ORLANDO, Fla.,None — WFTV obtained 910 pages of documents Tuesday in the case against Casey. Among them is an email (read it) that details the moment Casey learned her daughter Caylee's body had been found.
DOCUMENTS RELEASED 11/02/10: Email: Casey's Reaction To Caylee Found Cindy's Letters To Casey | More Letters Detective's Handwritten Notes About Case Docs Authorizing Trap & Trace Device VIDEO REPORTS: Officer's Email | More Letters
The jail video is still sealed, but new documents paint a clearer picture of Casey's reaction at the very moment she found out Caylee's remains had likely been found and, even though she and her family were insisting Caylee was still alive, Casey's first concern was herself.
Five hours after Orange County Jail Lt. Tammi Unser watched Casey react to the WFTV special report on December 11, 2008 that Caylee's remains had probably been found, the guard emailed investigators.
The just-released email says Casey looked at the TV and immediately fell into a chair, doubled over, and they thought she was going to hyperventilate. She lifted her head and leaned back with her eyes closed.
About a minute later, Casey said, "Oh no," and then began pulling at her arm and fidgeting and said she wanted to call her attorney. Minutes later, she asked for her attorney again.
Casey said "it was just too early to cry, and she was not going to break down." She then started talking about football and the national championship game. But she did cry when she visited with her attorney, Jose Baez.
The new documents also show 34 checks Casey is accused of stealing from her mother Cindy, written for cash to Target, Walgreens, Michael's, Ross, Kmart and Publix from December 2007 to March 2008.
The documents also include the notes of an Orange County investigator (read notes) that show Casey's jail friend, inmate Robyn Adams, apparently told him Casey said she used to give Caylee chloroform, always in her bed, that she did not want to be a mom, that she cried when talking about her brother Lee and father George molesting her, that there was no nanny named Zenaida, and changed her story about what caused the odor in her trunk, from a squirrel to pizza.
The inmate also told investigators Casey told her the defense strategy involved the one who found Caylee's remains, Orange County meter reader Roy Kronk. The documents also show the Anthonys' private investigator wanted to try to blame Kronk's son, who lives out of state.
The documents also included details on what her mother promised in letters she wrote this past summer (read Cindy's letters).
The month after Casey's family's letters to her were released to the public, her mother Cindy continued to write to her. One of the letters released Tuesday was written in July, after Cindy testified at a hearing about whether a jury could hear her frantic 911 calls, telling investigators Casey's car trunk smelled like there'd been a dead body in it.
Cindy said she was grateful to be face-to-face with Casey for more than a brief moment. She wrote about Caylee: "When spring comes and your trial is over, we will find her together. I continue to seek her and continue to have hope that we will all be reunited soon."
That was a year and a half after the family said they had Caylee cremated.
In another letter, Cindy prayed, rambled about how unfair it was Casey's letters are released to the public. The defense had just tried last week, again, to have Casey's jail records, including her mail, sealed from the public, but now the family knows their letters are being released when they write to Casey.
Casey also got a couple more love letters from one guy asking her to be his girlfriend and another telling her she's his dream girl.
Also among the nearly 1,000 pages released are documents regarding tracking several people involved in the case (read them).
WHAT'S NEXT AND WHAT'S NEW? Attorneys in the case against Casey will be back in court later this month. A status hearing has been scheduled for November 29. Casey is not required to attend.
The judge Tuesday granted the state's motion to extend the deadline for defense witness depositions. Those witnesses include Laura Buchanan and Roy Kronk's son, Brandon Sparks. That deadline is now November 30.
CASEY'S DEFENSE QUESTIONS FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST
On Monday, Casey's defense questioned a University of Central Florida forensic anthropologist who says Caylee's remains were left in the woods shortly after she died, based on the condition of the remains and the plant growth.
Next week, two Orange County sheriff's computer experts will be deposed. They found Casey had searched "how to make chloroform" and "neck-breaking" on the website Google, months before Caylee was murdered.
CASEY DEFENSE REQUEST TO SEAL JAIL RECORDS DENIED
Casey Anthony returned to court Friday afternoon with her legal team to try for a third time to seal all public records pertaining to her stay at the Orange County jail, including her phone calls and visits, as well as her commissary purchases. Her defense team also tried to get more taxpayer money for its defense.
CASEY HEARING: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 CASEY ANTHONY IN COURT: See Images INSIDE COURTROOM: See Cindy, George, Lawyers VIDEO REPORT: Defense Request Denied
However, Chief Judge Belvin Perry denied the defense's request to seal her jail records and said he's not going to write them a blank check.
Casey walked into the courtroom shortly before 1:30pm, with her hair pulled back in a bun and wearing a green blouse. Casey looked thinner, and at times seemed like she was going to cry.
Casey wiped her eyes and nose as she sat down alongside her attorneys, Jose Baez and Cheney Mason. Casey wore no shackles in court, months after her leg irons got caught between a courthouse elevator and the floor.
Cindy and George Anthony were also in court.
Casey's defense has already cost more than $300,000 and Judge Perry didn't give everything to the defense that it asked for.
The defense hasn't taken advantage of all the hours of work that have already been authorized. It appears to want to double up on work that it said had already been done. But Judge Perry does not seem impressed with how it's used some of the taxpayers' money so far.
"When you start talking about taxpayer money, that's a different story," Judge Perry said to Baez.
The defense had asked for another 300 hours at $40 an hour for its private investigator, Jeremy Lyons. However, after Judge Perry looked at documentation of what Lyons has done on the taxpayers' dime so far, Perry gave him only one-fifth of that.
"Okay Mr. Baez I'll give you another 60 hours and then we'll see what you do with that," Judge Perry said.
The judge received conflicting answers about how many authorized hours of work have already been done as the defense asked for more.
Casey's new death penalty expert, Jacksonville attorney Ann Finnell, will not be reimbursed for her travel expenses as she had requested, because the defense has already spent $275,000 in private funds and $40,000 in taxpayers' money.
She asked for $7,500 for a psychological expert to examine Casey, but only got one-third of the amount.
Finnell also asked for money to travel to Ohio to talk to Casey's relatives in person, because they were not cooperative over the phone.
Judge Perry said he might authorize payment if appointments can be made in advance.
"I am not going to write an open check. I'm just not," Judge Perry said.
Judge Perry warned the defense if they don't meet their deadlines for deposing witnesses, he will schedule it for them when and where he decides.
"This case has gone on for quite some time. We just need to do what we need to do. I've tried to make a schedule. I've tried to be flexible, but in January, it will be on my schedule," he said. "It is critical that we try to meet those deadlines."
The hearing ended at 3:27pm.
DEFENSE DEPOSES LEAD FBI AGENT
Casey Anthony's lawyers are deposing the lead FBI agent on the case Thursday, Special Agent Nick Savage. Savage and other federal agents were called in to investigate the out-of-state leads.
Former meter reader Roy Kronk's son was to be deposed Thursday as well, but court records show Brandon Sparks is not cooperating. Sparks claims Kronk, who found Caylee's remains, appeared to have inside information.
VIDEO REPORT: Lead FBI Agent Deposed
On Friday, Judge Belvin Perry will again hear arguments on whether to seal some of Casey Anthony's jail records. The new argument is based on a recent appeals court ruling.
However, prosecutors say the ruling isn't relevant in the case, because it applies to personal phone calls and not phone, visitation and jail account records.
Meanwhile, one of Casey's defense witnesses, who is under investigation for allegedly falsifying records, has a new lawyer. Texas EquuSearch volunteer Laura Buchanan has hired a Fort Lauderdale attorney.
Buchanan is accused of trying to help Casey by falsifying search records to make it appear that Caylee's body was not in the woods three months before she was found there.
Previous Stories: October 29, 2010: Casey Defense Request To Seal Jail Records Denied October 28, 2010: Casey's Lawyers Depose Lead FBI Agent On Case October 26, 2010: Casey's Defense Wants Experts Reimbursed October 26, 2010: Depositions Cancelled Suddenly In Casey Case October 25, 2010: Casey To Be In Court For Funding Hearing October 23, 2010: Lawyer Leaves Casey Anthony Defense Team October 21, 2010: P.I. Accused Of Witness Tampering In Casey Case October 18, 2010: Defense Wants Casey Jail Records Sealed; Spending Questioned October 14, 2010: Meter Reader's Son To Be Deposed In Casey Case
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