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Like many parents, State Assemblyman Mike Spano (D-Yonkers) said he was deeply touched by the trial of Casey Anthony, the Florida woman acquitted this week of first-degree murder and aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.
Spano said he was particularly troubled that the girls death was not reported until nearly a month after she was last seen alive. Spano is proposing legislation, dubbed "Caylee's Law," that would make it a felony for parents, caregivers and legal guardians to not notify law enforcement of a child's disappearance within 24 hours. The measure would also make it a felony for a parent, legal guardian or caretaker to not notify police of the death of a child, accidental or otherwise.
"For most parents, notifying law enforcement, as well as neighbors, when your child is missing is almost an immediate instinct, Spano said. The earlier law enforcement is aware of a missing child, the better chance we have of finding the child alive or finding the person responsible for the child's disappearance."
While Anthony was acquitted of the more serious charges, she was convicted of four counts of lying to police. After Anthony's parents notified authorities that they hadn't seen the youngster in nearly four weeks, Casey Anthony concocted a story that she left the child with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez, who kidnapped her. Caylee Anthony's body wasn't discovered until six months later in a wooded area in Orlando.
"What happened in this case was horrifying and the fact that Caylee was not reported missing for 31 days makes it that much more troubling," said Spano. "This legislation provides an additional tool law enforcement can use to help in finding a missing child and will make it easier to prosecute those who choose to harm them."
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