Volunteer Caylee searchers decamp Orlando

Published: Nov. 11, 2008 at 10:30 AM

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Leaders of a volunteer search effort for missing Florida child Caylee Anthony say they are packing up this week.

The Texas EquuSearch organization deployed more than 80 volunteers into an undeveloped area not far from the home where Caylee, 2, was last seen alive during the summer.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, is in jail on charges she murdered her daughter and disposed of the body.

The Orlando Sentinel said Tuesday the efforts of volunteers fell into discord in the form of a spat between Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller and Leonard Padilla, a California bail bondsman who had sprung Casey on lesser charges earlier in the saga and has since been searching for Caylee.

Miller, who is heading for a new missing-person search in North Carolina, said Padilla needlessly diverted resources to a weekend search of a pond where nothing was located.

"It's the Leonard Padilla show," Miller said. "Forget about Caylee Anthony."

Padilla said he planned to lead a prayer vigil for the missing child Tuesday before leaving town.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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