It's time to drain the Anthony pool

[BondJamesBond]

I was tossing & turning in the wee hours of the morning today and I finally gave way to the inevitable - staring @ the ceiling and thinking more about this case.

I'm thinking this morning it's a "forest for the trees" situation w/ this case. In sifting through the details I've been overlooking the basic facts and not allowing myself to be objective.

* Toddler is missing for 30+ days before reported
* Toddler's mother AND grandparents, in the home where she resides all behave suspiciously
* The car registered to the grandmother and driven by the mother contains evidence of the toddler's death
* The backyard of the residence is indicated by cadaver dogs

If I were OSCO, one of the things I'd do now is obtain a search warrant for the past two calenar years' water bills for 4937 Hopespring Drive (assuming they do not have a well) and note the usage for each month. If there is even the slightest indication that the water usage in June/July '08 would support filling the pool, I would have it drained and the ground underneath it searched. A slow fill spread over two billing periods might be hard to distinguish, but, when compared to other months to factor out sprinkler usage, etc. it should stand out.

Considering (a) the basic evidence and (b) the resources being expended on the case already - I think its time to drain the pool.

 

[monoxide]

I was tossing & turning in the wee hours of the morning today and I finally gave way to the inevitable - staring @ the ceiling and thinking more about this case.

I'm thinking this morning it's a "forest for the trees" situation w/ this case. In sifting through the details I've been overlooking the basic facts and not allowing myself to be objective.

* Toddler is missing for 30+ days before reported
* Toddler's mother AND grandparents, in the home where she resides all behave suspiciously
* The car registered to the grandmother and driven by the mother contains evidence of the toddler's death
* The backyard of the residence is indicated by cadaver dogs

If I were OSCO, one of the things I'd do now is obtain a search warrant for the past two calenar years' water bills for 4937 Hopespring Drive (assuming they do not have a well) and note the usage for each month. If there is even the slightest indication that the water usage in June/July '08 would support filling the pool, I would have it drained and the ground underneath it searched. A slow fill spread over two billing periods might be hard to distinguish, but, when compared to other months to factor out sprinkler usage, etc. it should stand out.

Considering (a) the basic evidence and (b) the resources being expended on the case already - I think its time to drain the pool.

Good idea

 

[ThoughtElf]

I was tossing & turning in the wee hours of the morning today and I finally gave way to the inevitable - staring @ the ceiling and thinking more about this case.

I'm thinking this morning it's a "forest for the trees" situation w/ this case. In sifting through the details I've been overlooking the basic facts and not allowing myself to be objective.

* Toddler is missing for 30+ days before reported
* Toddler's mother AND grandparents, in the home where she resides all behave suspiciously
* The car registered to the grandmother and driven by the mother contains evidence of the toddler's death
* The backyard of the residence is indicated by cadaver dogs

If I were OSCO, one of the things I'd do now is obtain a search warrant for the past two calenar years' water bills for 4937 Hopespring Drive (assuming they do not have a well) and note the usage for each month. If there is even the slightest indication that the water usage in June/July '08 would support filling the pool, I would have it drained and the ground underneath it searched. A slow fill spread over two billing periods might be hard to distinguish, but, when compared to other months to factor out sprinkler usage, etc. it should stand out.

Considering (a) the basic evidence and (b) the resources being expended on the case already - I think its time to drain the pool.

I believe that more than likely, the water bills have long since been examined. I can't prove that, but I believe OCSO has been pretty thorough to date, and would have done this already.

ETA - I think their gene pool should be drained tho.

MO

 

[Law_girl41]

Also there was another poster who mentioned about a map & ariel above the home and someone noted the POOL looked like it has gone UNKEPT for sometime. I cant find the post now as I am digging into another lead on something else....but this thread caught my attention. They were talking about how the A's are so into the neat & tidy thing and yet the pool water is really green right now. Worth a shot for you guys to search for that info and ask for that poster to send you a image or something. IMO, why would they let the pool go without cleaning or any chemicals for so long? its either out of character OR......LE told them not to clean it? which the latter doesnt seem likely.

??? just trying to help

 

[diablo]

Because all the chemicals are in the trunk !!!

Seriously I do hope the police have considered the pool could be a burial spot, and hope they have looked at the water bills too.
Perhaps some of the folks here can e-mail this thought to Yuri ?

 

[bdmama]

If they drained the pool, where did all the water go? Don't you think the very close neighbors would have noticed if their yard or the A's yard were flooded? Surely somebody would have noticed as the yard would have been quite disturbed looking if it had been. Not to mention any dirt samples from the yard would have contained chlorine.

 

[Patience]

What? They haven't checked "under" the pool yet?

 

[IBegg2Differ]

If they drained the pool, where did all the water go? Don't you think the very close neighbors would have noticed if their yard or the A's yard were flooded? Surely somebody would have noticed as the yard would have been quite disturbed looking if it had been. Not to mention any dirt samples from the yard would have contained chlorine.

I was just going to say the same thing, about the neighbors noticing. I definitely think LE would already know if the pool had been drained at all this summer. I know we had to drain our pool early this summer, and there was no one on our street that didn't know about it. Water was running all down the street, so it was pretty obvious.

 

[Balthazar]

The type of above ground pool that the Anthony's has is filled with the garden hose. It is generally drained to the street via a siphon. I think the neighbors would have noticed if the water was being drained - if the Anthony's had drained it to their yard, the neighbors would have noticed water/muddy areas in their backyards as well. Our neighbors backwashed their pool into our yard and although our yard is huge, we were up to our ankles in water. Also, it only takes a day or two without proper chemicals for pool water to develop green algae. See this article about it:

http://www.poolcenter.com/algae.htm

I imagine that the Anthony's have more on their minds than pool maintenance at this moment.

 

[BondJamesBond]

If they drained the pool, where did all the water go? Don't you think the very close neighbors would have noticed if their yard or the A's yard were flooded? Surely somebody would have noticed as the yard would have been quite disturbed looking if it had been.

It depends on the particular set-up of their property. It's too hard for me to tell w/o being there. For example, draining out through the back fence to the common area may not attract attention if the area isn't frequently occupied. They may have access to a storm drain that is out of view. Draining a pool in FL probably doesn't attract alot of attention.

Not to mention any dirt samples from the yard would have contained chlorine.

Not sure I follow you on this one. All of the digging would be contained in an area that is within the footprint, and likely centered, of the pool. The small amount of soil that would be displaced/removed would have an excuse to look like any other soil around the pool. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point.

 

[Patty G]

Water is expensive in Florida and unless the liner has a leak, or the pool owner decides to remove the pool, chances of this pool being drained to bury Caylee ... well IMO, I don't feel this happened.

It takes quite a while to drain a pool of that size. Once it's drained, then you have the liner to contend with. It takes a few people to remove this liner. Once the liner is removed you have to deal with the walls of the pool as the walls are pretty flexible without the water supporting the walls. Or it could be visa versa, take the walls down then the liner.

The entire neighborhood would certainly have been aware that the street has all this water running down it for days and days.

 

[Samijeansg]

Water is expensive in Florida and unless the liner has a leak, or the pool owner decides to remove the pool, chances of this pool being drained to bury Caylee ... well IMO, I don't feel this happened.

It takes quite a while to drain a pool of that size. Once it's drained, then you have the liner to contend with. It takes a few people to remove this liner. Once the liner is removed you have to deal with the walls of the pool as the walls are pretty flexible without the water supporting the walls. Or it could be visa versa, take the walls down then the liner.

The entire neighborhood would certainly have been aware that the street has all this water running down it for days and days.

I drain my pool to the back yard, and it only takes less than a day to drain it. Another 7 hours to fill it back up. It does seem like work that I can't see Casey really doing with the liner and all. I don't think she is under the pool either.

 

[BondJamesBond]

I drain my pool to the back yard, and it only takes less than a day to drain it. Another 7 hours to fill it back up. It does seem like work that I can't see Casey really doing with the liner and all. I don't think she is under the pool either.

Casey definitely wouldn't be the one doing the labor.

LiveEarth view shows a buffer behind the Anthony home and the home that backs up to it on Florence Harbor Drive. This area drains into the retention pond just 3 doors down +/- depending on the amount of rain at the time.

Just saying I'd take a hard look @ the water bills for cause, then, pull the plug if there's even the slightest chance. It's too straight-forward of an action not to take given the basic information we know IMHO.

 

[mimi56]

I agree Patty G, draining and taking down a pool like theirs and then putting it back up is a BIG job and I'm sure some of the neighbors would have been aware

 

[Patty G]

I drain my pool to the back yard, and it only takes less than a day to drain it. Another 7 hours to fill it back up. It does seem like work that I can't see Casey really doing with the liner and all. I don't think she is under the pool either.

Did you ever take the liner out of your pool all by yourself? How big is your pool?

 

[txsvicki]

George seems like the type to have a long hose to attach and drain the pool out back into that wooded area. His yard is really little to be draining a pool.

 

[Samijeansg]

Did you ever take the liner out of your pool all by yourself? How big is your pool?

No way, it's too hard to do by yourself! It's 42" round.

 

[Patty G]

This pool is 54 inches round and 33 inches high. I have to find a picture of Cindy by her pool in the Greta interview to figure out how high Cindy's pool is. I have a feeling it is about 4 foot high.

http://www.backyardcitypools.com/images/BWP/bermuda-round.jpg

Picture trying to get the liner out all by yourself. You can drain it by yourself, but that's about all a single person can do.

 

[BondJamesBond]

I completely agree this would not be a one-person job.

BTW...on a tangential note...Brian B (neighbor) initially stated he was in Chicago June 10 through June 16 and couldn't remember if he returned home the week of June 16th or 23rd. He said shortly after he returned home he was doing his yard work when Casey borrowed the shovel. Mark F stated the shovel was borrowed on June 18th. Has the source of pinpointing this event to the 18th been published? Or did this info come from Mark F personal investigation? Sorry if I've missed the obvious here.

...and BTW Patty G, thanks sooooo much for the Doc Index you created...priceless!

 

[Samijeansg]

This pool is 54 inches round and 33 inches high. I have to find a picture of Cindy by her pool in the Greta interview to figure out how high Cindy's pool is. I have a feeling it is about 4 foot high.

http://www.backyardcitypools.com/images/BWP/bermuda-round.jpg

Picture trying to get the liner out all by yourself. You can drain it by yourself, but that's about all a single person can do.

Yeah their pool is bigger than mine is, it's hard to tell by the pictures. I agree it's not a one person job.