Medical Examiner Says Caylee Anthony Was Murdered

Friday, December 19, 2008 ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. --

Forensic evidence shows remains found near the home of George and Cindy Anthony belong to their granddaughter, Caylee, and that the child was murdered.

"This identification was made from nuclear DNA taken from the remains and compared to a known profile of Caylee Anthony," Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia, the Orange County Medical Examiner, said "There was no trauma to the bones prior to the death. The manner of the death in this case is homicide. The cause of death will be listed as homicide by unknown means."

METER READER: Roy Kronk Speaks Images

CLOSE-UP LOOK: Sheriff's Office Releases Images

The announcement was made at an afternoon news conference. Dr. Garavaglia said a substantial amount of Caylee's skeleton was found. More tests are coming in.

The Medical Examiner's office said reports from a botanist, anthropologist, and toxicologist would arrive at a later date. Garavaglia said there was no tissue found and there was not much chance of determining whether a chemical such as chloroform was used to silence the little girl.

"It will be difficult to interpret levels from these specimens and this will not be definitive in helping determine the cause of death," said Garavaglia. "Should other information become available the cause of death may be revisited."

METER READER IDENTIFIED

The meter reader came forward Friday afternoon. Roy Kronk, 46, read a short statement confirming he'd called authorities three times before the remains were discovered.

"I have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation with the sheriff's office and the FBI," said Kronk. "I respectfully decline to get into details about what I saw at the crime scene." Kronk refused to answer questions and said he would not grant any interviews.

"His participation in this matter is strictly as a concerned citizen with a sharp eye and good instincts and perseverance. He has no connection whatsoever to this case. He has no connection to the Anthony family… Those who have speculated to the contrary could not be more wrong," said David Evans, Kronk's lawyer.

Steve Triggs, Director of Communications for Orange County, said Kronk has been a county employee for a relatively short time. Triggs said Kronk is being represented by outside counsel at the county's expense.

Kronk's role in the case has raised issues because the sheriff's office admitted Thursday that he had first notified its call center and Crimeline on August 11, 12 and 13, that he'd spotted something suspicious in the woods.

The sheriff's office is currently investigating at least three deputies who responded to the scene, but cleared it without finding anything. In the August 13 visit, Kronk even accompanied deputies to the scene. Officials aren't releasing the names of any of the deputies involved, but they are under administrative investigation.

"If we missed a window of opportunity we don't know," Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary said. "I'm not throwing anybody under the bus because we don't know. That's why we conduct an administrative review."

Sheriff's investigators said Kronk is not under investigation. "He is not a suspect in this case," Captain Angelo Nieves said. "He is a credible witness and we consider him so at the Orange County Sheriff's Office."

Despite the fact that investigators could have found the remains four months ago, in better shape and prevented all the expense to taxpayers of the exhaustive search that's gone on, investigators said they feel very confident about the evidence they have and that it strengthens their case tremendously.

FAMILY NOTIFIED

Casey Anthony was notified about the determination by a jail chaplain, Friday afternoon. She refused a visit from her family pastor. Jail officials refused to say what her reaction was. They did say she was not on suicide watch or under psychological evaluation.

Her attorney, Jose Baez, blasted the sheriff's office for not allowing him to break the news to Casey. "That courtesy was not given to us," he said. "That lack of professionalism, I'm really at a loss for words ... She's innocent and we are moving forward and again you really don't know half of the story," said Baez.

The jail said it follows a strict protocol when notifying inmates about a death. George and Cindy Anthony were told the remains where their granddaughter's Friday afternoon. The Anthonys were secluded in their home with their son, Lee. Lee's lawyer, Thomas Luka, said the Anthonys were devastated by the news. They had long held out hope their granddaughter would be found alive.

"As you would expect, the Anthonys are extremely on edge and upset," Luka said. Brad Conway, the attorney representing George and Cindy, read a statement from the family :

"As everyone now knows, the remains recovered off Suburban Drive are those of Caylee Marie Anthony. The Anthony family did not give up hope that Caylee was still alive until we were notified by the Orange County Sheriff's Office at approximately 1:30pm today. The Anthonys want to thank you for your prayers and best wishes that have been said on behalf of Caylee. They now know that their precious granddaughter is safe and hope that she will serve as the angel that protects thousands of missing children and their families. Please continue your prayers for Caylee, the Anthonys and the families that still hope and pray that their children will be found. We would like to thank crime scene investigators for their exhaustive efforts. The Anthonys want the same answers as everyone who has been assigned to investigate and prosecute this case. In an effort to determine the truth, the Anthony family will be available to law enforcement as the investigation continues. As you can imagine, the Anthonys are grieving deeply about this loss. Please respect their privacy and understand they will stand together as a family in order to get through this. Your thoughts and prayers are welcome, but they also ask that you pray for the families who have lost a child under any circumstances. This is a tragic moment in the lives of good and honorable people. Please treat them respectfully so they can grieve with dignity over the loss of this precious child, Caylee Marie Anthony."

INVESTIGATORS STILL AT SCENE

Sheriff Kevin Beary defended the long investigation and many searches for the body saying, "I don't put price tags on finding a little child ... I think this has been an open wound in the community and I think we can put some closure to this wound ... No child should have to go through this."

An FBI spokesman said his agency had investigated more than 400 leads nationwide and there were no other suspects besides Casey Anthony. Orange County detectives investigated more than 5,600 leads.

Friday, investigators remained at the scene where the remains were found. They continued their search for clues as a small crowd gathered and put together a memorial to Caylee. Visitors dropped off photos and momentos, some wiping away tears as they passed by.

LEGAL ANALYST SAYS DEVELOPMENTS FAVOR DEFENSE

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said the fact that the medical examiner couldn't determine a cause of death benefits the defense. "This is going to bring the forensic evidence even more to the forefront to show if this child was killed by Casey Anthony," said Sheaffer. Casey's attorneys have talked about having a second autopsy performed on the remains. Sheaffer said that's likely to happen.

"You can look forward to a second autopsy in this case when the body is released to the mother," he said. "We've seen a list of powerhouse forensic witnesses [for the defense] and you can bet they're going to attempt to reach a different conclusion than that of the medical examiner."