reported.

Over the weekend, Texas EquuSearch led more than 1,000 volunteers around Orange County, hoping to find the little girl in wooded areas.

People gathered at J. Blanchard Park Tuesday for a prayer service for the missing toddler led by Casey’s ex-fiance Richard Grund. Two women hung up a sign that said “R.I.P. Caylee” and Padilla told MyFOXOrlando.com that it was time to say goodbye to the toddler.

The little girl’s grandparents were angered by the service. Cindy and George Anthony hope that Caylee still alive.

Casey Anthony has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to investigators about the disappearance of her daughter.

She didn’t report Caylee missing until July. The toddler disappeared two months shy of her third birthday.

Forensic tests released last month confirmed that hair found in the trunk of Anthony’s Pontiac Sunfire came from a decomposing body. DNA evidence suggests a corpse had been in the car’s trunk.

Anthony said she left Caylee with a baby sitter, but police contend that’s a lie. The little girl has not been found. Authorities say she was killed.

Offer to mother of missing Fla. girl expires

By SARAH LARIMER – September 2, 2008

MIAMI (AP) — The mother of a missing toddler did not respond by Tuesday to an offer that would have given her some protection from prosecution if she told investigators what she knows about her daughter’s disappearance.

Officials say 3-year-old Caylee Anthony is probably dead. Her mother, Casey Anthony, missed a 9 a.m. deadline to respond to an offer of limited immunity, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said.

Under the offer, prosecutors could not have used Anthony’s statements against her, but they could have used any evidence found as a result.

The decision capped a weekend of twists in the search for Caylee, who hasn’t been seen since June. Her mother did not report her missing until July.

A spokeswoman for Anthony’s attorney, Jose Baez, declined comment.

“We really don’t want to discuss our conversations with the state attorney’s office and law enforcement,” Christina Baez said. “We feel no need to try out case in the media. we’re not going to discuss that.”

Authorities said Monday there was a decomposing body in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car and investigators believe there is a “strong probability” that Caylee is dead.

“We’re still holding out hope, of course, unfortunately as time goes on and more evidence presents itself, it seems to indicate something else,” Carlos Padilla, a spokesman for the Orange County sheriff’s office, said Tuesday. “But we still have our hopes up that maybe this will turn out differently.”

Anthony, 22, faces charges of child neglect, making false statements and obstructing the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.

She was released Aug. 21, but a bondsman rescinded her $500,000 bail after she was arrested again last week on charges of check fraud and theft.

Investigators believe she used a friend’s checkbook to buy items at Target and Winn-Dixie, and to write a check for cash in July.

This weekend, central Florida residents continued to search for Caylee. More than 200 people combed an area near Orlando International Airport, looking for clues about the child’s disappearance. Anthony family spokesman Larry Garrison said Casey Anthony’s mother, Cindy, remains hopeful the girl will be found.

“As far as Cindy Anthony is concerned, we are looking for Caylee alive,” he said.

Caylee Anthony was reported missing in July, about a month after she was last seen. Casey Anthony told investigators she didn’t immediately call authorities to report Caylee missing because she was conducting her own investigation, according to an affidavit. But authorities say she has shown no remorse or concern for Caylee under questioning.

“She continues to hold the key to this case,” Padilla said.
 

Missing tot’s grandmother clings to hope
she’s alive
Cindy Anthony says police should be searching instead of
building a case

By Bob Considine
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 9:48 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2008

Even as evidence mounts that Florida toddler Caylee Anthony is dead, her grandmother insisted Tuesday that the 3-year-old is alive and that the child’s mother is only guilty of poor judgment and lying.

“I believe Caylee is with someone that [her mother] Casey had trusted,” Cindy Anthony told TODAY co-host Matt Lauer on Tuesday. “And I believe that Casey has been, you know, betrayed.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s going to take the average citizen to bring Caylee back home to me alive, and not the authorities.”

Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Allen said Sunday that Caylee’s decomposing body was likely in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car.

Casey Anthony, 22, was released on bail on Aug. 21, but was rearrested on Friday for charges unrelated to Caylee’s disappearance.

Prosecutors have reportedly offered Casey Anthony, who they are labeling as a “person of interest,” limited immunity in exchange for cooperation in finding the child’s remains, a deal that was set to expire today at 9 a.m.

However, family spokesman Larry Garrison said he has “not heard of any such deal.”

“Again, this goes to false information in the media and the spin that has been put on this case,” Garrison said.

Timeline of trouble
Caylee Anthony was last seen in mid-June and was reported missing to authorities on July 15.

Cindy Anthony had called 911 and said she had not seen her granddaughter in several days and that her daughter Casey’s car trunk smelled like a dead body.

She would later rescind the comment, claiming the smell to be from an old pizza and other trash in the trunk of the automobile.

Casey Anthony has only told investigators that she dropped her daughter off with a baby sitter and went to work. But detectives quickly said those claims were not true.

At a July hearing, detectives also said Casey Anthony’s trunk contained hair samples appearing to belong to Caylee and also a suspicious stain that glowed under black light. They also said the car smelled strongly of human decomposition.

Allen told various media outlets on Sunday that there is a strong probability that Caylee Anthony is dead, based on FBI lab results from the findings in the trunk and “additional evidence that has not been made public.”

“My reaction is that John Allen is speaking out of context,” Cindy Anthony told Lauer. “I believe that because I’m still getting phone calls of people who have seen Caylee and they’re frustrated because the authorities aren’t investigating.”

But authorities say the investigation is ongoing. Orange County detectives have directed search teams to a wooded area near where Casey Anthony abandoned her car.

At the same time, on Sunday some 150 volunteers helped Texas EquuSearch try to find other evidence related to Caylee’s disappearance. Texas EquuSearch is an organization that uses computer mapping and other technologies to establish evidence of missing persons.

“I’m getting phone calls from people saying why they’re not out looking in the woods —because they don’t believe Caylee is out there,” Cindy Anthony said. “They believe Caylee is alive and Caylee is with somebody, so that’s my reassurance.”

New charges
Investigators took Casey Anthony back into custody on Friday night on charges of fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft.

She is accused of stealing more than $600 from a friend, taking a checkbook from that friend’s car in July, before her first arrest.

As Casey Anthony was drawn from her house by police, wearing a shirt bearing her daughter’s face and asking “Have you seen me?,” she was met by protesters calling her “baby killer.”

Garrison told Lauer he is fearful for the safety of Caylee and Cindy Anthony because of the anger of some protesters.

“First and foremost, the spin has gotten out of control,” he said.

“I’m not confident that the police are going to come and help them out. I really am not. They have not before, and all I can say, there are a lot of people out there that believe [Caylee] is still alive.”

Orange County officials say more charges unrelated to Caylee’s disappearance are in store for Casey Anthony.

Her attorney, Jose Baez, told reporters over the weekend: “This is nothing more than an attempt by law enforcement to play mind games with my client. They leaked the arrest to the media and deliberately avoided telling me so she could turn herself in in a dignified fashion. They clearly wanted the media to capture my client in the worst possible light.”
 

Caylee Anthony’s Mom May Return to Jail
Bounty Hunter Says He Will Take Steps to Revoke Bond for Casey Anthony
By SCOTT MICHELS
Aug. 28, 2008

A bounty hunter who arranged the release of Casey Anthony, the mother of missing toddler Caylee Anthony, said today he plans to take steps to revoke her bond and now believes she was involved in her daughter’s death.

Leonard Padilla said he would ask his associates to withdraw Anthony’s $500,000 bail. That could force Anthony to return to jail, unless she can find another way to post bond. Padilla told ABC News he expected her to be returned to jail by Saturday at the earliest.

He also said that, in light of preliminary air sample tests that reportedly show a decomposing body was in Anthony’s trunk, he now believes that Anthony accidentally killed her daughter, who has been missing since mid-June.

“I think it was an accident,” he said. “Her friends called and said she wouldn’t have harmed her, but if she did, she would have freaked.”

Padilla, a self-styled celebrity bounty hunter, a few weeks ago offered to bail 22-year-old Anthony out of jail, saying that he thought he could convince her to cooperate in the search for Caylee. Padilla has said Anthony has not cooperated since her release.

A law enforcement source confirmed to ABC News that air sample tests taken from Anthony’s trunk allegedly revealed evidence of human decomposition. The results were first reported Wednesday.

Anthony also claimed to work for an Orlando theme park, but investigators say she had not worked there in months. 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.”

Also this week, the sheriff’s department confirmed that a sheriff’s deputy had been fired for reportedly lying about his relationship with Anthony.

Anthony Rusciano was fired Aug. 22 after investigators found evidence on Casey Anthony’s computer that the two had a relationship. A department spokesman would not comment on the nature of their association, but said it went “beyond a casual relationship.”

Earlier, Rusciano reportedly had denied the relationship, saying he had only met Anthony briefly at a party, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Department memo.

A department spokesman said investigators do not think Rusciano is involved in Caylee’s disappearance.

ORLANDO, Fla. 8/23/08 (AP) - A spokesman for the mother of a missing Orlando girl says she’s trying to help find the toddler after getting out of jail.

Larry Garrison said Saturday that Casey Anthony has been discussing the case with her attorney, but not members of her family.

Casey Anthony’s parents are upset with continued media coverage focusing on the woman’s possible role in 3-year-old Caylee Anthony’s disappearance. It has been a circus outside the Anthony’s home since she was able to post a $500,000 bond and get out of jail Thursday.

The missing girl’s grandmother says the frenzy affects the family.

The 22-year-old mother is confined with an electronic ankle device to the home. She faces charges of child neglect, making false statements and obstructing the investigation.

Mom of missing Fla. girl released on
$500,000 bail

August 21, 2008 04:41 PM EST | AP

ORLANDO, Fla. — The mother of a missing toddler was released from jail on $500,000 bail Thursday and returned to her parents’ home, where authorities will monitor her with an electronic ankle device.

Casey Anthony, 22, said nothing as she left the Orange County jail Thursday. She faces charges of child neglect, making false statements and obstructing an investigation into the disappearance of 3-year-old Caylee, who has been missing since June.

Police say Casey Anthony lied to them and didn’t report Caylee missing for more than a month. Caylee’s grandmother reported her disappearance in July.

Anthony’s attorney, Jose Baez, escorted her out of the jail under a black umbrella amid a throng of reporters. He scuffled with a journalist, pushing him out of the way.

Baez said Anthony whispered into his ear on her way out, “I’m innocent. I’m going to walk out of this place with my head held high.”

Anthony, who had been jailed since mid-July, arrived several minutes later at her parents’ home. She was driven straight into a garage, which was quickly closed so camera crews and reporters waiting outside could not see her. She did not emerge from the house to comment.

“Right now the family is in there hugging and enjoying time as a family together,” Baez said outside. “There’s a lot of tears, a lot of emotion.”

Anthony was also arraigned Thursday, but did not attend the hearing. A written plea of not guilty was entered, according to court documents. A pretrial hearing was set for Nov. 5 and a trial for Nov. 17.

“The most important thing is that Casey is home and her parents are very grateful,” family spokesman Larry Garrison said by phone Thursday. “Now we are asking the public to please help us find Caylee. Now more than ever, we are convinced that she was kidnapped.”

A group from a California bail bonds company helped a Clearwater bondsman post bail, saying Anthony might be more likely to talk about her daughter’s disappearance if released from jail.

Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla said a member of his team is staying with the family and predicted they will find Caylee within a week. There is a $225,000 reward for her return.

Anthony told investigators she left Caylee in an apartment with a nanny June 9. But investigators say the apartment had been empty for several months.

She told detectives she didn’t immediately call authorities to report Caylee missing because she was conducting her own investigation, according to an affidavit.

But authorities say Anthony, a single mother, has shown no remorse or concern for Caylee under questioning. Cadaver-sniffing dogs detected a scent in her car, and hair, dirt and a strange stain were found in the trunk. Investigators are still awaiting FBI tests on that evidence.

A neighbor told detectives Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel some time in June. Her father said she had stolen two gas cans from the garage and refused to let him get something from the trunk of her car. A boyfriend said she never told him in June that Caylee was missing.

Missing Florida Tot’s Mom Out on Bail

By SARAH LARIMER

posted: 2008-08-20 18:49:53

ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 21) - The mother of a missing central Florida toddler was released from jail on $500,000 bail Thursday and returned to her parents’ home, where authorities will monitor her with an electronic ankle device.

Casey Anthony, 22, said nothing as she left the Orange County jail Thursday. She faces charges of child neglect, making false statements and obstructing an investigation in the disappearance of 3-year-old Caylee, who has been missing since June.

Questions Swirl Over Missing Tot

Casey Anthony, the mother of a missing Florida toddler, was released from jail Thursday -- even as police report no new leads in the baffling case. Casey Anthony didn’t report her daughter, Caylee Anthony, missing for more than a month. Here, she’s escorted out of Florida’s Orange County Jail by her attorney.

Police say Casey Anthony lied to them and didn’t report Caylee missing for more than a month. Caylee’s grandmother reported her disappearance in July.

Anthony’s attorney, Jose Baez, escorted her out of the jail under a black umbrella amid a throng of reporters. He got into a scuffle with a journalist, pushing him out of the way.

Baez said Anthony whispered into his ear on her way out, “I’m innocent. I’m going to walk out of this place with my head held high.”

Anthony, who had been jailed since mid-July, arrived several minutes later at her parents’ home, where she was fitted for an electronic monitoring device that plugs into her home phone.

“Right now the family is in there hugging and enjoying time as a family together,” Baez said outside the home. “There’s a lot of tears, a lot of emotion.”

Anthony was also arraigned Thursday, but did not attend the hearing. A written plea of not guilty was entered, according to court documents.

“The most important thing is that Casey is home and her parents are very grateful,” family spokesman Larry Garrison said by phone Thursday. “Now we are asking the public to please help us find Caylee. Now more than ever, we are convinced that she was kidnapped.”

A group from a California bail bonds company flew to Florida on Sunday to help Clearwater-based bondsman Albert Estes post the bond. They said they believe Anthony might be more likely to talk about her daughter’s disappearance if released from jail.

Anthony told investigators she left Caylee in an apartment with a nanny June 9. But investigators say the apartment had been empty for several months.

She told detectives she didn’t immediately call authorities to report Caylee missing because she was conducting her own investigation, according to an affidavit.

But authorities say Anthony, a single mother, has shown no remorse or concern for Caylee under questioning. Cadaver-sniffing dogs detected a scent in her car, and hair, dirt and a strange stain were found in the trunk. Investigators are still awaiting FBI tests on that evidence.

A neighbor told detectives Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel some time in June. Her father said she had stolen two gas cans from the garage and refused to let him get something from the trunk of her car. A boyfriend said she never told him in June that Caylee was missing.

2008-08-20 18:49:53

Caylee Anthony’s mother set to bond out of jail?

Sarah Lundy and Bianca Prieto | Sentinel Staff Writers
9:59 AM EDT, August 16, 2008

The mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony may be out of jail in a few days.

A California bondsman is flying to Orlando on Sunday with the sole purpose of putting up the money to secure Casey Anthony’s release. That means Anthony could be freed from the Orange County Jail as early as Monday afternoon or Tuesday.

Anthony, 22, has been held on charges of child neglect and filing a false report since July 16. Investigators have characterized the single mom as a “person of interest” in Caylee’s disappearance, which was reported in July -- a month after the toddler was last seen.

On Saturday morning, Anthony declined a scheduled video visitation with her brother Lee Anthony, according to Allen Moore, a spokesman for the Orange County Jail. Moore said that Casey Anthony told the on-duty corporal at the jail that she refused the visit on the advice of counsel.

Anthony’s lawyer has been unsuccessful in trying to win reduction of her bail, which a judge set at $500,200.

A group from Tony Padilla Bail Bonds, based in Sacramento, Calif., is scheduled to arrive at Orlando International Airport at 4 p.m. Sunday, said Leonard Padilla, a bounty hunter and Tony Padilla’s uncle. Leonard Padilla has been a perpetual candidate for public office in California. He ran in 2006 for Sacramento County supervisor and has run several times for Sacramento mayor -- most recently in June, when he was defeated in the primary. In 2005, he announced a bid for a congressional seat. And he was among the many candidates vying to replace recalled Gov. Gray Davis in 2003.

The bail-bond company is affiliated with Texas-based Financial Surety, which is licensed in Florida -- making it legal for the West Coast company to put up funds for Anthony’s release.

Anthony’s lead attorney, Jos Baez, and a third party contacted the company about arranging a bond, Padilla said. Baez could not be reached for comment Friday.

Padilla said he thinks Caylee is alive and that Anthony is not a flight risk.

When released, Anthony will be confined to her home and must wear an electronic monitor on her ankle that will alert authorities if she leaves an approved area or tampers with the device.

If she flees, the bondsman could lose the $500,200.

The Padilla family has been in the bail-bond business for three decades and has handled several high-profile cases. It’s not unusual for the company to travel far to post bond, Leonard Padilla said.

Anthony’s attorneys tried twice but failed to get the court to lower the bail so her family could afford to get her out. They were not able to come up with the 10 percent fee wanted by local bondsmen.

Leonard Padilla said he would not discuss the financial arrangements.

News of Casey Anthony’s possible release came the same day that her family acquired a spokesman. Larry Garrison, who is based in Los Angeles, said he will handle media inquiries for the family. “They will not be speaking publicly anymore,” he said by phone Friday.

Garrison is a film and television producer, journalist and actor. He is an author of Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise, about the 2005 disappearance of an Alabama teenager.

He also represented the family of John Mark Karr, the man who falsely admitted to killing Colorado 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey.

Garrison said he has been watching the Caylee Anthony coverage and reached out to the family when he saw the “spin” happening in the media.

“I have never seen a case so blown out of proportion,” he said.

Casey Anthony has told investigators she left the child with a baby sitter, who cannot be found. Media coverage inferring that Caylee might be dead kept at least two people who claim to have seen Caylee alive from alerting authorities, Garrison said.

“That’s just a shame,” he said. His goal, he said, is to get the public to focus on the search for Caylee. He said he’s not getting paid for his work.

“This is not about a movie or a book,” Garrison said. “I’m trying to help get these people their life back.”

Willoughby Mariano, Susan Jacobson, and Helen Eckinger of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.