July 7th, 2011
08:17 PM ET

Lightning strikes tree near Caylee Anthony memorial site

Hours after Casey Anthony learned on Thursday that she will leave jail next week, lightning apparently struck a tree next to a makeshift memorial in honor of her slain daughter,  Caylee.

No one saw lightning strike the pine tree on Suburban Drive in Orange County, Florida, where teddy bears and flowers mark the spot where 2-year-old Caylee's remains were found on December 11, 2008.

But long, diagonal strips of exposed wood scarred the tall pine tree, WESH reported, and bits of bark lay scattered across the road.

"It could be a sign from the angels that they aren't happy with what's happened," a visitor to the site told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. "The rain, the lightning, the storm - it's the heavens indicating they aren't happy."

There are more lightning strikes in Florida per square mile than in any other state, according to weather.com.

A Pinellas County jury acquitted Anthony, 24, of murder and manslaughter charges Tuesday in the death of her daughter. The same jury convicted her of four charges of obstruction of justice for lying to police during the search for Caylee.

Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony to four years in jail - one year for each of her four convictions - but with credit for nearly three years already served and good behavior, her release date was set for Wednesday, July 13, a court spokeswoman said.

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Filed under: Casey Anthony • Crime • Weather
soundoff (1,086 Responses)
  1. drew

    Oh yes I'm sorry we have similar histories except ours we actually teach

    July 7, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Report abuse |
  2. vegassteve

    Casey Anthony should thank her lucky stars for Nancy Grace! Because of her self-righteous “indignation” wailing night after night demanding retribution, her moans convinced not only the uninformed masses, but quite possibly the prosecution. Result? Overcharging the case. Result? Reasonable doubt for the jury! Nancy’s obsession with her ego, her ratings, and her bank account are off the charts. She and her sycophantic pack of yapping hounds who pass themselves off as “journalists” need a history lesson. Joseph Goebbels thought he was a journalist too. Nancy, et al, could do the nation a favor by actually learning how to report the news rather than trying to create and shape it. (What a concept)! As for Casey, I hope she’s minded her manners and written Nancy the “thank you” note she deserves.

    July 7, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Report abuse |
  3. jennrae

    I think it's God's way of saying to stay the hell away from there with your baby dolls and teddy bears. Donate them to a hospital or church instead of doing no one any good, getting sopping wet.

    July 7, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • Stuart Dooley

      Why didn't God just stop a child from being killed in the first place?

      July 7, 2011 at 10:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • BlackCayleeAnthony

      Quit talking about god like you people really know who are what it is...

      July 7, 2011 at 10:01 pm | Report abuse |
    • Steven

      Do this dont do that cant you see the signs !?

      July 7, 2011 at 10:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • LEfty

      Seems your god only saves the ones he wants ... doesn't care about the rest.

      July 7, 2011 at 10:08 pm | Report abuse |
    • steeve-o

      Ha HA! Good point Stuart!
      You know, yesterday as I took a dump I looked out my window and saw a double rainbow. WhAt dOeS iT MeEaAn?!?!

      July 7, 2011 at 10:18 pm | Report abuse |
    • mike

      god cannot stop the actions of humans because we have free will. Murderers let the devil into their heart and it causes them to make bad decisions. I don't know anyone personaly (alive or dead) on this planet who knows god like I do. I wish everyone could feel the love of god.

      July 7, 2011 at 10:19 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Graeme Rodgers

    dear god, signs, signs, every where a sign that we are lost.

    July 7, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Johan

    Instead of a lightning strike maybe the angels could have saved Caylee from intense suffering? It would have been a decent move.

    July 7, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Report abuse |
  6. John

    "It could be a sign from the angels that they aren't happy with what's happened,"

    HAHAHAHAHA
    wait....
    bwahahahahahaha

    July 7, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mark

      I'm laughing too hard, too funny.

      July 7, 2011 at 10:08 pm | Report abuse |
  7. JaggedEdge

    And 7-11-31 equals 31 .... 31 days poor caylee was "missing"

    July 7, 2011 at 9:59 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Alex

    Who cares

    July 7, 2011 at 10:01 pm | Report abuse |
  9. john

    Could be God is saying Judge not Caylee is with me and you folks don't have a clue.

    July 7, 2011 at 10:03 pm | Report abuse |
  10. drew

    This chat has gotten so off topic and ridiculous its not even funny! And with the loud mouth idiots that think they know just because someone lied almost makes it appalling to think that this entire country wants to send this woman to the gallows is really disconcerning being your neighbour I'm ashamed at my American cousins for still find a human being that had a fair trial and was found not guilty by her peers! Shame on you all you should all be ashamed of yourselves and look in the mirror maybe one day you will be wrongfully charged with a crime you didn't commit so does that mean the world should ultimately think you're guilty?

    July 7, 2011 at 10:03 pm | Report abuse |
    • Christine

      Get a clue. Really.

      July 7, 2011 at 10:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Saywhat

    When People can't give justice to the death of an innocent child. Somebody more powerful WILL just like what happen to those who protected the criminals like OJ Simpsons. If I were Baez I wouldn't crow to fast. The freakish weather is not nature its a sign

    July 7, 2011 at 10:05 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Dancing

    GOD, I HEAR YOU. I WILL GET MY NEWS FROM NPR FROM NOW ON. Amen

    July 7, 2011 at 10:06 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Wow

    Is this news? Lightning strike? Seriously? It would have been newsworthy if it stroke Nancy Grace.

    July 7, 2011 at 10:06 pm | Report abuse |
    • Christine

      Stroke?

      July 7, 2011 at 10:13 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Mark

    Oh geez, great, I guess CNN now wants to imply some divine intervention because lightning struck. This is news??

    July 7, 2011 at 10:07 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Jon

    If that were true why wouldn't the angels have just struck Casey in the first place.

    July 7, 2011 at 10:08 pm | Report abuse |
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