ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Investigators removed the remains of a young child from a site less than half a mile from the home of Casey Anthony's parents' east Orange County home. Casey's attorney spoke to the media Wednesday night but didn't offer a lot of insight into the case (watch Baez speak).

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REACTION: Sheriff Beary | Leonard Padilla | Tim Miller | Legal Analyst | Forensics Expert
AT SCENE: Ground Images | Aerial Images | Raw Aerial Video

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After several hours of combing over the scene, detectives loaded the remains in a white medical examiner's van and took them away.

About 9:30am, an Orange County water meter reader, who had gone into the woods to relieve himself, discovered a bag about 20 to 30 feet off the sidewalk in the area of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive (see map), around three-tenths of a mile from the Anthonys' home (map from location to Anthonys' home).

According to information obtained by Eyewitness News, when the meter reader kicked or picked up the bag, a skull fell out. The Orange County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the remains are from a young child. Investigative sources told Eyewitness News there may have been more in the bag than just a skull but they wouldn't elaborate.

"We are assuming they are the remains of a victim," said Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Solomons.

It is not known whether the remains are those of Caylee Anthony.

Deputies set up a perimeter near a small retention pond. Heavy rain pounded the scene, making the investigation more difficult. FBI agents and agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were also on the scene.

Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said the area had been underwater during previous searches, so it was not surprising the remains hadn't been found before (watch Beary press conference). Equusearch founder Tim Miller, who heads up a group that searches for bodies, said his volunteers had searched the area before but that it was full of water and an ATV had stirred up mud and muck and made visibility poor.

When asked if the remains could be those of any other child, Beary responded, "Not that we know of."

Eyewitness News reporter Kathi Belich said sources told her they were taking this very seriously and would expedite DNA tests to determine if the remains were indeed Caylee's. Investigators told her they were "very optimistic" they had found the missing girl. Beary said the FBI had told him experts at its lab in Quantico, Va. would work through the weekend on the case if necessary.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, has been charged with murder in connection with the case. She is currently in the Orange County jail.

"She met with a corrections officer psychologist, and was reviewed and placed on psychological observation. However, that is not suicide watch," said jail spokesman Allen Moore.

Casey has been visited by her attorney, Jose Baez.. (Baez At Jail: Raw Video | See Images). Wednesday night he spoke to reporters.

"I realize the circumstances as they are would lead most people to believe these are Caylee’s remains. But people have been wrong before," said Baez. He said Casey was upset at the news of the discovery and had asked for a sedatve. But he wouldn't go any further. "I’m not ready to disclose any kind of communications I had with my client," he said.

Baez has filed an emergency motion (read motion) for a court hearing at 11:30am Friday morning. He wants to be present for any forensic testing on the remains.

ANTHONYS RETURN TO ORLANDO

George and Cindy Anthony, Casey's parents and Caylee's grandparents, flew back to Orlando from California after appearing on Larry King Live, Wednesday night. On the program they continued to defend their daughter.

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PLANE PASSENGER TALKS: Watch Raw Interview
RAW VIDEO: George And Cindy On Larry King Live
VIDEO REPORT: Parents Defend Casey On TV

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Passengers who were on the flight said the Anthonys were calm and wore their "Find Caylee" t-shirts. They were met by deputies at the gate and whisked away.

The couple did not immediately return to their home. Sheriff's office sources said they were taken to a hotel while a search warrant was served on their home. The home was considered a crime scene until investigators finished looking for evidence. The scoured the home late into Thursday night, looking for evidence.

Orange County deputies moved to secure the Anthony home after the discovery, Thursday. The home had been the site of many protests and on-looker gatherings throughout the course of investigation into Caylee's disappearance.

Neighbors and others began showing up at the house around 11:00am.

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CHAOS OUTSIDE HOUSE: Raw Video | See Images

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"It's unbelievable," said neighbor Nephtali Rivera. "I'm just looking at the distance from the house and the distance where they found the remains. So close."

EXPERTS REACT

Dr. Michael Baden, a forensics expert, said DNA tests would likely confirm what other evidence at the scene would tell investigators (watch Baden interview). For example, detectives said there was duct tape on the bag and the skull that were found. Baden said detectives would be able to match that tape and bag to other tape and bags they had previously gathered from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car.

"They can tell the age and height of the child. They'll have a good sense of if it's Caylee. The DNA will just confirm the evidence," Baden said.

Tim Miller, founder of the Texas-based search group Equusearch, said he had been called by law enforcement officials and told they believed they had found Caylee Anthony (watch Miller interview).

"The words were, 'Tim, it looks like we got her,'" said Miller. "I'm surprised. It was one of them cases I thought would have never been found ... I thought the best thing that would ever happen is that one day we could go to a funeral and say good-bye to this little girl ... and it looks like that will happen."

"I'm just overcome with emotion and grief right now," bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who has been a major part of search efforts to find Caylee's remains, told Eyewitness News shortly after the discovery was made (watch Padilla interview).

TRIAL POSTPONED, DEATH PENALTY ISSUE RAISED

During a Thursday morning pre-trial hearing in the case against Casey Anthony, the judge postponed her trial until sometime in March per attorney Jose Baez's request.

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PRE-TRIAL HEARING: See Images | Raw Video

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The judge set another pre-trial status hearing for January 15 at 9:00am, but did not specify when in March the trial would start.

Eyewitness News legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said Thursday's discovery would change everything.

"This won't go to trial in March," said Sheaffer.

Sheaffer also addressed a recent decision by the State Attorney's office that it would not seek the death penalty in the case.

"The forensics that are going to be performed are going to answer a lot of questions [in terms of prosecutors asking for the death penalty]," said Sheaffer. "This is obviously a major setback to the defense."

But Sheaffer added that in order to go for the death penalty, the State likely would have to show there was a deliberate act of violence toward Caylee and he didn't think that would happen. Thursday afternoon, a representative from the State Attorney's office said there had been no change in their plans.

Ironically, Baez had waived Casey's right to a speedy trial at the Thursday hearing. That now paves the way for the State to take as much time as it needs to put together its case.

Baez also told the judge he planned to file for a change of venue.

Casey Anthony did not attend Thursday's hearing.