Child's body found near missing girl's home in Florida

WFTV-TV says a girl's body was found this morning near the home of Caylee Anthony, the 3-year-old who disappeared last summer in Orange County, Fla. The girl's mother, Casey Anthony, was charged with murder after detectives found inconsistencies in her story about Caylee's disappearance.

"Sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said a utility worker found the child's remains at 9:32 a.m. and called the sheriff's office," according to the Orlando Sentinel. "The location is less than one-quarter mile from Casey Anthony's home on Hopespring Drive."

Caylee has been missing since June or July.

Update at 11:37 a.m. ET: WKMG-TV says the age and gender of the dead child have yet to be determined.

"Deputies did respond to that area, and once we were on the scene, we determined that we do have the remains of a young child," Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons tells WKMG-TV. "Obviously, our concern is that it's in close proximity to some recent activity in that part of the county, and it's incumbent upon us to determine what we have."


The Orange County Sheriff's Office just posted this update on its website:

At approximately 9:30 AM today the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a telephone call from a man, reported to be a utility worker, who advised he had found what he believed to be the remains of a young child in a wooded area near the intersection of the South Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive. Deputies responded to the area and confirmed the report the Sheriff's Office has recieved [sic] from the caller. The responding deputies secured the scene and made the appropriate notifications. In response to many questions we have recieved on this discovery, the scene is approximately one half mile from the residence of Caylee Anthony. Beyond proximity to Caylee's home we have nothing at time that would link this discovery to the missing child.

The Sheriff's has confirmed that the remains do appear to be those of a young child however the sex, age, or identity of the youngster have not been determined. Investigators have not identified the victim at this point in their investigation nor have they specualted [sic] on the cause and manner of death in this case.