Police: George Anthony hinted he wanted to end life

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A despondent George Anthony was found alive this morning in a Daytona Beach motel after his family reported him missing late Thursday.

Daytona Beach police took Anthony into custody under the Baker Act after finding him in a motel on S. Ridgewood Avenue. The Baker Act allows authorities to hold someone at a mental-health facility for up to 72 hours while they are evaluated by physicians.

Anthony, 57, was taken to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach where he is being evaluated.

A hospital spokeswoman just announced that George Anthony was in stable condition and would be receiving a physical evaluation before being admitted to the hospital.
Anthony, the grandfather of murdered toddler Caylee Marie Anthony, left his home on Hopespring Drive in east Orange County Thursday morning and failed to show up for a 4 p.m. meeting with his wife, Cindy, and their attorney Brad Conway.

George Anthony sent several text messages to his family members suggesting that he wanted to end his life, Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said this morning.

Orange County Sheriff's Office was notified last night and the felony squad immediately began its search for George Anthony. Sgt. John Allen, the lead detective on the murder case involving Caylee Marie, drove to the Anthony home to meet with Cindy Anthony. He left after George Anthony was located.

Orange County detectives were able to use pings from George Anthony's cell phone to track him to Daytona Beach near Bethune Point, according to Daytona Beach police. Officers began searching for George Anthony's black SUV and spotted it at the Hawaii Motel in the 1300 block of S. Ridgewood Avenue. Police Chief Mike Chitwood spoke with George Anthony and convinced him to seek medical attention, reports show.

Anthony's 22-year-old daughter Casey Anthony is accused of murdering her 2-year-old child last summer. Anthony and his wife Cindy have been outspoken in their defense of the young mother.

A jail spokesman couldn't comment this morning on whether Anthony had been notified about her father. But, he did note that she has a transistor radio in her cell and can listen to media reports that way.


Caylee Marie's remains were found about a quarter-mile from the Anthony home in December. Investigators spent more than a week at the site of the remains to recover evidence. Orange County deputies executed a search warrant at the Anthony home shortly after the remains were found.

Earlier this week more information about the murder case was made public. Detectives reported that a heart shaped sticker was placed on the duct tape that was wrapped around the child's mouth.