WFTV.com News 

Story

Motion: Kronk Could Have Killed Caylee Anthony

Posted: 7:05 pm EST November 19, 2009Updated: 10:50 pm EST November 20, 2009

Lawyers for Casey Anthony filed a motion (read motion) late Thursday that named the man who found Caylee Anthony's remains as a possible suspect in her death. Shortly after former meter reader Roy Kronk answered questions in a deposition on Thursday, Casey's defense filed the motion pointing the finger at Kronk.

Two of Casey Anthony’s lawyers appeared on national TV Friday morning to point the finger at the new 'suspect.' They said there is as much circumstantial evidence implicating Kronk as there is against their client.


RAW VIDEO: Roy Kronk's Son
KRONK'S EX-WIVES: Video | Images
READ: Motion, Kronk As Suspect | Memo Supporting Motion
BILL SHEAFFER: Comments On Baez Motion
RAW VIDEO: Kronk's Son Deposition
VIDEO REPORT: Casey's Attorneys On TV

"I haven't done anything wrong and I've maintained that the whole time," Kronk said after Thursday's deposition.

Casey's defense team claims they have a lot of reason to believe Kronk was involved. Their thoughts are based on interviews they did with Roy Kronk's ex-wives and girlfriends.

“I need you like now. I just found a human skull," Kronk said in the 911 call that led to finding Caylee's remains.

Nearly everyone, including the State Attorney's Office praised Roy Kronk when he found Caylee Anthony's remains, including her skull, in a wooded area on December 11, but the former Orange County meter reader is being picked apart by Casey Anthony's legal team, headed by attorney Jose Baez.

“They're doing what they’re expected to do. That is them trying to defend their client," Kronk’s attorney David Evans said.

Investigators cleared Kronk and said they don't believe he has anything to do with Caylee’s horrific death. But in a motion filed Thursday, Casey's attorneys claim Kronk is “equally as likely to be responsible for the death of the child."

"It is the nature of criminal defense to attempt to find someone to blame for a crime other than the person charged. Mr. Kronk has understood from the beginning that the defense might attempt to cast suspicions in his direction--because that's what defense attorneys do. In their zeal to defend Casey Anthony, defense counsel has filed papers with the Court that are filled with allegations that have no basis in fact and falsely accuse Mr. Kronk of various types of bad behavior," Kronk's attorney, David Evans, said in a press released Thursday evening. "As for Mr. Kronk, he vehemently denies the allegations against him and is confident that he will be vindicated. In the meantime, as he stated early on in this case, no good deed goes unpunished."

Also, in a surprise move, they showed off the interviews they did with Kronk's ex-wives.

Jill Kerley said he beat her in 1992 and tied her up with duct tape. That's crucial, because duct tape was used to cover Caylee's mouth when she was murdered.

"He told me if I moved he would beat me," Kerley stated. "Roy talks so many untruths. When he does talk the truth, you just can't believe it."

WFTV legal expert Bill Scheaffer called it a low blow by Baez, who he says appears lost in his own case.

"The defense has continued to have a suspect de jour other than Casey Anthony," said Scheaffer. "This is beyond a pathetic attempt. This is a despicable act on the part of the defense in this case."

In other words, Baez and Anthony are walking a fine line with the accusations. So far, the defense has not spoken publicly about the bizarre turn of events.

There are allegations of Kronk's possible inappropriate behavior with young girls, stemming from an interview with the 23-year-old daughter of one of Kronk's ex-girlfriends who had married at the age of 15.

“Police should have investigated him as a suspect. There were so many red flags. It was a sea of red,” Casey’s attorney Andrea Lyon said.

Prosecutors have not talked publicly about the motions, but they have never called Kronk a suspect in the case and have maintained that Casey is responsible for her daughter's death.


KRONK DEPOSED BY CASEY DEFENSE

Meanwhile, Kronk was questioned under oath Thursday. The defense started questioning Roy Kronk Thursday morning and it lasted all day.

Kronk is a key prosecution witness. He puts Caylee's remains in the woods in August of last year, which is consistent with other evidence. Kronk says he saw the same suspicious trash bag in the same area both in August and December.

The defense wants to shoot down his story. It's already made unsubstantiated claims that someone else put the remains there after October 14, which is after Casey was locked up on no bond.


KRONK AT COURT: Arriving | Leaving For Lunch
SLIDESHOW: Images Of Kronk Arriving
BAEZ ARRIVING: Watch Video | See Images
VIDEO REPORT: Roy Kronk Questioned
READ IT: County Documentation On Firing
SHEAFFER BLOGS: Legal Expert Answers Questions

Kronk smoked a cigarette as he left for a lunch break after a tough morning answering defense questions under oath.

“Has it been tough on you?” WFTV reporter Kathi Belich asked.

“I just don't prefer speaking to the media to be honest, but yeah, it's been very tough on me,” Kronk replied.

Kronk came onto the scene as a hero who followed a hunch to the first patch of woods around the corner from Caylee Anthony's grandparent’s house on Suburban Drive. Kronk told investigators almost one year ago, when he found Caylee's remains in the woods, that he believes he was in the exact same spot in August, which is when he called investigators the first time. However, in August, the responding deputy never went to the exact spot where Caylee’s body was and, partly because of that, Deputy Richard Cain was fired.

There have been all kinds of stories circulating, including that Kronk got inside information through a relationship with someone who works at the jail or that he was somehow involved in putting the body there. Prosecutors believe he's telling the truth no matter what his character flaws are.

“Have they started to get into anything personal that's really unrelated to this case?” Belich asked as Kronk and his attorney left on a lunch break.

“They're just asking their questions. We don't want to comment in the middle of the deposition,” Kronk’s attorney David Evans replied.

The prosecution says other evidence, the condition of the remains and what was found with them and plant growth in the area also show Caylee was there at least since August.

The county hired Kronk's lawyer to help him through the frenzy, until he was let go over a workers’ compensation dispute (read report). But Kronk is grateful his lawyer is now working for free.

“I didn't feel comfortable leaving him without representation, so I'm going to stand by Roy and see it through,” Evans said.

Kronk won't reimburse the county for his $12,000 legal bill. The county says his tenacity saved taxpayers from paying for more searches and what could have been a much tougher prosecution.

Eyewitness News asked how the defense will fight the evidence of coffin flies that were found in Casey’s trunk.

“Do you believe coffin flies were in the trunk or are you telling us there weren't coffin flie?” Belich asked.

“I’m not going to comment,” Jose Baez responded.

“I think we're going to see them so how are you going to fight that?” asked Belich.

“I'm not going to comment on what we plan on doing. If that were the case, I might as well cash it in right now,” he said.

Eyewitness News learned that the defense isn’t finished. Baez plans to question Kronk again and said he's also considering a guilty plea in Casey's check fraud case which will be heard in January.


NEXT IN THE CASE AGAINST CASEY

The case against Casey will be back to court next month. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled in her check fraud case for December 11.

Casey is facing charges for stealing checks from her best friend. The fraud trial is set for January 25.

There's also a pre-trial hearing in her murder trial on January 21.


DCF VISITS ANTHONY HOME TO INVESTIGATE CINDY

Eyewitness News learned Monday the Department of Children and Families was at Casey Anthony's home last week, not to investigate Casey but to investigate her mother, Cindy Anthony.

Cindy Anthony is on disability leave from her nursing job. She mentioned during a recent paid network television appearance that she was babysitting a friend's children.

A viewer was concerned that Cindy might be taking money while being on disability. As a result, DCF said it checked into it and found Cindy was doing nothing wrong.


LEE ANTHONY'S GIRLFRIEND DEPOSED UNDER OATH

State prosecutors in the case against Casey Anthony deposed the girlfriend of Casey’s brother Lee Anthony Thursday.


BAEZ TALKS: Girlfriend Depo, Chloroform Evidence

Prosecutors questioned Mallory Park under oath. She has remained close with the entire Anthony family throughout the case.

Jose Baez was present for the deposition, but he wasn't revealing any details of what Parker may have been asked by prosecutors.

Next week, Roy Kronk, the meter reader who discovered Caylee's body, will also meet with prosecutors.

Click Picks
Video Clips
What do you get when you put a man's head on a baby's body and a baby's head on a man's body? It's a 'ManBaby,' possibly the freakiest way to tweak a family photo. View Images ››

Strange News Photos

From brilliant to bizarre, our 99-photo slideshow captures a variety of strange news. Photos are added often. Take A Look!

County-By-County News

Get Hyper-Local On WFTV.com

Visit our County-By-County section for the latest news headlines out of your county. » County-By-County

When you take videos or photos of Central Florida news or weather events, iWitness is your place to upload them. » iWitness

Visit your headquarters for county-by-county news and resources, and a place to share community videos and photos. » 9Central