Investigators Wait For Crucial DNA Results In Case Of Missing 2-Year-Old
POSTED: 6:37 am EDT August 4, 2008
UPDATED: 10:42 am EDT August 4, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- It has been 20 days since 2-year-old Caylee Anthony was reported missing. Investigators expect to have results this week on crucial DNA evidence taken from Casey Anthony's car.
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TEAM COVERAGE: Caylee Anthony Timeline, Developments
VIGIL: Anthony Family Raising Money For Search
EVIDENCE REMOVED: See Images | Watch Raw Video
PIZZA THEORY: Eyewitness News Tests "Rotten Pizza Theory"
ARCHIVE: Read Previous Reports Related To Anthony Case
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Investigators said they found stain in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car, hair samples and a bad smell coming from the trunk. Police question if the stain is biological or not. That question is expected to be answered when the DNA test results from the stain come back this week.
Eyewitness News asked Caylee's grandfather George Anthony what he expected the results to be.
"They are going to be what they are going to be. I have no control over it, I don't know what they are. I don't believe they are going to find anything," George Anthony said.
George Anthony visited his daughter in the Orange County jail Sunday to try to get more answers about his granddaughter's disappearance. When he emerged from the emotional visit, he said he had learned nothing new. He did say that Casey had given her attorney a letter that possibly contained clues about Caylee's disappearance.
However, when Channel 9 talked to Casey Anthony's attorney, he said all of the talk about the letter is absurd. He said the letter doesn't exist and he never asked for one in the first place.
It is still unclear if Casey is writing letters to her family. Casey's father seemed frustrated and said he asked Casey tough questions. He also admitted his daughter has made mistakes. Still, George insists his granddaughter is alive. He's so confident she will return, he's planning a birthday party for Caylee in a few days.
George Anthony said publicly that he will not let himself think about the worst-case scenario. He stated that he cannot allow himself to become negative. George said that his last encounter with his daughter Casey was an emotionally charged 45-minute conversation.
Investigators also said that Casey's ex-fiancée changed the story he told about hearing Caylee's voice over the phone days after her mother says she disappeared. Jesse Grund made another statement to deputies. Sources close to the investigation said the ex-fiancée stated that he is not positive he heard little Caylee Anthony on a phone conversation he had with Casey on June 24.
Grund released a statement to Channel 9: "I could not testify 100% that I did hear her on that specific phone call. I still believe that I did hear her, but I can't separate this call with other calls I have had with Casey in the past. I definitely stand by what I said that I heard Casey scold Caylee to get off the table during that call on June 24th."
ANTHONY FAMILY TO HOLD WEEKLY VIGILS
The Anthony family is getting the help from their friends and complete strangers. The family said it will hold a candlelight vigil every Sunday night until the Caylee is found.
They were joined by dozens of supporters Sunday night. The driveway and the front yard was filled with family members and strangers. The family encouraged them to keep searching for Caylee and lashed out at anyone who believes she's dead.
"I'm telling everybody, get off your a** and look for my granddaughter," said Cindy Anthony, Caylee's grandmother.
Cindy Anthony is growing frustrated. She told a crowd of about 100 supporters at a vigil that the search for her 2-year-old granddaughter is tiring and admitted the negative media attention is starting to wear on her.
"I'm not going to let it suck me dry. Don't get caught up in all this stuff because the truth will come out," Cindy said.
The crowds at the vigils continue to grow. Everyone in front of the Anthony home on Sunday lit a candle for little Caylee. Volunteers handed out new purple bracelets that promote the website set up to find the toddler.
"She's just a precious little angel that needs support from all around," said supporter Shelli Khare.
Many of the people cried for the Anthony family because they have children of their own. They prayed little Caylee will return home soon.
"It's been longer now, starting to get a little more scary," said supporter Stephanie Davis.
STOLEN GAS CANS MAY BE UNRELATED
Friday, investigators went to the Anthony family home and removed gas cans. The cans were reported stolen in late June around the time Caylee may have disappeared. George Anthony said the cans were taken by a neighbor, but admits his daughter had stolen gas from his home in the past.
Sources close to the investigation said they don't believe the cans were used to burn or destroy evidence, but investigators do want to test the cans to see if they were near Caylee before she disappeared.
"We're passing information on that we get," said George Anthony. "What they do with it, I have no control over."
Anthony also reacted to a recent People Magazine article he believes took a negative view of his family.
"We've gotten blindsided," he said. "My wife and I cried when we read that article. What they told us of how it was going to be put together was totally different."
GROUP HELPS TO RAISE FUNDS
George Anthony appeared at a Publix shopping center Saturday to help pass out fliers with his granddaughter's picture on them. He said he plans on Monday to have a giant moving billboard with her image near where a car involved in the case was found a few weeks ago.
Anthony choked back tears Friday night as he looked out on a crowd of friends and strangers, leaving it to his son to explain what the family is feeling.
"Frankly, every day is as hard as the first day," said Lee Anthony.
Carole Bernhardt understands. Eight years ago, someone snatched her then 8-year-old grandson Zachary from his bed in Clearwater while his family was sleeping.
"Everybody says, and they're wrong if they say it, 'We know how you feel,'" said Bernhardt.
She met the Anthonys for the first time and immediately connected with fellow grandmother Cindy Anthony.
"As soon as she looked at me she hugged me and said, 'Thank God you're here. You understand,'" said Bernhardt.
"They've had a child missing for eight years," said Cindy Anthony. "I don't know if I can go that long"
Both families have turned to the Kid Finder Network, a company Sheri Milstead and her husband founded to keep missing children in the public eye. It's already helped design and donate more than 60,000 fliers, almost a thousand T-shirts and several massive billboards with Caylee Anthony's photography.
And while the Milsteads say they've never experienced the loss of a child, they were touched by the high profile disappearance of Trenton Duckett two years ago in Lake County. They started their company after seeing that case.
