Pontiac: The odor, sealing off & processing the car #2

[JBean]

I absolutely agree with you also, tempest in a teapot over when the car was sealed. Why? Because the car had already been compromised the second it was retrieved from Amscott and taken to the tow yard.

In fact, I believe the fact that LE did not instantaneously seal the car is in their favor, they did not rush to judgement, they INVESTIGATED and gave casey anthony every oportunity to tell them the truth and cooperate.

lyon and company whining about the car is dead in the water, imo.

But if the owners of a car report it stolen and then report it smelling like a dead body, I am not sure rush to judgement would even be an issue.

George and Cindy both reported the smell in the car and so it would be reasonable for LE to have investigated and that would have nothing to do with rushing to judgement imo. They are trying to find a little missing girl and for all LE know she was still in the trunk and KC had nothing to do with it since she did not have control of the car. Once smelling the decomp, sealing it off to protect evidence would be more about preserving evidence than assuming that KC did it.

I don't think that as a matter of course LE would make a conscious decision to leave a potential crime scene open because it had already be compromised.

Is the defense actually whining about this? I hadn't heard that at all. I was thinking they would find a way to possibly use this to their favor.

 

[JBean]

snipped for emphasis

After all, she knew Caylee's decomposing body was the source of the smell. I think is was a good move on LE's part not to make a big deal of the smell and concentrate on finding the body.



IMO

I don't really think they were looking for a body yet, but if they were, wouldn't looking in the trunk be a good place to start?

 

[angeldust]

Please forgive my ignorance im from Scotland and dont know much about Florida laws

would the the police need a warrent to check the car out? even thought it may have a suspicious smell if they touched the car without one, would anything they found be able to be used against her?

 

[okiedokietoo]

NANCY GRACE
Casey Anthony Investigation,
the First 30 Days
Aired November 28, 2008 - 20:00:00 ET
re: July 22, 2008 Bond Hearing
CORPORAL YURI MELICH, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE:
There was a -- there was a very bad smell inside the
car. After speaking to Casey extensively, after
listening to all the stories, after trying to follow
up all these leads, obviously, we started to having
to look elsewhere and see if we could obtain
information elsewhere.
-----
And I remember that somebody had mentioned that
there was a very bad odor in the car. So we asked
Mr. And Mrs. Anthony if we can go ahead and seize
the car, look for evidence inside of it. Mr. Anthony
signed an affidavit allowing us to do so
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0811/28/ng.01.html

 

[JBean]

NANCY GRACE
Casey Anthony Investigation,
the First 30 Days
Aired November 28, 2008 - 20:00:00 ET
re: July 22, 2008 Bond Hearing
CORPORAL YURI MELICH, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE:
There was a -- there was a very bad smell inside the
car. After speaking to Casey extensively, after
listening to all the stories, after trying to follow
up all these leads, obviously, we started to having
to look elsewhere and see if we could obtain
information elsewhere.
-----
And I remember that somebody had mentioned that
there was a very bad odor in the car. So we asked
Mr. And Mrs. Anthony if we can go ahead and seize
the car, look for evidence inside of it. Mr. Anthony
signed an affidavit allowing us to do so
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0811/28/ng.01.html

That was from the bond hearing. As I posted earlier in the thread,this was the exact passage that made me feel that oddly enough the decomp smell was a total afterthought.
The "somebody" that mentioned to Yuri that there was a bad odor in the car was none other than George Anthony himself and perhaps others but I only know that George told Ym for certain.

 

[JBean]

Please forgive my ignorance im from Scotland and dont know much about Florida laws

would the the police need a warrent to check the car out? even thought it may have a suspicious smell if they touched the car without one, would anything they found be able to be used against her?

This can very often be the case. But in this situation, George signed an affadavit allowing them to take the car, so no they did not need a warrant.

 

[jon_burrows]

I don't really think they were looking for a body yet, but if they were, wouldn't looking in the trunk be a good place to start?

Do you really think there was a chance Caylee's body was still in the trunk? I believe if her body had been in there for 31 days they would have been able to smell it from the street.

 

[magic-cat]

If I told you my car smelled like a dead body and that my family member was missing,wouldn't you at least look to see if there was a dead body in it?
I think someone said it in this thread, that the scene was perhaps chaotic and a lot going on. I agree with that and perhaps LE just didn't put it together. Honest mistake, imo, that may or may not have any impact whatsoever on anything at all.

You know JBean, considering the fact that we have discovered through depositions that there were things going on in that house that we knew nothing and I mean nothing about, (ie: Cindy and Casey screaming at one another in the home while LE was present and having to be taken to different locations apart from one another) I still think there is some info that we are not privi to yet. I cannot fathom that NO LE went near that car at some point that night? The place was crawling with cops. One of them HAD to have smelled the car and we just have not heard about it...yet. Is that possible? Probable?:banghead:

I am with you on this one. To me child missing and admissions of a car that reeks of death should have meant tape on the car before they ever did anything else. Surely someone could have been allocated to at least stay with the car and keep it from further contamination...??? It boggles the mind...:waitasec:

 

[impatientredhead]

This can very often be the case. But in this situation, George signed an affadavit allowing them to take the car, so no they did not need a warrant.

They don't *need* one but they will generally still get one because a defense attorney will try to get the evidence excluded based on the lack of a warrant. To much of a risk to the state, they almost always get the warrant before taking possession.

 

[JBean]

Do you really think there was a chance Caylee's body was still in the trunk? I believe if her body had been in there for 31 days they would have been able to smell it from the street.

Oh I agree that the body was not in there for 31 days. But do you think LE was in a position to make that determination that night without even looking?
Looking in the trunk is the very least they could have done. If they had done that, do you think they would have prioritized the car and considered its potential to reveal evidence?

 

[JBean]

You know JBean, considering the fact that we have discovered through depositions that there were things going on in that house that we knew nothing and I mean nothing about, (ie: Cindy and Casey screaming at one another in the home while LE was present and having to be taken to different locations apart from one another) I still think there is some info that we are not privi to yet. I cannot fathom that NO LE went near that car at some point that night? The place was crawling with cops. One of them HAD to have smelled the car and we just have not heard about it...yet. Is that possible? Probable?:banghead:

I am with you on this one. To me child missing and admissions of a car that reeks of death should have meant tape on the car before they ever did anything else. Surely someone could have been allocated to at least stay with the car and keep it from further contamination...??? It boggles the mind...:waitasec:

At this point , which is worse? If they did smell it, it's not good that they didn't seal it off. OR if they didn't investigate the report of the smell it is not good that they ignored the report from George.

Lots of information:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93000"]Events Post 911 Calls Up to 7-16 Arrest - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[magic-cat]

Oh I agree that the body was not in there for 31 days. But do you think LE was in a position to make that determination that night without even looking?
Looking in the trunk is the very least they could have done. If they had done that, do you think they would have prioritized the car and considered its potential to reveal evidence?

Has it been determined if there continued to be a police presence at the house continually from the moment they first arrived due to the various 911 calls? I mean, I know that Lee and Casey were alone with the car that night, but other than that one incident that we have learned about, do we know for sure that there was NOT an officer watching over the car from the point when it was determined their was a missing child AND the car smelled of death? They could have had someone there just watching it and we do not know it yet. Is that conceivable?

 

[Jolynna]

Do you really think there was a chance Caylee's body was still in the trunk? I believe if her body had been in there for 31 days they would have been able to smell it from the street.

I doubt if Caylee's body was in the trunk.

Simon B. opened it. Simon is the one to take the trashbag out and go through it. Both Simon and George seemed to believe that that took care of the smell. They didn't dig further just in case something else (like a body) could have caused the odor.

One thing I didn't notice the first time I read Simon's interview, is that he says standing outside the car, the smell wasn't that bad. He said the smell got much worse after they opened up the car. Which makes it clearer why Tony could be by the car on June 23 & June 27. And why Catherine S. from Amscott could look in the window of the car and not freak out from the car aroma.

From Simon B.'s interview;

SB: A car sits here for two weeks I start paying a little bit of attention to it. I’m curious as to maybe why it was here for two weeks. You know, is it a piece of junk? You know, pull the sheet. Why was it towed? I knew this was a removal. Uhm, I had noticed uhm, a smell emanating around the car uhm, on one occasion. I didn’t really think anything of it. We get cars in here with garbage in them, fish in them, all, all the time.

SB: I was kind of half expecting it to smell bad because I had already observed an odor around it….
GW: Right.
SB: …the couple of days earlier when I’d been out in the yard doing my rounds and checking on it. Uhm, but until we opened the car it didn’t have that…
GW: It wasn’t….
SB: …deceased smell.
http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/Burch Simon-0724.pdf
​

From Catherine S.'s interview about the car:

CS: Uhm, very close. Just like when I, like when I go to my car. I just wanted to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, you know.
JW: Did you touch it?
CS: No, I didn’t touch it, no.
JW: Oh, okay. Did you smell anything uhm, different about the car?
CS: No, no, huh-huh (negative).
JW: Okay. Did you see anything uhm, out of the ordinary on the seats, or uhm, dashboard, or on the floors or anything?
CS: Uhm, no. The only thing it was just a little messy inside,
but nothing out of the ordinary, no (laughs).​

http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/Sanchez,%20Catherine0724.pdf


​

 

[jon_burrows]

Oh I agree that the body was not in there for 31 days. But do you think LE was in a position to make that determination that night without even looking?
Looking in the trunk is the very least they could have done. If they had done that, do you think they would have prioritized the car and considered its potential to reveal evidence?

GA saying there is a 'bad odor' is completely different than 'a dead body was in the trunk'. If GA said there was a dead body in the trunk then yes, LE should have asked him to show them where he thought the dead body was located. We don't know if Cindy's words to the 911 operator were passed on to LE.

They only had one chance to question Casey that night before she lawyered up and wouldn't answer anymore questions. I guess we'll have to wait for trial but I think Casey's own lies and demeanor at the imaginary office at Universal will be one of the most damaging and indisputable pieces of evidence of her guilt that the jury will hear. She boxed herself into a story that was proven over and over again was a complete lie and there is no expert that can come along and dispute the words that came out of her mouth.

We'll never know but if the car had been sealed with yellow crime scene tape and an officer assigned to guard the car until the CSI unit got there, would Casey have taken them on the wild goose chase all over Orlando? I don't think so. I think Casey would have asked for an attorney at that point. She was stupid enough to believe she could lie to LE the same way she lied to her parents. The yellow crime scene tape may have been enough to slap some reality into her that LE isn't as gullible as her family.

IMO

 

[JBean]

GA saying there is a 'bad odor' is completely different than 'a dead body was in the trunk'. If GA said there was a dead body in the trunk then yes, LE should have asked him to show them where he thought the dead body was located. We don't know if Cindy's words to the 911 operator were passed on to LE.

Well then we agree because that is what he said.

YM:

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]One thing I’ve been meaning to ask, and I apologize maybe this isn’t a good time, but only because this might be the only, I don’t know how often we’ll be able to sit and talk. When I first saw you that night when I first came to your house there was a mention of the car. And there was a mention of what you smelled in the car. [/FONT][/FONT]​

GA: ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Uh-hum (affirmative). [/FONT][/FONT]​

YM: ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Do you remember what you told me? [/FONT][/FONT]
GA: [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]I, I, I believe that there’s something dead back there. And I hate to say the word human.......[/FONT][/FONT]​

http://cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/Anthony%20%20George0724.pdf​

I would think that at a minimum LE would have gone and checked out the smell of "something dead back there".

We know a lot about that happened. Several of us, most work done by beanE and BondjamesBond have pieced together what transpired through all the reports. We know also that they gave KC access to the vehicle alone.​

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93000"]Events Post 911 Calls Up to 7-16 Arrest - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]​

 

[magic-cat]

But the in-fighting in the family in the house that first night was NOT contained in ANY reports that have come to light, so I am holding out a glimer of hope, although a remote possibility I realize, that LE secured the car in some fashion although it was not taped...But if they did NOT? Then that to me is a mistake that was made, or an oversight, and one that a missing child could ill afford. I mean, what if Caylee were alive in the trunk? Perhaps they asked? It is a quagmire for certain.

 

[wenwe4]

Wondering if any dated receipts were found in the garbage from KC's trunk or expiration dates on food containers (even info from the infamous pizza box) to find out the dates of the garbage items original purchases. Seems to me KC kept all (if not most) of the receipts she spent Amy's $ on. Just wondering if she kept receipts for the food items she purchased or gas and anything else she might have transported in that car.

 

[RR0004]

Wondering if any dated receipts were found in the garbage from KC's trunk or expiration dates on food containers (even info from the infamous pizza box) to find out the dates of the garbage items original purchases. Seems to me KC kept all (if not most) of the receipts she spent Amy's $ on. Just wondering if she kept receipts for the food items she purchased or gas and anything else she might have transported in that car.

IIRC there was an old receipt of one of Tony's roommates in the garbage...but I don't believe there was mention of purchases made by Casey. Cindy obviously removed items from inside the car...and then there were the receipts she handed over to the defense. Curious...memory is failing me...the receipts that Cindy had...has it ever been stated where exactly she found them?

 

[Harmony 2]

Wondering if any dated receipts were found in the garbage from KC's trunk or expiration dates on food containers (even info from the infamous pizza box) to find out the dates of the garbage items original purchases. Seems to me KC kept all (if not most) of the receipts she spent Amy's $ on. Just wondering if she kept receipts for the food items she purchased or gas and anything else she might have transported in that car.

I am not sure if this is the call for pizza that coincides with the pizza box in the garbage bag. There may have been another call placed from someone elses phone to order pizza in that timeframe. This call was placed in the early morning hours of the 18th. I am posting it because it falls in the 0.7-2.6 day range proposed by the Body Farm. Food for thought.... (no pun intended)

June 18th
* 12:10:17 am - 12:11:22 am June 18- outgoing call from Casey’s phone to 2 Papa John’s Pizza
Cell phone logs- page 60 http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1626040/Casey-Phone-Log-Page-51_75

 

[RR0004]

Well then we agree because that is what he said.

YM:

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]One thing I’ve been meaning to ask, and I apologize maybe this isn’t a good time, but only because this might be the only, I don’t know how often we’ll be able to sit and talk. When I first saw you that night when I first came to your house there was a mention of the car. And there was a mention of what you smelled in the car. [/FONT][/FONT]​

GA: ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Uh-hum (affirmative). [/FONT][/FONT]​

YM: ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Do you remember what you told me? [/FONT][/FONT]
GA: [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]I, I, I believe that there’s something dead back there. And I hate to say the word human.......[/FONT][/FONT]​

http://cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/Anthony%20%20George0724.pdf​

I would think that at a minimum LE would have gone and checked out the smell of "something dead back there".

We know a lot about that happened. Several of us, most work done by beanE and BondjamesBond have pieced together what transpired through all the reports. We know also that they gave KC access to the vehicle alone.​

Events Post 911 Calls Up to 7-16 Arrest - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community​

Funny...and he said he mentioned the first night about the pool.