Caylee Doll Sales Halted After Public Outcry

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Caylee Doll Sales Halted After Public Outcry

Doll Sales Halted, But T-Shirts, Bracelets, Stickers Still Available
WJXT-TV
updated 42 minutes ago

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A businessman's plans to sell a doll named after a slain 2-year-old Orlando girl were suspended early Tuesday after public outcry over "The Inspirational Caylee Sunshine Doll."

Caylee Anthony's story touched people across the country. After a five-month search, her body was found in a wooded area near Orlando. Her mother, Casey Anthony, is charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Just over a month after a utility worker found Caylee's remains, Jaime Salcedo's company, Showbiz Promotions, created a doll with intention to donating $3 from the sale of each $29.95 doll to charity.

Salcedo said the 18-inch doll that sings "You Are My Sunshine," the song Caylee Anthony was heard singing in a home video, was created as a tribute to the slain toddler.

Within hours of announcing that Caylee doll would go on sale at noon Tuesday, critics came forward calling the doll morbid and expressing outrage that anyone would try to profit from the slaying of a little girl.

Monday night, Salcedo defended the doll, saying in addition to raising money for a national missing and exploited children's organization, the doll would help promote awareness.

"We want to give … we're not trying to get rich. We're putting ourselves at a whole lot of risk," Salcedo said. "She'll be a banner for missing and exploited children, and people will know and have a better idea how to handle those situations or stop those situations from happening."

Salcedo said the doll looks nothing like Caylee Anthony on purpose because he did not want to offend the Anthony family.

When asked why a $29.99 doll has to be sold for that purpose when most people already know Caylee Anthony's story, Salcedo replied, "The way that they look at it is morbid and all negative, 'Oh, the little girl is killed.' They don't look at the thing that Caylee's in heaven right now and she's dancing and singing and she's joyous and in a better place than any of us here."

By Tuesday morning, the sales were suspended.

"It was very important that we allow the press to present our idea to the public first, in an effort to measure the reaction to our fund raising efforts," Showbiz Promotions said in a statement posted on its Web site Tuesday morning. "After reviewing the response to our media introduction of the Sunshine Caylee Doll and listening to the advice of the general public. We feel that is it best to suspend the launch of The Sunshine Caylee Doll."

Salcedo said he was not contacted by the Anthony family, but did initially receive numerous negative comments about the doll. But he said the second wave of response was supportive.

"Since the suspension, the Web site is now being seen by more people, they're coming to the realization that what we were doing is a positive thing," Salcedo told Channel 4. "We're getting numerous e-mails asking us to put the doll back on sale so there'll be something positive in the news."

Salcedo said while sales of the doll will remain on hold, he is going forward with sales of T-shirts, bracelets and stickers with the saying "Caylee Sunshine." He said 100 percent of the profit will be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Citing a pattern of complaints for non-delivery of ordered products and failure to respond to requests for assistance, the Jacksonville Better Business Bureau gives Showbiz Promotions an F rating. They suggest that customers having an issue with the company contact the

Internet Crime Complain Center

.

Salcedo told Channel 4's Vickie Pierre that those complaints were from issues with the Michael Vick chew toys his company sold. Salcedo said he had worked with the Florida Attorney General's Office to resolve those complaints.

On The Net:

CayleeDoll.com