At Casey Anthony’s bond hearing Tuesday Judge Stan Strickland set her bond at $500,000 as well as having a GPS device attached in case her family is able to post the bond. When handing down the verdict Strickland said, “I have some problems with the fact that her conduct hasn’t changed. She hasn’t been any help in this investigation a bit.”

Caylee Anthony was reported missing last week when her mother claims to have dropped her off with a babysitter only to find no one there when she returned to pick her up later on June 9. Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony was arrested July 16 and charged with child neglect and criminal obstruction for allegedly lying to detectives and her mother thought authorities made a huge mistake by arresting her so quickly.

Casey’s parents and her brother testified in her defense at the hearing. Casey’s attorney was asking for the bond to be set for $10,000 based on the charges she is being held on but the judge refused because of the circumstances surrounding the case.

Casey’s Mother, Cindy Anthony was first to take the witness stand. She started crying when she saw her daughter. It was the first time since she had been arrested. She was asked when the last time she saw her granddaughter was. She stated for a long time she thought it was on June 9 but after she saw a video of Caylee reading a book she realized it was June 15.

She said she thinks she knows why her daughter is not telling authorities the whole truth about Caylee’s disappearance. “I know Casey as a person. I know what she is as a mother,” Cindy said. “I know there is only one or two reasons why Casey would be withholding something about Caylee, and I believe that it’s something someone is holding over her, and threatening her in some way.” Cindy Anthony stated in court yesterday, “I don’t sleep, so I don’t know what day it is. It’s all one day. I am prepared to do anything I can to find Caylee.”

Next on the stand was Casey’s brother, Lee Alexander Anthony. He testified that he begged his mother not to make the call to the police reporting Caylee missing until he could talk to his sister to get her to confide in him what she knew.. He said before the authorities were called Casey told him and their mother that she knew where Caylee was and would take them to her the next morning. He said the few short moments he had alone with his sister she told him, “I have not seen my daughter in 31 days.”

Three members of the Anthony family, her mother Cindy, her father George and her brother Lee all agreed on the stand that is Casey were to be released she would be more likely to help assist in the investigation. “We can confide in each other on a level that we don’t feel obligated to share with anybody else,” Lee Anthony said. “We can tell each other things that we wouldn’t feel comfortable telling even the rest of the family.”

Judge Strickland thinks Casey has an ulterior motive for keeping quiet. “She’s using her silence as leverage to get out of jail.” He said during the hearing. “And if she gets out, who knows anyway.”

Detective Corp. Yuri Melich of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said when they searched Casey’s car there was a very bad odor in the car. They say they found what they believe to be traces of Caylee’s hair, saying it appeared to be the length and color of Caylee’s hair and some dirt in the trunk of the car. They said the foul odor was mostly from the trunk but they haven’t been able to determine what it is from. “Briefly, just before I came into the Child Abuse Division I was a homicide detective for two year with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and in my experience the smell that I smelled in that car was the smell of decomposition,” said Melich. He said they are trying to find out what the source of the odor is. Melich also said, “They also found a stain in the trunk of the car that came under blacklight that is questionable.

Melich said that they have been receiving several tips from witnesses. One was from a hairdresser stating that Caylee had bruises and marks on her as well as a photo from another witness showing Caylee with a cut under one of her eyes. Another witness claims while on the phone with Casey on June 24th or 25th he heard Caylee in the background. He said he recalled during his conversation Casey telling Caylee to get down from the table.

Now this is just my opinion but they keep saying if Casey was released from jail she could help them find her daughter but it seems to me that as a mother she wouldn’t care where she is, she would be helping authorities as much as she can. Why hold back what she might know just because she is in jail. If it could result in finding her daughter, why not tell now and then she can be proven innocent IF that is the case.

Too much of this story just seems too mysterious to me. It seems this family knows much more than what they are telling the public. I just hope it isn’t at little Caylee’s expense. I pray they find her alive and well.

Jan Barrett

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