JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 27 (UPI) -- A Jacksonville, Fla., businessman says he's suspending plans to sell a doll named after a slain 2-year-old whose disappearance sparked a national furor.
A wave of protest this week met a marketing effort by Jaime Salcedo of Showbiz Promotions to sell the "Inspirational Sunshine Caylee Doll," named after Caylee Anthony of Orlando, Fla., whose body was found five weeks ago after a long search.
Casey Anthony, Caylee's 22-year-old mother, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter. The girl disappeared last June and her skeletal remains were found in woods near her home in December.
The slain toddler's grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony, objected to the Caylee doll as morbid and an effort to profit from the family's tragedy, the Anthonys' lawyer, Brad Conway, told the Orlando Sentinel.
By Tuesday morning, the Showbiz Promotions Web site declared sales of the Sunshine Caylee had been suspended. As message on the site, signed by Salcedo, read, "After reviewing the response to our media introduction of the Sunshine Caylee Doll and listening to the advice of the general public, we feel that is it best to suspend the launch of the (doll)."
Salcedo had earlier defended the product, saying he was honoring Caylee's life by bringing attention to her case, but on Tuesday he wrote, "While we still feel it is important to raise awareness and raise money to help stop this type of crime from being committed, we feel we can be more effective using more traditional methods."
