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Deal Offered To Mother Of Missing Girl Expires

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The Associated Press

Published: September 3, 2008

MIAMI - 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 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.

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

Authorities said Monday that there had been a decomposing body in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car and investigators think Caylee is probably 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.

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She was released Aug. 21, but a bondsman rescinded her $500,000 bail after she was arrested last week on charges of check fraud and theft.

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.
Caylee was reported missing in July, about a month after she was last seen.

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