Anthony Motel Room Contained Empty Pill Bottles

Anthony Motel Room Contained Empty Pill Bottles



Friday, January 23, 2009 – updated: 10:43 am EST January 24, 2009ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- George Anthony's granddaughter was murdered and detectives say his daughter did it. It appears it was all too much for the 57-year-old man to take.

Eyewitness News has learned that empty pill bottles were found inside the Daytona Beach motel room where Anthony was found early Friday morning. A lengthy suicide letter written by George Anthony said that he had taken pills.

Sources also said that he had been drinking when he was found by Daytona Beach Police.

Friday afternoon, Eyewitness News obtained the 911 call made from the Anthony home (listen to it | read transcript).

911 CALL: George Reported Missing | Transcript
DOCUMENTS: Sheriff's Incident Report | Dispatch Log
ANTHONY ATTORNEY: "George Has Been Pushed"
TEAM COVERAGE: Suicide Note Found In Motel
AT THE ANTHONY HOME: See Images
GEORGE FOUND: Raw Video | See Images
JOSE BAEZ SPEAKS: Comments Outside Jail
ATTORNEY GABRIEL ADAMS: Refuses To Comment
CHIEF CHITWOOD: Describes Finding George

"George Anthony has been gone since 8:30 this morning and he has taken several bottles of medication from his house," attorney Brad Conway told the 911 dispatcher in the call around 11:00pm Thursday.

George left his home Thursday around 10:30am for a job interview, but Cindy later realized he had taken his two weeks' supply of blood pressure and sleep medication and he had taken a photo of Cindy and Casey with him, but nothing else.

"We're worried he's done something to himself," Conway told the 911 dispatcher.

Cindy Anthony and her attorney were worried, because just moments earlier George had texted some disturbing messages to her and their friends from his cell phone, messages like "he did not want to live anymore" and that "he wanted to be with Caylee." George also texted that "he wanted to be left alone" and "wanted to make sure Caylee was in God's arms."

George would not tell them where he was, but through cell phone data Orange County sheriff's investigators tracked him to Daytona Beach. Police there found his car at the Hawaii Motel on Ridgewood Avenue (raw video | images | map). They found him in his room, melancholy and despondent, but he agreed to go with them to Halifax Medical Center, where he's undergoing psychological evaluation.

MESSAGE BOARD: Justice For Caylee

George had missed several meetings Thursday and cancelled a visit with a friend in Lakeland. Cindy called him, but he didn't answer. She called their friends, but they hadn't heard from him either.

Cindy told investigators that George has been upset and depressed over Caylee's death and she believes his depression deepened the day before when she asked him to choose jewelry for Caylee for her funeral.

Eyewitness News also learned George's son Lee called his cell phone after George had been picked up by Daytona Beach police, but George did not take his call.


SUICIDE LETTER WAS SIX TO EIGHT PAGES

George Anthony seemed alert as he was escorted into the Daytona Beach police chief's car after officers found him in a motel room along with a six to eight page suicide note, sources told Eyewitness News. The Anthonys' spokesperson and attorney, Brad Conway, said the stress and grief had pushed his client to try to commit suicide.

ANTHONY ATTORNEY: "George Has Been Pushed"

"George has been pushed to the brink what might have been another tragedy," Conway said Friday afternoon (watch full interview).

Sources told Eyewitness News, in the letter, George mentioned that he wanted to go to heaven; he only mentioned Casey Anthony a few times and said she was a strong determined person.

Sources said George focused the letter mainly on Caylee, Cindy, Lee and Lee's girlfriend, Mallory; he told Cindy he was a failure as a husband and a father and went on to say Lee was a great son and he was proud of the man he had become.

Sources said there were no clues into Caylee's death mentioned in the letter.

Conway said he doesn't believe the recent revelation that a heart sticker had been put over tape covering Caylee's mouth had anything to do with George's recent cry for help. He believes George has been suffering through the entire ordeal.

"If you ask George how he's doing, he will always tell you he's okay. He's not okay," Conway said.

People close to George Anthony told Eyewitness News he may have been dealing with depression even before Caylee's death.


OUTBURSTS NOT UNCOMMON FOR GEORGE

Casey's parents, George and Cindy, spent months insisting their granddaughter was alive and their daughter would be proven innocent. They have steadfastly supported Casey, despite mounting evidence gathered by investigators in the case.

At times, the stress of the case seemed to weigh heavily on George. On several occasions, he angrily confronted protestors, who gathered outside the family home in east Orange County as they protested against his daughter, and at the media.

WATCH VIDEO: George Confronts Media | George Lashes Out | George Tosses Lawn Furniture | George Shoves Protestors

After most incidents, George apologized, saying the pressure of having his granddaughter missing and his family under such intense scrutiny had gotten to him.


GEORGE ANTHONY GETS BAKER-ACTED

George Anthony has been Baker-acted (Baker Act details). Police, doctors and mental health professionals are allowed to hold someone in a hospital, against their will, for up to 72 hours if they think they're at risk of committing suicide or hurting another person.

George is being watched and he can have visitors, but they have to be approved by security and staff. His wife, Cindy, arrived at the hospital early Friday evening to visit him.

Doctors determined George needed to be hospitalized, but people who talked to him at the hotel, even police, said he seemed almost at ease Thursday night.

George Anthony went with police to the hospital in pants and a collared shirt, alive and well, in much better condition than Police Chief Mike Chitwood said he expected (watch interview with Chitwood).

"I don't think there was any doubt in my mind that he was dead, that he had killed himself," Chitwood said.

But if Anthony really meant to kill himself, he didn't leave many clues. Hotel owners told Eyewitness News that Anthony checked in and said he was just tired of driving for the night. He asked about getting a pizza, paid $35 and went to his room.

"He seemed very friendly, asked about the weather, as well, I think, and that was it. He said he was going to go back home today I think," hotel owner M.J. Patel said.

George let police in with no argument. They found no weapon, a couple of beer cans and empty pill bottles, but no sign he had taken any pills.

Anthony asked police to leave, but because of a letter in the room and the text messages sent to family members, the police chief said he knew Anthony needed to go to the hospital.

"When you look at the totality of the circumstances, the best things for all of us to do was to get him the help that he needed and, obviously, the fact he's been admitted says there's a problem there that needs to be addressed," Chitwood said.

It's going to be up to doctors as to when Anthony can leave and sources inside the hospital told Eyewitness News it's very unlikely that will happen before Saturday.


JOSE BAEZ AT JAIL TO MEET WITH CASEY

Casey Anthony knows about the toll the case has taken on her father. Health services at the Orange County jail told her about his ordeal Friday morning.

JOSE BAEZ SPEAKS: Comments Outside Jail
ATTORNEY GABRIEL ADAMS: Refuses To Comment

Jose Baez told Eyewitness News he got a call from Anthony family attorney Brad Conway on Thursday night that George Anthony was missing. Baez was at the jail visiting Casey until midnight and returned to see her Friday morning around 11:00am.

"She's holding up. That's the best I can say right now," Baez told Eyewitness News (watch full interview).

Gabriel Adam, an attorney and associate of Baez, came to the jail Friday morning to make sure Casey was okay, but had no comment (watch raw video). Corrections Health Services staff had already told Casey about her father's disappearance.

Baez said he wouldn't focus much on George's actions during his Friday visit.

"I have this young lady's life in my hands right now and I have to do the best job I can and that means staying focused the whole time," Baez said.

The mounting case against Casey no doubt led to George leaving home with no plans to go back and it's proof of the major impact on the entire family.

"All the pressure of being under the constant microscope would affect anyone. I think, from day one, this family has been attacked and attacked and attacked," Baez said Friday.

Jail officials haven't made any changes in Casey's status.


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