Mom of missing girl fails to respond to offer

There is a ‘strong probability’ that the toddler is dead, authorities said.

MIAMI (AP) — The mother of a missing toddler did not respond by Tuesday to an offer that would have given her some protection from prosecution if she told investigators what she knows about her daughter’s disappearance.

Officials say 3-year-old Caylee Anthony is probably dead. Her mother, Casey Anthony, missed a 9 a.m. deadline to respond to an offer of limited immunity, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office said.

Under the offer, prosecutors could not have used Anthony’s statements against her, but they could have used any evidence found as a result.

The decision capped a weekend of twists in the search for Caylee, who hasn’t been seen since June. Her mother did not report her missing until July.

A spokeswoman for Anthony’s attorney, Jose Baez, declined to comment.

“We really don’t want to discuss our conversations with the state attorney’s office and law enforcement,” Christina Baez said. “We feel no need to try out case in the media. we’re not going to discuss that.”

Authorities said Monday there was a decomposing body in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car and investigators believe there is a “strong probability” that Caylee is dead.

“We’re still holding out hope, of course; unfortunately as time goes on and more evidence presents itself, it seems to indicate something else,” Carlos Padilla, a spokesman for the Orange County sheriff’s office, said Tuesday. “But we still have our hopes up that maybe this will turn out differently.”

Anthony, 22, faces charges of child neglect, making false statements and obstructing the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.

Casey Anthony and her brother, Lee, were born in Warren and lived in Howland with their parents, George and Cindy Anthony, before the family moved to Florida in 1989.

She was released Aug. 21, but a bondsman rescinded her $500,000 bail after she was arrested again last week on charges of check fraud and theft.

Investigators believe she used a friend’s checkbook to buy items at Target and Winn-Dixie and to write a check for cash in July.

This weekend, central Florida residents continued to search for Caylee. More than 200 people combed an area near Orlando International Airport, looking for clues about the child’s disappearance. Anthony family spokesman Larry Garrison said Cindy Anthony remains hopeful the girl will be found.

“As far as Cindy Anthony is concerned, we are looking for Caylee alive,” he said.