HOUSTON (KHOU) - The latest twist to the strange story of Casey Anthony has
frustrated the founder of a non-profit in the Houston area that's suing
her for damages.
Anthony, the Florida mother infamously accused and acquitted of
killing her daughter Caylee in a sensational trial, has filed for
bankruptcy protection. Her petition claims she owes almost $800,000 to
about 80 creditors, with about $500,000 of it owed to her lead defense
attorney.
But the bankruptcy filing in federal court also basically freezes all
lawsuits filed against her in state courts, including a suit filed by
Texas Equusearch, a non-profit group that helps law enforcement
authorities hunt for missing people.
"We did a massive search for little Caylee," said Tim Miller, the
Santa Fe man who founded the group. "And we had over 4200 volunteers
come in from all over the country. Equusearch itself spent a little
over $119,000 on that search."
Anthony's defense attorney claimed in court that Caylee drowned in
the family swimming pool a month before she was reported missing and
that her parents merely covered up her death.
Prosecutors claimed Anthony killed her daughter with chloroform,
covered her nose and mouth with duct tape, then dumped her body in some
woods near her home.
Under either scenario, Anthony would have known her daughter was dead
while thousands of volunteers wasted their time searching for her. So
Equusearch sued Anthony, hoping to recover the money it spent on the
fruitless search.
Anthony claims in her bankruptcy petition that she has no income, but
she could collect a bonanza from a book or movie deal. Indeed, some
legal analysts believe she's asked for Chapter 7 protection to wipe out
her debts before banking a windfall.
Bankruptcy filings are also routinely used as a legal tactic employed
by attorneys trying to delay trials of lawsuits filed in state courts.
In this case it will become difficult, perhaps impossible, for
Equusearch to ever collect any money from Anthony.
"I don't know what my next option is, but it's not over," Miller said. "And it's not over for Casey."
Anthony was acquitted of capital murder, but she was sentenced to four years in jail for lying to law enforcement authorities.
But with the time she spent in jail awaiting trial counting against
her jail terms, she was released 10 days after her sentencing.
The bankruptcy filing happened on the same day an appellate court threw out two of her four convictions.
Casey Anthony
