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Divers Searching For Caylee Find Bones, But Say It's Not Evidence

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WESH.com

Published: November 13, 2008

ORLANDO - Divers searching for a sign of Caylee Anthony on Thursday found a plastic bag with toys and small bones weighted down by bricks, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office plans a media briefing later this afternoon, but told WESH 2 News reporter Bob Kealing that the bag is of no value as evidence, and its lead investigator in the case left the scene.

Inside the bag were two toys and bones the size of fingers and toes, diver David Badalai told WESH 2 News. There also was a shamrock, which Padilla said was a favorite symbol of Casey Anthony.

The bag, Balalai said, was held underwater by two bricks.

Investigators haven't confirmed whether the bones are human or animal. Padilla and Badalai said the bag appeared to be underwater for some time on the muck at the river bottom.

The discovery came on the second day searchers scoured the Little Econlockhatchee River around Blanchard Park on Thursday for any sign of Caylee.

Casey Anthony, Caylee's mother, is in Orange County Jail awaiting trial on first-degree murder and other charges. Prosecutors suspect she had a hand in the death of her daughter, who has not been seen since June.

"We're going to keep going forward until the lead wears out," Padilla said.

Cindy Anthony, Caylee's grandmother, said her attitude is not changed by the discovery.

"Until I see someone comes to us with concrete evidence that this is Caylee, it's just another rollercoaster ride," said Anthony, who has been critical of Padilla in recent weeks over his visibility in the media and comments about his suspicions about Casey Anthony.

"This could just be another one of Leonard's antics," Anthony said.

The family has continued to say they will believe Caylee Anthony is alive until evidence proves them wrong.

The search was organized Padilla, who sent nearly 40 divers back into the water to search for the missing toddler. Thursday's search is much larger than Monday's.

Padilla said he focused on the park and river because a cross was found nearby that Padilla said contained decorative beads like those in Anthony's home.

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