Was Anthony Private Investigator, Dominic Casey On Cell Phone With Lee Anthony / Was Videotape A Strategy to Aid Casey's Defense

Lee Anthony and Dominic Casey Outside Orange Co. Jail
Soon After Casey Anthony's Arrest

Huge questions are emerging after the release of the Anthony's private investigators' videotape. First, was Dominic Casey on the phone with Lee Anthony? Secondly, was the videotape a ploy just to aid Casey Anthony's defense strategy?

It's some of the biggest evidence yet in the case against Casey Anthony and WFTV was the first to obtain the video of an Anthony family private investigator at the crime scene a full month before Caylee's body was found (watch video scene-by-scene images).

(Geraldo Rivera At Large on Fox News aired portions of the video on Sunday night. Brad Conway was also a guest on the show)

LEE'S ATTORNEY: Portion Of Interview With Tom Luka

VIDEO REPORT: Lee's Attorney Comments On Video

P.I.'s VIDEO OBTAINED: Raw Video Scene-By-Scene Images

Eyewitness News is working to find out who told that private eye to go there. The video showed that private investigator talking on the phone to somebody and detectives are pulling records to find out whom. Dominic Casey has given various responses as to whom he was speaking and has not voluntarily turned over his cell phone records. Investigators could be seeking a search warrant or subpoena for the records if he does not cooperate.

No matter why the Anthony family's private investigator was at the scene, conducting a search a month before Caylee's remains were found, the big question still is, who was on the other end of the cell phone with private eye Dominic Casey in November, possibly directing him.

Some wonder whether it was Lee Anthony and even his own attorney checked into it.

Eyewitness News watched the video with Lee Anthony's attorney, Tom Luka (watch interview).

The video shows the Anthony family's private eye, Dominic Casey, prodding and poking the ground at the crime scene and on the cell phone with someone.
"Is it Lee?" WFTV reporter Kathi Belich asked Luka on Monday.
"No, not that I know of. He denied ever talking to him," he said.

Eyewitness News uncovered video of Lee Anthony and Dominic Casey at the jail together right after Lee's sister Casey was arrested there.

Kathi Belich asked again.
"Is it Lee on the phone with Dominic Casey?" Belich asked Luka.
"As far as I know, as far as my client is concerned, it's not him on the phone on November 15th 2008," Luka said.
"Could it be somebody who Lee spoke with who then went to Dominic Casey and provided information?" Belich asked.
"In the realm of speculation, it could've been anyone," Luka said.

Even though, last week Eyewitness News heard that only Dominic Casey's colleague, private eye Jim Hoover who shot it, had a copy of the videotape at the scene where Caylee's remains were found almost a month later, Luka said he saw it last week and talked to Dominic Casey about it.

Then Luka backtracked.

"How did you see it last week? Who showed it to you last week?" Belich asked Luka.
"Well, I take that back," Luka said. "I was not shown it. When it was on TV I saw it."
"Well, it wasn't on TV until last night," Belich told Luka.
"Well, I take that back. I did not see it. Did I see it? No, I did not see that video. I take that back. That was not the video I saw," he said.


Dominic Casey previously told Eyewitness News he was at the scene in November to rule out the possibility that Caylee's remains could be there. Then he said he was there to rule out that the area was a teen hangout years ago.

Lee's attorney, Luka, told Eyewitness News that Dominic Casey told him he was there to rule out a psychic's tip. That would be Gail St. John of "The Body Hunters", who was also in the same area in August and also has that on video tape. St. John said she was at the area due to a "blind drive" and "feelings" she had regarding the area. St. John also said she "was pulled there" and she strongly thought Caylee's remains were there.


During all that time, the Anthony's and their private investigators were insisting that Caylee was still alive.

LEGAL ANALYST QUESTIONS IF P.I. WAS TRYING TO HELP CASEY DEFENSE

A new theory regarding emerges why the Anthony's' private investigator was poking through the crime scene on videotape a month before Caylee's remains were discovered there. Was it all performed to help in Casey Anthony's defense?

Legal analyst Bill Sheaffer says, "He is either inept, if we're to believe he was actually investigating the crime scene in order to locate the body, or he's inept as an actor."
Sheaffer said, no matter why the Anthony's' private eye was there a month before the remains were found, chances are great he had inside information.

"If he's just out there in order to make a defense tape then he has to know where the body is in order not to stumble upon the body," Sheaffer said.


Sheaffer said the defense may have wanted to try and show the body was not there in November when Casey was in jail. So if the remains were to be found by detectives after that, the defense could try to claim someone else left it there.

"The lack of outrage regarding all of these developments on the part of that attorney and the family speaks volumes," Sheaffer said.

video courtesy: WFTV