Reasons Casey is not charged with homicide and WHEN will she be charged?

[Elphaba]

Prosecution without a body is attainable, but hard... I think LE is trying to do all that they can to make sure they have an air tight case against Casey, before charging her without a body. I would rather them take their time and build their case, because it would be a travesty if they took it to court and the jury found reasonable doubt because the body isn't present and evidence is questionable. I admit, though, it is frustrating that she is getting out on bail and all... I'm angry just like the rest of yall... but I keep telling myself: patience, Julie, patience...

 

[Gaia713]

They didn't arrest Scott Peterson until Lacy's body was found, if I recall correctly so maybe this is the case for this one as well..

The case is much stronger with a body. IIRC, Laci was officially considered dead in March and prosecutors and police were preparing to procced without a body. Think how much stronger the case was with a body, tho. I think they REALLY REALLY REALLY want to maek sure that Casey doesn't get off on a hung jury - they want to prove their case. Maybe they can come up with some more charges pdq.

 

[Gaia713]

How much time is she facing for the neglect and obstruction charges alone? Because in the grand scheme the economic crimes are small potatoes. She'll be ordered to pay fines and restitution, but I highly doubt she will get significant, if any, time for 1st offense on those charges.

She is toast when the murder charges come down for sure...

Neglect minimum is 5 years with no priors. With no record at all (inclkuding traffic) she could get off with probation. Don't see that happening at all. Juveniile records do count in that also.

 

[Gaia713]

How much time is she facing for the neglect and obstruction charges alone? Because in the grand scheme the economic crimes are small potatoes. She'll be ordered to pay fines and restitution, but I highly doubt she will get significant, if any, time for 1st offense on those charges.

She is toast when the murder charges come down for sure...

Doewsn't matter, if she gets convicted, those charges will work against her in a murder charge. Ex - 2 years is first term for simple burglary. If there is a prior, it doubles, and so on - goes up with every conviction (misdeamor or felony) on the record. Even if she had a record that has been sealed or expunged, the courts and law enforcement have access to it.s

 

[shell610]

Forgive me if the status of this investigation has changed but if not

When, what will it take for LE to change the status of this from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation? And changing her status from a person of interest to a suspect?

What harm would that do? I think the missing person status does nothing but fuel Cindy's fire and I could possibly see where that could or would if it was my grandaughter.

Who makes the determination that the evidence points to the fact that a victim is definitly deceased when there is limited evidence? Do the investigators make that decision or does the evidence have to brought to a medical examiner and they make that decision?

 

[websurfer]

Doewsn't matter, if she gets convicted, those charges will work against her in a murder charge. Ex - 2 years is first term for simple burglary. If there is a prior, it doubles, and so on - goes up with every conviction (misdeamor or felony) on the record. Even if she had a record that has been sealed or expunged, the courts and law enforcement have access to it.s

I mean her luck is the tops of the pole.

She is just lucky so maybe she will be getting off?

 

[Kolchak]

Forgive me if the status of this investigation has changed but if not

When, what will it take for LE to change the status of this from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation? And changing her status from a person of interest to a suspect?

What harm would that do? I think the missing person status does nothing but fuel Cindy's fire and I could possibly see where that could or would if it was my grandaughter.

Who makes the determination that the evidence points to the fact that a victim is definitly deceased when there is limited evidence? Do the investigators make that decision or does the evidence have to brought to a medical examiner and they make that decision?

From what I understand, if they charge her with murder, the defense can request a "speedy trial" which would put pressure on the prosecutors to come up with evidence very quickly. Right now the prosecutors may or may not have enough to convict her of murder. If they don't, and they go to trial and the defense wins....she cannont be convicted of the same offense even if the prosecutors find out something later...which would be considered "double jeopardy". So, the prosecutors have to be carefull of rushing to trial without enough solid evidence. That's what I understand about murder cases. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Sassynic]

Although someone can continue bailing her out for amusement purposes, no one will be able to help Casey when she is sentenced. Right now she is facing 17 on the current charges.

The kid is toast.

I have a feeling that mob is going to grow and intensify over night.

I agree!

 

[bunnyphoenix1]

From what I understand, if they charge her with murder, the defense can request a "speedy trial" which would put pressure on the prosecutors to come up with evidence very quickly. Right now the prosecutors may or may not have enough to convict her of murder. If they don't, and they go to trial and the defense wins....she cannont be convicted of the same offense even if the prosecutors find out something later...which would be considered "double jeopardy". So, the prosecutors have to be carefull of rushing to trial without enough solid evidence. That's what I understand about murder cases. Hope this makes sense.

I agree....plus, I do think they are treating this as a homicide investigation, as the chief of homicide is now involved iirc.

 

[gitana1]

As a very wise poster once put it..It's a Marathon and NOT a Sprint..charging her too early could cause problems for the prosecution. While I'm impatient like the rest of you..I think building their case wisely and by the book is way more important in the end. It's so frustrating I know but honestly when all is said and done LE will have a rock solid case.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I know they will charge this woman at some point. I also know it may take a long, long time. We all see how many twists and turns there are in this case. Can you imagine all the hours it must take to follow each lead, each witness, each theory, each e-mail, phone record, etc., to thier logical ends? I mean, one phone number may lead to a witness, who leads to another, etc.. And LE has to have statements from each person and supporting evidence to neatly show how everything relates and what the timeline was. This person is completely wacked out! Just looking at the e-mail charade she had! Wow! The time she put into creating fake e-mail addresses to send herself phony e-mails - it makes me think there is so much more potentially out there about this nut that LE has to wade through, categorize and make sense of. This is going to take a while I think. But I'm sure they will eventually charge her.

 

[Cagney]

Although someone can continue bailing her out for amusement purposes, no one will be able to help Casey when she is sentenced. Right now she is facing 17 on the current charges.

The kid is toast.

I have a feeling that mob is going to grow and intensify over night.

Spoken like a true wiseman!

 

[amethyst221]

I'm sure LE will be fine with her giving interviews, too. It will be nauseating, but fine.

 

[yolorado]

They can take their time. There's no rush. It's frustrating to have Caylee's mom out while she's probably gone. But, LE will wait until they think they have the most they can come up with and then they'll file the case. In the Aarone Thompson case here in CO, it took cops two years to file charges and the dad was free whole time. They mom actually died in the interim. The never did find the baby's body. I don't believe the dad was ever encarcerated until then. But, following that case gives me hope in this one. When charges were finally filed, LE had built one heckuva good case against the dad.

 

[TisHerself]

She needs time to get another tatoo!

 

[yolorado]

She needs time to get another tatoo!

How about "Natural Born Killer?" Was Juliet Lewis in that movie?

 

[monoxide]

They got all the time in the world to build a case against her so why not take your time with this case?

 

[txsvicki]

It looks like LE could have enough proof to see premeditation. Maybe they want to take their time and to find a body so that they can ask for the death penalty.

 

[shell610]

Without charging her for murder...can they not change the status of this to a murder investigation and not a missing person????

 

[concentric]

IMO, I do think Casey drugged Caylee and left her in the car. Despite the evidence of the dogs hitting in the yard, I think the detectives want to make sure that someone else didn't get to Caylee when Casey left her to go partying, etc. There is still the possibility that someone assaulted Caylee and murdered her after Casey left her in the car? Just an inquiry.

 

[joyceandjay]

From what I understand, if they charge her with murder, the defense can request a "speedy trial" which would put pressure on the prosecutors to come up with evidence very quickly. Right now the prosecutors may or may not have enough to convict her of murder. If they don't, and they go to trial and the defense wins....she cannont be convicted of the same offense even if the prosecutors find out something later...which would be considered "double jeopardy". So, the prosecutors have to be carefull of rushing to trial without enough solid evidence. That's what I understand about murder cases. Hope this makes sense.

Correct! Great post, precise and to the point. However that's where my fear kicks in! What if Nov rolls around and nothing is concrete enough for Murder?? Then what?? she walks serving neglect charges max 7 years.