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State Won't Seek Death Penalty For Orlando Tot's Mom

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The Associated Press

Published: December 5, 2008

Updated: 12/05/2008 07:28 pm

ORLANDO - Prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty for a central Florida woman charged with killing her 3-year-old daughter.

The Orange County State Attorney's Office said in a news release late today that "it is not in the best interest of the people of the state of Florida" to pursue the death penalty against 22-year-old Casey Anthony.

The statement by assistant prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick gave no further information on the decision. E-mails to a court spokesman were not immediately returned.

Anthony has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to investigators about the disappearance of her daughter. She faces life in prison if convicted.

Caylee Anthony was last seen in June but her mother did not report her missing until July. The child's grandmother first called authorities in July to say she hadn't seen Caylee for a month and her daughter's car smelled like death.

The toddler has not been found.

Last week the state turned over almost 800 pages of documents, which showed someone at the Anthony home had done Internet searches for terms like "neck breaking" and "household weapons."

In mid-March, someone used the Anthonys' home laptop to search Google and Wikipedia for peroxide, shovels, acetone, alcohol and chloroform. Traces of chloroform, which is used to induce unconsciousness and also a component of human decomposition, were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car during forensic testing, the documents say.

Orange County jail officials on Thursday released several hours of videotapes of visits between Casey Anthony and her family from July and August, when she was arrested on neglect and other counts but before she was charged with first-degree murder.

During the taped visits, Anthony's parents tell her they're trying hard to find the little girl. Anthony does not appear to add information to aid that search beyond her account that a baby sitter took the girl.

Earlier this month a circuit judge denied the state's request for a far-reaching gag order that would have not only included prosecution and defense attorneys, but law enforcement officials and Casey Anthony's parents, Cindy and George. The Anthonys remain adamant that Caylee will be found alive.

Anthony told authorities she had left her daughter with a baby sitter June 16 and the two were gone when she returned from work. Documents traced the unsuccessful efforts of investigators to find the woman.

Anthony says she spent the next month trying to find her daughter and didn't call authorities because she was scared. Investigators say they have poked several holes in her story.

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