Roy Kronk: State's star witness or Anthony defense's best shot?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-casey-anthony-kronk-20091120,0,4392196.story
By Sarah Lundy
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 21, 2009
For almost a year, Roy Kronk has been heralded as the man who did what others could not: He found missing toddler Caylee Anthony's remains in woods near her family home.

The former Orange County meter reader appeared to be a blessing for
investigators, leading them to a crime scene filled with forensic
evidence. Detectives said their findings shored up their case against
Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, who is charged with first-degree murder.

Now, Anthony's defense team hopes Kronk will become reasonable doubt to a jury.

Legal documents filed this week reveal interviews with Kronk's
ex-wives, his son and a daughter of another ex-girlfriend. They paint a
picture of a man with a shady past and a history of abusing and
restraining women. He is "equally likely to be responsible for the
death of the child," the defense wrote.

Kronk has never been charged, and the claims could not be independently verified. He denies the claims.

Anthony's attorneys want Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland to
allow them to present these details to a jury to show there is another
reasonable suspect who may have killed Caylee.

Some legal experts say this is an attack on a witness and the defense
will have a hard time showing how these prior acts are relevant to the
case. Others say it's a smart move by Anthony's attorneys to create
reasonable doubt.

The first hurdle is getting the judge's approval.

"I wouldn't be shocked that he allows it, but it's a long shot," said University of Florida law professor Michael Seigel. "It can be prejudicial against the witness."

Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi — who is not associated with the case — said Kronk is not on trial.

The defense will try to point their fingers at as many people as
possible to draw attention away from Anthony. But, Bondi said, the
state has a strong circumstantial case.

"It is going to be extremely difficult for the defense to minimize the state's evidence," she said.

The case began July 15, 2008, after Anthony told her family that Caylee
had been missing for a month. She explained to investigators that she
left the 2-year-old with a nanny and returned later in the day to find
them both gone. Detectives determined the nanny never existed.

Five months later, Kronk found Caylee's skull in a bag in woods Dec.
11. He alerted investigators that he had contacted authorities about a
suspicious bag in August — but deputies shrugged off his tips.

Some defense attorneys argued the state's circumstantial case opens the door to suggest others could be involved.

Prosecutors must show that no one else could have murdered Caylee other
than her mother. If Anthony's attorneys can raise the idea that another
person with motive, means and opportunity committed the killing, they
are building the argument that the state failed to do its job.

They will try to convince jurors that investigators were so focused on Anthony that they refused to consider other suspects.

"It's going to become a question for the jury. The jury is going to
have to decide if it raises reasonable doubt," said Geoffrey Corn, a
professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston.

It also sets the stage for a potential appeal later, he said.

And, if the judge denies the request, the defense has planted a seed in
the public mind that Kronk isn't as upstanding as he was once portrayed.

"It does sound like an opportunity to taint the jury pool," Seigel said. "That is a victory even if the motion is denied."

Bianca Prieto of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Sarah Lundy can be reached at slundy@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218.


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