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CNN Larry King Live

Anthonys Defend Daughter

Aired May 13, 2009 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, prime time exclusive -- George and Cindy Anthony. Their daughter is behind bars, charged with killing her child, their 2-year-old granddaughter, Caylee. She could be executed if convicted. And now the Anthonys answer their critics. And they're ready to tell us if they still support Casey 100 percent and why they keep talking so publicly about this tragedy.

They'll answer your questions and your calls, so get them ready and be prepared for the answers, next on LARRY KING LIVE.

Good evening.

We welcome back to LARRY KING LIVE, live here in Los Angeles, George and Cindy Anthony. They, of course, are the grandparents of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony, whose body was found last December.

They're also the parents of Caylee's mom, Casey, who is charged with the murder of her 2-year-old daughter.

This is a prime time exclusive.

They're joined, also, by their attorney, Brad Conway.

We're all here in Los Angeles together.

Before I get into the meat of this, why, George, do you need an attorney?

GEORGE ANTHONY, CAYLEE'S GRANDFATHER: Well, he's a -- a great confidant of ours. He's directing us in ways that's going to keep us focused on what we need to focus on on a daily basis, not only for ourselves, but for different things we're trying to do in Caylee's name.

KING: But they're not charged with anything, Brad?

BRAD CONWAY, ANTHONYS' ATTORNEY: No, Larry, they're not. But initially there were rumors, speculation that the state attorney's office or the sheriff's department would charge them with obstruction of justice.

(CROSSTALK)

KING: That's not true now, right?

CONWAY: Absolutely not.

KING: In other words, but they...

CONWAY: Absolutely not.

KING: You still feel they need representation?

CONWAY: They do. They do.

KING: And if this goes to trial, would you be with them in court if they're going to be witnesses?

CONWAY: I will be with them throughout the -- the entire effort.

KING: Now, we are amazed here, because we've received -- get this -- thousands of blog responses to your appearance here tonight. We'll be getting to some of them later. This is just a sample that I have in front of me of the blogs, if I can present these to you.

And, honestly, most of them are critical.

Why do you think people are angry at you?

CINDY ANTHONY, CAYLEE'S GRANDMOTHER: Because they don't understand. I mean a lot of people -- you know, they just -- they don't understand. They've never been in our shoes. So a lot of people -- especially bloggers. You know, they'll sit back and they like to pick things apart. And, you know, we're a target.

KING: But what are they picking apart?

CINDY ANTHONY: They're...

KING: What are you doing?

CINDY ANTHONY: They're picking apart the fact that we're standing behind our daughter. They're picking apart the fact that we are trying to make something out of Caylee's tragedy. And that's -- that's what it's all about.

KING: George, do you think you're in a catch-22?

G. ANTHONY: No, because I believe everything we do on a daily bases is a positive thing to keep Caylee's name alive and to keep her memory, not only for us, but for so many people out there.

We've seen since -- other missing children have came up missing since the tragedy with Caylee. We've been a positive role model for all these families. The families reached out to us and asked for help. And we've been doing that almost daily with them.

KING: But the catch-22 part is at the same time you're doing this, focusing on the late Caylee and feeling sorry and helping other people, your daughter is charged with killing her.

That's the catch-22, isn't it?

G. ANTHONY: Yes, that -- that is. But, you know, we're going to support our daughter no matter what. I mean that's our daughter. I mean I think anyone who would really be sensible or would have a good thought in their mind, they would stand behind their child no matter what.

KING: The last -- you would think.

The last time you were here, December 10th of last year, Caylee's body was found the next day. And that night on this show you were saying you were praying that she was going to be found live.

How did you handle that news?

CINDY ANTHONY: Well, you know, we were literally in the airport ready to fly back home the morning of the 11th when we got the phone call. And it was -- you know, it -- we didn't know. They just said that a body had been found of a small child. And they didn't know the sex or anything else. They couldn't tell us anything. And that was the longest flight, you know, we've ever taken.

KING: You can't say, though, to our guests, since where it was found -- the body was found a mile from your home -- that it was a 100 percent surprise that it was Caylee.

I don't want to put words in your mouth.

Was it a surprise?

G. ANTHONY: We didn't really realize that it actually was Caylee until, I think, about eight or nine days later, until it was confirmed it actually was her.

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes.

KING: Was it a surprise then?

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes. It was.

KING: Is it still a surprise?

G. ANTHONY: It's still a surprise because that's something we live with the rest -- ever since this has been -- happened to us. We live with that every day.

KING: Do you talk to Caylee a lot -- I mean, you talk to your daughter...

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes, I talk to Caylee, too.

KING: ...Casey a lot?

Yes. I guess you talk to Caylee, too.

CINDY ANTHONY: I talk to Caylee every day.

KING: Do you talk to Casey a lot?

CINDY ANTHONY: I haven't spoken to Casey in person since October the 14th. We write.

KING: Why not in person?

CINDY ANTHONY: Because every time we go to the -- to the jail to see her, it's videotaped and then it's all over "NANCY GRACE" and, you know, the 6:00 news.

KING: So you can't go to -- you don't go to the jail because there's too much attention?

G. ANTHONY: Well, there's a lot of attention, because like Cindy just said, everything that we do, it's released automatically right out to the media.

KING: Brad, not -- as an attorney, isn't there a way you can arrange with the jail to have her brought in -- to have them brought in in kind of an incognito way to see their daughter?

CONWAY: What we've been able to do is we can keep them -- we can ask them for -- to stop videotaping. And they will do that. But it will be monitored and it would be taped. And that would probably be released.

I don't see the down side to that. They -- they have good things to say to their daughter -- I love you and their prayers are with her. And so I don't see a down side to going in there. And I don't see a down side to -- to that being broadcast.

KING: How do you explain, Cindy, the body being found so close to home?

CINDY ANTHONY: I can't explain it. I mean it's not -- I can't explain it. I don't know if anybody can right now.

KING: What do you say when you ask Cindy about it?

What does she say?

CINDY ANTHONY: You mean...

KING: I mean Casey. They're all Cs here.

CINDY ANTHONY: I have not had a chance to speak to Casey since all of this happened.

KING: Well, you say you talk to her on the phone?

CINDY ANTHONY: No, in letters.

KING: Oh letters.

CINDY ANTHONY: Uh-huh.

KING: You can't even talk to her -- why can't she talk on the phone? CONWAY: That's also monitored. But, you know, they don't talk about the case, Larry. This is something that's pending. And part of the problem has been the pretrial publicity.

So, in terms of discussing any issues about the case, it just doesn't happen. And it -- and it shouldn't.

KING: No.

But you have thoughts, don't you, George?

I mean -- I would -- wouldn't you ask your daughter, what's -- what's going on?

I mean I would.

G. ANTHONY: Well, I mean there's so many things I really would like to know, but there's a lot of things I just don't know. I mean I...

KING: But you've got to ask.

G. ANTHONY: I wish I had an opportunity to talk to my daughter. But, again, we don't have that chance. We don't have that opportunity to really sit down and talk to her. We just don't.

KING: So if the jail -- if the calls are monitored, they could use that against anything said?

G. ANTHONY: Yes, sir.

CONWAY: Absolutely. And that's the idea. All of the visitations are monitored at the jail, regardless of whether it's Casey Anthony or -- or some other individual. They're all monitored and they're all recorded. But they rarely make -- makes the sensational headlines that this case does.

KING: But logically, George, if she's not involved, what could be said that could harm her?

CINDY ANTHONY: You know, people pick everything apart. If Casey cries, she's not crying enough. If she smiles at us like she did in court the first time she saw us, then she's smiling for the wrong reasons.

So, I mean, no matter what Casey does, it's wrong in the public's eyes right now. So for us going in to see her, it's only going to hurt her, because people are going to pick it apart.

And then look at the negative stuff about us. George and I haven't done anything, but, you know.

KING: (INAUDIBLE) do you think Casey Anthony is going to be convicted?

I don't know how you can base that, there's no trial yet, but we'll try. That's tonight's Quick Vote question. Go to CNN.com/larryking now and cast your ballot. While you're there, send the Anthonys a question.

Did they ever ask the daughter about the killing?

Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're talking to George and Cindy Anthony.

Their attorney, Brad Conway, is also here.

We asked the Florida State attorney's office for a statement regarding the case against Casey. Here's part of the response: "Our pis -- our position remains that we will not publicly comment on the facts and circumstances surrounding a pending case."

Has the prosecution been above board in that regard?

Have they not taken this to the public?

CONWAY: They have. Their -- their release of documents has gone out to the public in -- in thousands of pages. And then, of course, that gets back to the...

KING: In advance of the trial?

CONWAY: Yes, sir.

KING: All right. The heart of -- the body is stuffed in a laundry bag. The skull is wrapped in duct tape.

Could you imagine your daughter would do that?

CINDY ANTHONY: No. And I don't...

CONWAY: The duct tape probably was not wrapped around the skull. There are -- the forensics...

KING: Well, what do we know and what don't we know?

CONWAY: We know that there was no flesh and no hair attached to the -- to the duct tape, yet that's what goes out in the media and that's what people assume to be true. And that's the unfair part, is that this -- this young lady has not had her opportunity in court, yet -- yet people have drawn conclusions from discovery that's out there.

Discovery is documents that are put forth by the state testing, statements, written statements, oral statements, taped statements. But evidence is what happens in court.

KING: George, understand -- everyone understands the love of a daughter or the love of a child. If it were my child, I'd be right there with them every second of the day.

But I would be wondering, did he do this?

Do you wonder that?

G. ANTHONY: I think I said it back in August of last year, I don't want to believe that I'd have a child that could harm someone else. And I -- I still don't believe that. I mean there's a lot more to this that I don't even know yet that we'll be finding out, I'm sure, somewhere down the road, somehow, some way.

But to say that I believe my daughter would hurt my granddaughter, no.

KING: You were destroyed once so bad that you almost hurt yourself, right?

G. ANTHONY: Yes, I did because there's just so much that a person can take. You know, you're trying to protect your family. I never really cared about myself. All I ever cared about was how my wife was going to be taken care of, my son, my daughter and do whatever I could, you know, to protect them. I think anyone would do the same thing.

KING: Cindy, the meter reader who found the body alerted the authorities as far back as August about a suspicious bag. This tip wasn't acted on.

Do you think there would be any difference if the body were found earlier?

CINDY ANTHONY: I'm sure there would be, if -- if she was really there back in August. I'm not convinced of that yet.

KING: There is a video of Casey's reaction to hearing about Caylee's discovery. It's not been made public. We understand she hyperventilated and asked for medication.

Is that your understanding?

CINDY ANTHONY: That's my understanding, yes.

KING: Yours too?

G. ANTHONY: Yes.

KING: Yours too?

CONWAY: Yes.

KING: Does it indicate anything to you?

CONWAY: I think it indicates the reaction of a person that's heard horrible news. Everybody reacts differently. And to assume that -- that it's a bad reaction is unfair to her.

KING: OK. Back to the public factor. They're taking it out on you. Let's get a little deeper into that. Why, do you think?

I mean you're not charged with this murder. You're standing by your daughter -- no, who wouldn't stand by the daughter?

Why are they mad at you?

CINDY ANTHONY: Good question. They don't understand...

KING: What?

CINDY ANTHONY: I don't know. I don't know. They don't understand. They don't understand unconditional love. They don't understand...

KING: You think all these people are saying well, if it were my daughter, I wouldn't stand by her?

If it were my son...

CINDY ANTHONY: I don't know.

KING: ...I'd leave him?

CINDY ANTHONY: I don't know if they are. If these people actually have children, you know -- I don't know what the -- who these bloggers are. I don't know.

I get thousands of letters of people that are mothers and grandmothers that support me 100 percent. They're not bloggers. Bloggers, typically, are people that want to find fault with other things because that's what they do and that's how they spend their life. And it's kind of sad.

If they would use that energy into something positive like we're trying to do, you know...

KING: Are you trying to find a murderer?

I mean do you have a private detective?

Do you have anybody working on this...

CINDY ANTHONY: You know...

KING: ...on your or your daughter's behalf?

CINDY ANTHONY: We have a private investigator who's still investigating Caylee's disappearance. The defense has private investigators. And we're leaving them to their job.

Our focus now is, you know, making something good come out of our tragedy for Caylee.

KING: George and Cindy are answering your questions tonight. Go to cnn.com/larryking and ask them what you want to know. We'll be back in 60 seconds with some blog comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: As you know, we have had thousands and thousands of comments from viewers. This stack in front of me is just a sample -- a small sample of the comments submitted.

Obviously, we don't have time for them all, but let's get to a few.

Brandi writes: "Cindy and George's stories change. The truth does not change."

From Judy: "You have to deal with your own grief before you can help others."

Barbara: "Why can't the Anthonys volunteer by helping children without being in the public eye?"

Cynthia writes: "They're blaming everyone except their daughter for what has happened. They do need to support their daughter, like any other parent would do, but not be blinded by the evidence that probably would show their daughter guilty."

And, lastly, from Susan: "The media circus around this is appalling. I do not know if Casey is guilty, nor does anyone else. This will be determined in a court of law."

That is not being presumed here, right?

We are not presuming innocence in this matter.

But, in fact, George, are you -- do you ever think you might be blinded by the fact that she's your daughter?

G. ANTHONY: I'm not blinded by anything. I mean I -- I attack everything every day with an open mind. I mean, I don't let someone speak for me or someone to put ideas into my head that -- I'm pretty -- I don't want to say I'm an intelligent guy, but I can make up my own mind. I mean, I know what's going on with a lot of things.

CINDY ANTHONY: I watched my daughter for nearly three years be the best mom. I mean she's loving and caring. And there's nobody that has come forward that said that Casey wasn't anything other than a loving mother.

KING: So there's no motive involved?

CINDY ANTHONY: There's no motive involved.

KING: Did you ever ask her if she did it?

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes.

KING: And she says? CINDY ANTHONY: No. And I believed her.

KING: Well, then she must be going nuts...

CINDY ANTHONY: Of course she is.

KING: ...wondering not that her daughter is just gone, who did it, right?

CINDY ANTHONY: Exactly. Exactly.

KING: And you must be going nuts.

CINDY ANTHONY: Exactly.

KING: So shouldn't all the prime time here being spent, be spent on this private investigator?

CINDY ANTHONY: Absolutely. Absolutely. But, you know, I'm letting them do their jobs. I got involved when there were tips regarding Caylee, you know, helping follow up. But I have no idea, you know, where to start with this. That's their job.

KING: Brad, is this a rock and a hard place?

CONWAY: It is a rock and a hard place. What the Anthonys are trying to do is deal with the grief of the loss of their granddaughter while trying to help other people out. And, unfortunately, there are going to be a lot of people that go through what they go through. The only way to take a negative thing and make a positive is share their grief publicly and let people know that it's OK to do this.

KING: The Anthonys have written a Web exclusive responding to their critics.

Go to CNN.com/larryking and read what they to say. You won't see it anywhere else.

Keep your eye on the bottom of the screen. You might see more of your comments there.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with George and Cindy Anthony.

And their attorney is here, as well.

Brad Conway, this is kind of a Shakespearean -- it's kind of a Greek tragedy.

George, you said you -- as we discussed you were trying to harm yourself.

You did write a note, right? G. ANTHONY: I did write, I believe, a seven or eight page...

KING: Trying to say what?

G. ANTHONY: Just trying to find my family I'm -- that I just couldn't take it no more. I just -- to tell Cindy how I felt about her and my son and not having Caylee around, not having Casey around. My gosh, that's my family.

KING: Did any of it have -- trying to harm yourself -- have to do with the thought that Caylee might have harmed?

G. ANTHONY: No. Cay...

KING: That Caylee might have been harmed?

G. ANTHONY: I never said anything like that. No, sir. I did not.

KING: You never thought Casey...

G. ANTHONY: No.

KING: Did you ever try to harm yourself?

CINDY ANTHONY: I wrote notes. I wrote suicide notes, but I never acted on it.

KING: Because?

CINDY ANTHONY: You know, when you are away from someone and something is ripped out of your -- your life so suddenly, I mean the thought of Caylee being with someone else -- I mean, not knowing where she's at. I mean, you know how panicked you get if you lose your car keys or your cell phone?

Imagine a child -- not having that child around. And, you know, weeks into it, not knowing where she was at and what had happened to her was devastating. And it was very hard. It was hard to get up in the morning and, you know, and go on with your day. And, yes, you get -- you get to a point where you feel like there's no hope.

KING: What stopped you?

CINDY ANTHONY: My faith. You know, I knew that's not the right -- it's not the right thing to do. I mean, you think about it. I mean I think anybody in a -- in a situation where something bad happens to you, you start feeling hopeless. But my faith and my friends.

KING: But none of it had anything to do with the thought that your daughter did it?

CINDY ANTHONY: No. In fact, at that time, I still -- you know, still believed and had hopes that Caylee was alive.

KING: Yes.

Before Caylee was found, a jail visit with you and your daughter was taped.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASEY ANTHONY: My only concern is that Caylee comes back to us and she's smiling and that she's happy and that she's -- that she's OK.

CINDY ANTHONY: OK.

What do you want me to tell Caylee?

CASEY ANTHONY: That mommy loves her very much. And she's the most important thing in this entire world to me. And to be brave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, no one can know everything and no one was there when this happened.

How do you know, George, how do you know Casey didn't do it?

G. ANTHONY: Just knowing the kind of mother that she was with Caylee when she was around us. I mean, I've seen love every single day with her. I mean they both lived with us. When Caylee was born, she came to live with us. Casey at a house we were at, that's where Casey lived at.

I mean we -- we were with that child nearly every day and...

KING: So it's not fathomable to you?

G. ANTHONY: No, because -- because I saw how she took care of her daughter.

KING: Was Casey ever -- ever harmed as a child?

G. ANTHONY: No.

KING: Because sometimes people will do vicious things when they've been (INAUDIBLE), not necessarily by you...

CINDY ANTHONY: No.

KING: ...an uncle, aunt, someone?

CINDY ANTHONY: No.

G. ANTHONY: Yes, no.

KING: Do you completely believe she didn't do it?

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes, I do.

KING: Completely?

CINDY ANTHONY: Yes. I see the love in Casey's eyes. Every single picture that you see of Caylee and Casey together, you can see the love in their eyes.

KING: But she did act kind of weirdly, didn't she, at times?

No?

CINDY ANTHONY: You know, she's a -- she's a 20 -- she was a 22- year-old kid at the time. I mean she just turned 23 in March. But I don't know, you know, what weirdly means. I mean...

KING: Well, there have been reports that she was, you know, out partying and...

CINDY ANTHONY: That's not weird. I partied at 21 and 22 years old, too.

KING: Not when your daughter is missing.

CINDY ANTHONY: You know, I -- I don't know. That one picture. One...

KING: Do you know Casey, Brad?

CINDY ANTHONY: ...one time.

KING: Do you know her?

CONWAY: No, I never met Casey. I haven't seen her (INAUDIBLE).

KING: What do you make of this whole thing?

CONWAY: It's difficult to make anything of it because I don't know her and all the facts aren't out. There's one side that's out. The defense hasn't had its opportunity to present its side of it. And so you're looking at what the prosecution has, period. That's it.

KING: Are you surprised, as a lawyer, that they're seeking the death penalty already?

CONWAY: Very. In a case like this, typically when you have a family involvement in a death, it is not a death penalty case. Usually it's a stranger on a stranger where the death penalty comes in.

KING: I'm still confused, George.

Why -- despite all the media and stuff, why didn't you go see her?

G. ANTHONY: Because then, again, everything is going to be released. KING: But she's not going to say anything incriminating, because she didn't do it.

G. ANTHONY: Well, that's -- that's very true. But she just -- she wants us to just be strong and to keep our thoughts and our feelings working in a direction that's going to be positive in Caylee's name to help her.

KING: Don't you want to go, Cindy?

CINDY ANTHONY: Oh, every day. Every day.

KING: So go.

What -- what's the worst case scenario?

CINDY ANTHONY: Watching them pick her apart again on the evening news or...

KING: Assuming she would say something.

But let's say she...

CINDY ANTHONY: It doesn't matter what Casey says. If she says she loves us, someone is going to pick it apart.

KING: Where is this all going?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with the Anthonys on LARRY KING LIVE. With us is their attorney, Brad Conway. Cindy, you were the first to call authorities last July to say you hadn't seen Caylee for a month and that your daughter's car smelled like it had a dead body in it. Didn't you worry that that would be kind of presumptive from the state to make a case out this?

C. ANTHONY: You know, Larry, on July 15th, all I wanted was the police department out to my house out to help me look for Caylee.

KING: Did you smell the smell?

C. ANTHONY: I smelled a smell in the car. I smelled it in my refrigerator with sour food.

KING: Do you regret making that statement?

C. ANTHONY: I can't say I have any regrets for anything.

KING: There is nothing you would take back?

C. ANTHONY: You can't go back. You have to move forward.

KING: Do you have any idea why Caylee didn't call police all the time her daughter was missing?

C. ANTHONY: Casey?

KING: I'm sorry. There's so many Cs.

C. ANTHONY: I can't answer that. Casey was probably grieving as best as she could.

KING: Yes but, isn't that --

C. ANTHONY: It doesn't make her guilty.

KING: No, but weird.

C. ANTHONY: It doesn't make her guilty. Yes, but a lot of people do weird things under stress, under tragedy. So it doesn't make you guilty.

KING: George, you've wondered about that?

G. ANTHONY: I wonder about a lot of thins. I don't know what Casey was doing at time with Caylee. Out some times that she was out with her. I know she was taking care of her as best she possibly could. Friends have told us that, that she's a good mom.

KING: What about those photos showing her out dancing, having fun, while her child was missing?

C. ANTHONY: That's one evening.

KING: One evening. That's a lot, one evening.

C. ANTHONY: One evening. Again, who knows? She could have been in shock. I don't know. You know?

KING: Can you ask her? Casey, why were you out dancing?

C. ANTHONY: She was there, she said, looking for clues and people that could help her find Caylee?

KING: That's believable to you? It sounds funny.

C. ANTHONY: You know, it sounds funny. We don't have the whole story. What can I say?

KING: Have you ever pressed your daughter?

G. ANTHONY: I talk to my daughter as much as I possibly could. But then again, we never got a chance to really talk to her as much because of the investigation.

C. ANTHONY: She was home. We talked to her.

G. ANTHONY: At different times, but not the way I wanted to sometimes. KING: The key evidence. Prosecutors say they have a diary entry allegedly made by Casey days after Caylee's death. It's dated June 21st. And Casey allegedly writes, I have no regrets, just a bit worried. I completely trust my own judgment. I know I made the right decision. I just hope the end justifies the means.

She also allegedly writes, "this is the happiest that I've been in a very long time."

That's not saying anything specific, but generally it does add to the question.

C. ANTHONY: One thing that people -- you know, that went out there and that was clarified. That was written in 2005 before Caylee was even born. We have the diary. Brad has the diary --

KING: Help me here, Brad, because that's supposed to be key evidence here.

CONWAY: Larry, I've got custody of that diary. That was written in 2003, June 21st, two years before Caylee was even born.

KING: Who introduced it? Who brought this to the public?

CONWAY: That was disclosed along with the state's discovery.

KING: Why would the prosecutor issue something that was two years before the baby was born?

CONWAY: Because it was released with the discovery.

C. ANTHONY: No, it wasn't, Brad. It wasn't. Let me explain. The prosecutor didn't have that diary, didn't look at the diary. We had it. Someone at the Sheriff's department took a picture of the diary while they were in our house. We have possession of the diary. And leaked it to the media, and the media ran with it.

And then, a few weeks later, Brad showed the state's attorney's office the diary. They don't want it, because it's not evidence.

KING: Can for forensics authorize the date?

CONWAY: Sure, absolutely.

KING: Will you turn it over to a forensic expert?

CONWAY: Absolutely. It's in my state of keeping as an officer of the court. If the defense wants it, it's theirs.

KING: Do the Anthonys want her to testify? Find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: George and Cindy Anthony are with us tonight, their attorney as well. We asked the Florida State Attorney's office for a statement. Here's a part of their response. "Our position remains that we will not publicly comment on the facts and circumstances surrounding a pending case."

All right. That diary looks weird. Let's take a look at what is supposed to be more key evidence. According to detective's reports, evidence found at the crime scene match items in your home where Casey and Caylee live. The remains were found in a laundry bag and a plastic bag similar to ones found at the home.

How do you respond, George? Again, that may not come in evidence. We don't know what comes in evidence until it's in evidence. This reportedly is true. How do you respond?

G. ANTHONY: I'll defer that question over to Brad.

CONWAY: Larry, that's all information that I think is probably best brought out at trial. That's information that needs to come out, because it's not -- hasn't been verified. And of course it would match. There were thins that were taken from the home that belong to Caylee. So of course things would match. That makes perfect sense.

KING: What's the key part, in your opinion, of the prosecution's case?

CONWAY: They have a circumstantial case. And a circumstantial case is like a chain. It's only as strong as the weakest link. And those weak links are what we call reasonable doubt. One weak link is enough to take the case apart.

KING: We have a blog question for George from Renee in Gas City, Indiana. "George, as a former detective, regardless of Casey being your daughter or not, what's your feelings about the strong evidence that's been mounted against her?"

G. ANTHONY: Well, in the first place, whenever I worked as a detective, which was a long, long time ago, I never presumed anything until I had all of the facts in front of me. I never conferred with anyone higher than the other gentleman I was working with, like a regular detective. I kept everything close knit. We didn't really say anything. I never discussed it with anyone.

KING: This kind of case, wouldn't it lead you down that suspicious trail? Wouldn't you understand where the detectives were going with this?

G. ANTHONY: I would want to have everything in front of me before I made any kind of conclusion at all. I really don't think that happened. I don't think that happened.

KING: Do you mean you would have made no arrests?

G. ANTHONY: I don't think I would have made an arrest, no. I really don't.

C. ANTHONY: They made an arrest based on the fact that she lied about where she worked. That had nothing to do with Caylee.

KING: Why did she lie? C. ANTHONY: I don't really know. I don't really know. Maybe to be with Caylee more, you know. I don't know.

KING: October is when this trial is supposed to start. Do you think it won't start?

CONWAY: I do not think it will start in October. October 12th is when it's set now. But there's got to be a death qualified attorney that's got to come in and start preparing this from the beginning. I don't think that's enough time for him or her to prepare for October.

KING: The supposed hard sticker evidence, the duct tape covering Caylee's mouth allegedly had a heart-shaped residue, apparently from a sticker. And a sheet of a heart shaped stickers, with some missing, was found at your home. How do you explain that?

CONWAY: Not true.

KING: What do you mean?

CONWAY:There was no heart-shaped sticker on the duct tape

KING: Who reported that?

CONWAY: That's speculation that comes from the thousands of pages are --

KING: How can you speculate a heart-shaped thing on a duct tape. It's either there or it isn't there? How do you speculate that?

CONWAY: There were items found within the bag and within the area. And people want to put them together, but they are not together.

KING: This -- the tough part here is motive, isn't it?

CONWAY: It is.

KING: Why?

CONWAY: Motive isn't -- is not a necessary part of the prosecution's case.

KING: You don't have to have motive.

CONWAY: Motive helps people understand why something happened and there is no motive.

KING: Is there any, in your mind, any other suspect?

You don't have to name them or her?

CONWAY: I don't think they can really comment on that right now, Larry. KING: OK. What would be the appropriate penalty for a person who did kill Caylee? George and Cindy will tell us their thoughts next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: It would be wise to remember that Caylee is the true focus here tonight. In fact, a foundation has been established, on which we'll ask the Anthonys in a little while. A tribute was written for her and performed at the memorial service by the Anthonys' friend John Whyknock (ph). Here he is with "Caylee's Song."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Music written by John and lyrics by our own Cindy here. Sometimes there's no way to make a graceful transition, except to say we're changing directions just for a couple of minutes.

It's time for tonight's hero. We do this every week. We salute a man who made sacrifices in his own life to help the people of Honduras. Shin Fujiyama tells us what inspired him to aid the poorest of the poor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIN FUJIYAMA, CNN HERO: Back in college, at the University of Mary Washington, I was traveling a lot in Latin America. At the same time, my little sister Cosmo, we both ended up in Honduras on a volunteer trip. We were working with different orphanages and different villages.

We met a little girl named Carmen. She was from this really poor village. All of the homes there were made out of cardboard and rotten tin. She asked us for our help. She wanted us to help build homes for her and her friends.

We were just students and everything. We went back to campus and we really started to get everybody involved. We were doing little fund-raisers like bake sales here and there. We weren't able to raise a lot of money until we started to get all of our friends involved.

KING: How do you get other students to do what do you?

FUJIYAMA: It's really easy. All you've got to do is meet the kids, meet the families, and really get to know who they are, bring in the stories back to campus and back home. And, you know, working real hard to raise money and spreading the message.

KING: You still want to be a doctor, right?

FUJIYAMA: I think for now I am trying to help these other kids become doctors. I think that's my challenge. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, that is a hero. Thanks, Shin, for all your good work. Best to you and students helping Honduras. Back with the Anthonys right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

KING: Back with the Anthonys. In the last segment, we talked about that was started. It involves this cute little bear here. Would you favor that whoever did this crime should face the death penalty?

C. ANTHONY: You know, I'm not a fan of the death penalty for anybody.

KING: So you're opposed to it?

C. ANTHONY: Right.

KING: George?

G. ANTHONY: I'm opposed to it.

KING: Most detectives would agree with that or not?

G. ANTHONY: I think most would.

KING: Would agree to throw it out? Let's take a call. Indianapolis, Indiana, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry. I have a question for the Anthonys. What will they do if their daughter is found guilty? Will they still support her or will they cut all ties?

KING: It's a --

C. ANTHONY: I can't cut tie from my own flesh and blood, so no.

KING: Do you expect to testify, George?

G. ANTHONY: I'm sure we'll be in court when everything comes, probably sometime next year.

KING: Do you think they'll be called, Brad, both?

CONWAY: Yes, sir, they will.

KING: Of course, being around the scene and --

CONWAY: Yes.

KING: We go to Dearborn, Michigan. Hello. CALLER: Yes, hi, Larry, George and Cindy. First, I wanted to thank you for that beautiful memorial. It helped me on a personal level, and it was greatly appreciated. My question is, where do you find the strength to support your daughter when everyone seems to be against her?

C. ANTHONY: Um, look up every single day. You know, my faith has gotten stronger and stronger every day through these last nine months. And, you know, you listen to people that talk about tragedies, and some people lose their faith, because they can't imagine a God doing something that horrible. But it's -- you know, what God has given us is a way to look at something good out of a negative thing. He can't prevent bad things from happening.

KING: George, do you want her to testify, Casey?

G. ANTHONY: That's going to be up to her attorney. However that will play out, I have no comment about that. I really can't say.

KING: You think that will be a key part here?

CONWAY: That's a hard question. No criminal defense lawyer decides whether to put his clients on the stand until the state has rested.

KING: And it finally rests with the client, doesn't it?

CONWAY: It does. It always does, yes, sir.

KING: We have a blog question from Jamie -- "if Casey is innocent, as you say, and you have information to prove it, why put such a cost burden on the taxpayers of Orange County, Florida? If you can put an end to this with any information, why not just come forward with it?"

C. ANTHONY: We don't have proof that she didn't do it, but there's a lot of proof -- or there's a lot of evidence out there that doesn't prove that she's done it.

KING: So you don't have the reverse. That's like proving a negative.

C. ANTHONY: Right.

KING: You have a suspect in your mind. You seemed to indicate that, right? But you don't have proof about that suspect.

C. ANTHONY: Right.

KING: Are you at all -- any air of optimism about this?

C. ANTHONY: Yes, I think if people do the right thing and they take the oath as a juror, and do the right thing and listen to the evidence, you know --

KING: So you have hope? C. ANTHONY: Absolutely.

KING: Even if your comments don't make it on the air, we still read them all, and we always want to hear from you at CNN.com/LarryKing. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Back with Anthonys. What's this foundation about?

C. ANTHONY: Well, it's to preserve Caylee's memory. When we were all looking for Caylee, there were a lot of people affected by this, and the best way we could figure out to keep her name and to have something good come out of this is to start the foundation. We actually thought about it back in September when --

KING: Before an arrest was made?

C. ANTHONY: Before anything. This was mainly because if you don't keep the focus of the child out in the media, the child will guest lost in all of this.

KING: Where does the money go?

C. ANTHONY: What we're going to do with this is counseling for families, and helping them get established when a child goes missing.

KING: Psychologists to deal with this?

C. ANTHONY: We're going to help them the best we can.

KING: What's the bear for?

C. ANTHONY: What the bear is for -- our first project is kind of like a thank you back to law enforcement agencies. Especially we're going to start with Orange County.

KING: Police?

C. ANTHONY: Police departments, sheriff departments. Give them the bears so they have them with their officers.

KING: Are you giving it to people who support the foundation too?

C. ANTHONY: Um, no, what we want is any money that's brought in will go into the projects. The bear we'll give to the first responders so that if there's a child that's there and they're upset, they can give the bear to help calm the child down.

KING: Where do people contact you?

C. ANTHONY: We have our website. It's WWW.CayleeMarieAnthonyFoundation.net.

KING: All one word? C. ANTHONY: Yes.

KING: WWW.CayleeMarieAnthonyFoundation.net. In that connection, we have an e-mail from Eileen about that foundation -- "they say it's a charitable foundation, not-for-profit. Who's paid a salary?" Who are the directors?

C. ANTHONY: There's no salaries being paid. I'm president. George and my son and we have four other directors that are not family related, that are part of it. We do not expect to collect a salary. What we want to do is put all the monies into -- back into helping other people.

KING: How old is your son?

C. ANTHONY: My son is 26.

KING: What does he do?

C. ANTHONY: He works for an event management company.

KING: How does he handle all this?

C. ANTHONY: The best that he can.

KING: Chippewa Falls, hello.

CALLER: I just wondered, Cindy said Casey was only partying for one night? How come she had so many different outfits on?

C. ANTHONY: That's a good question, ma'am. All the different outfits, those were from -- back from when she was 20, 21, 22 years old. They've taken every single picture off my daughter's Facebook and made them look like that's something she was doing in June and July.

KING: Done by whom?

C. ANTHONY: Who?

CONWAY: Bloggers, media.

KING: You mean the picture was from five years ago and they're playing it as if it happened now?

C. ANTHONY: Yes. The one picture of her hanging over her toilet was the 21st birthday. My son took her out with all of her friends for her 21st birthday. I was invited to that party, but I chose to stay home and take care of Caylee.

You know, she's hanging out with her friends. There's only one picture during that time that Caylee was missing, and that's the one with her with a blue dress on. And she was actually working that night.

KING: Do you sleep good, George? G. ANTHONY: I think if we get through three, maybe four hours of sleep a night, we're lucky. You can't sleep.

KING: You too?

C. ANTHONY: It's rough.

KING: Do you think -- we only have a few seconds -- you might go see her, no matter what?

C. ANTHONY: You know, if they could keep it out of the media, I would love to go see her. I don't want anything to hurt Casey.

KING: Thank you, we appreciate. And, of course, thank you, too, Brad Conway, for coming aboard.

CONWAY: Thank you.

KING: Time now for Anderson Cooper and "AC 360." Anderson?