My Florida Encounter With Casey Anthony

Casey Spotted In Rental Truck, Towing Trailer Near Lake Placid, Fl.

LABELLE, FL. -- A small rental moving truck with Arizona plates pulls up to the Shell station gas pump on a Sunday afternoon, August 13th, towing a white camping trailer about 20-foot long. I think I've spotted Casey Anthony.

It's a very rural area of Highlands County on U.S. 27 at the intersection of Florida's State Road 70.  I'm out just riding around the county roads on my scooter, now needing some gas, I'm at the Shell station.

The camping trailer displays Florida tags. Wonder why a rental truck is towing a camping trailer.

Head east on SR70 and you end up in the fishing town of Okeechobee, on the north side of the nation's second largest freshwater lake, Lake Okeechobee. The Bass Fishing Capital Of The World, they say.

A 30s looking man wearing nothing more than a wet pair of shorts is driving the truck. His bare feet up to his mid calf are as dirty as you can get. A woman looking exactly like Casey Anthony talks to the driver. It's a bit odd. I'm thinking why would Casey be here with a guy with dirty feet?

I notice there are about three "mud trucks" on trailers at the gas station across the street and one at this one. I'm thinking there must have been a "mudding" event somewhere in South Florida where the beat up trucks play in the mud, racing and generally having a good time.

I'm now guessing "Casey" and her wet-shorts, dirty footed companion have just returned from mudding.

Casey was not dirty at all. Somehow I can't picture Casey Anthony getting dirty. She was not at all overweight as some have said she is now appearing after her release from the Orange County Jail in July.

"Casey" has walked up to the driver's side, and talks with the man a minute or so. She looks so familiar. "It's really Casey Anthony!" my mind silently screams. Just like on TV, but with the more relaxed hair style.

I carry a video camera most places, just in case. Today, however, my senses said I should be a bit discreet and not grab the camera and start shooting. If it's really her and she's with the mud truck crowd, I might be in a bit of an uncomfortable situation, camera in hand pointing at Casey and companion.

I decide to not take pictures.

The woman, I'm now convinced is Casey Anthony, wearing a pony tail, in shorts and tank top, oddly climbs in the driver's side of the rental truck and climbs over to the passenger side.

I go around the back of the trailer, discreetly looking in the windows to see what I can see and then drive my scooter around to the truck passenger side to get another glimpse of the woman. I'm sure it's her.

But why is she here?

Jose Baez Sends Casey To Okeechobee, Florida?

On August 22nd, multiple reports are being twittered that Casey is in Okeechobee, Florida, "spotted around town." The town is 50 miles directly east on State Road 70 from the Shell station where I believe I saw her on August 13th.

The twitter reports say she's "polite and very quiet" and the people are not making much of her appearance in the small town.

Her attorney Jose Baez confirmed on the Geraldo Rivera show on Fox this Sunday that's she is in Florida and ready to appear for her one-year probation condition on her fraudulent check convictions. An appeal had been filed with the Florida Court of Appeals, and he wanted her to be in Florida should a decision be rendered this week.

Baez said she's with "spiritual advisers," helping her get her life back on track. The guy driving the truck didn't appear to be a spiritual adviser, but then what do I know?

Update: Today, the Court of Appeals denied Baez' motion, and Anthony will be required to appear at the probation intake office in Orlando by noon, Friday August 26th.