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Sheriff Offers Airboats, Patrols, $5K To Keep Search For Caylee Going

3-Year-Old Girl Last Seen In Mid-June

POSTED: Wednesday, September 3, 2008
UPDATED: 1:22 pm EDT September 3, 2008

A Texas-based group conducting a full-scale physical search in the Orlando area for a missing 3-year-old girl will stay on the job after the Orange County sheriff offered them more resources.


IMAGES: Images Of Casey's Arrest
IMAGES: Crowd Waves Signs; Cheers Arrest
IMAGES: Missing Caylee Anthony Photos
IMAGES: Photos Of Casey Anthony Surface

"We've been very discouraged with this search, and we were almost got to the point of wanting to pull out. But we got a call from the sheriff of Orange County. He said, 'Don't be discouraged. Don't give up. I'm bringing you airboats, mounted patrol, and $5,000 to help out. Don't go anywhere,'" said Tim Miller, the founder of Equusearch.

Miller told Local 6 News on Wednesday morning that the group was on the verge of calling off the search for Caylee Anthony, who was reported missing by her mother, Casey Anthony, in mid-July but was last seen in mid-June, because of the small number of volunteers and the lack of cooperation from the Anthony family.

Miller singled out Cindy Anthony, Casey Anthony's mother and Caylee's grandmother.

"I feel as though we have been used in this. We are not getting any cooperation. We have done everything Cindy asked us to do," Miller said. "She wants us to find her granddaughter alive. Guess what. I don't believe she is alive."

But Miller said the new resources will allow the search to continue.

"We will dig up the entire landfill. We will drain every ounce of water. We will do whatever needs to be done," Miller said. "I don't need grandma's help. I don't need her help."

Equusearch will also send a search team to Texas, checking on claims made by the Anthony family that they have received several reports of Caylee sightings in the Dallas area. The Anthonys will also mail out missing persons fliers.

Meanwhile, Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, are scheduled to visit her in jail at 9 a.m. Thursday. Casey Anthony's brother, Lee Anthony, is scheduled to visit her Saturday at 1 p.m.

Casey Anthony, 22, remains jailed on unrelated theft charges after she was charged in mid-July with child neglect and filing a false statement in connection to her missing daughter.

Padilla: Shocker Coming

The bounty hunter who helped Casey Anthony bond out of jail last month on the child neglect charge said the world will be shocked by new revelations in the upcoming weeks.

Leonard Padilla and Cindy Anthony appeared on a national talk show Tuesday night.

Cindy Anthony told CNN's Nancy Grace that she believes Caylee is still alive despite evidence indicating the child is dead.

"Right now, my gut is that either she is in Texas, Mexico or Puerto Rico," Anthony said. "I think she is somewhere down there."

"(Cindy Anthony) is living in total denial," Padilla said in response to Cindy Anthony's comment.

Padilla then said in the upcoming weeks, the country will see some revelations in the case.

"When the FBI, who has got some of the finest labs in the world, comes back (with findings), it is going to shock the world over something Lee, Casey and Cindy have known since Wednesday when they released their preliminary findings," Padilla said. "And also, the Dumpster located a mile and quarter away from the boyfriend Tony's home is going to play a big part in this."

Padilla initially said he believed Casey Anthony and that her daughter was alive. He has since changed his belief and has called the mother a liar.

Immunity Deal Expires

Also, Casey Anthony did not accept a limited immunity deal offered by the State Attorney's Office, which set a deadline of 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The State Attorney's Office issued a statement on Tuesday, which said, "As of this morning, the State has not heard from the defense attorney regarding our offer to speak about the case. The offer has now expired."

The limited immunity would have protected Casey Anthony from statements she made to investigators, but evidence found based on her statements could have been used against her.

Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, did not immediately respond to a phone and e-mail message Tuesday. He has said his client doesn't know what happened to Caylee.

A family spokesman referred questions to Anthony's attorney, but said they were "looking for Caylee alive."

"(Investigators) have to justify what they've done thus far," said Cindy Anthony, Casey Anthony's mother. "They've railroaded Casey from the very first day ... it's very evident."

Evidence: Caylee Is Dead

Preliminary evidence indicates that there was a dead body in the back of her mother's car, and it was Caylee's body, Local 6 reported Sunday.

"We have scientific evidence back from the lab -- the FBI lab -- and we have evidence that we have not yet made public that leads our investigators to believe that Caylee is deceased," Orange County sheriff's Cmdr. Matt Irwin said.

Not only did a car belonging to Casey Anthony smell like death, but scientists were able to confirm the presence of gases produced by a decomposing body.

Investigators said the trunk also contained what they believe to be Caylee's hair and the hair showed signs of decomposition.

Detectives are still working to identify a stain in the trunk, Local 6 has learned.

Despite the new evidence, authorities said that they are not ready to charge Casey Anthony with homicide, Local 6 has learned.

"We don't have intentions of that at this point," Irwin said.

Baez issued a statement Sunday that said, "I won't comment on the specifics of any report I have not had the opportunity to review or have challenged by independent experts."

There were some demonstrators outside of the Anthony house Sunday, but it was not a large turnout.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this developing story.

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