Prompted by the 2008 death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony, the Senate on Thursday sent to the governor a bill that would increase penalties for lying to police when a child goes missing.
The measure, HB 37, would make it a third degree felony to give false information to a law enforcement officer in the event of a missing child.
The bill was introduced following the highly publicized trial of Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of murder last July, but charged with lying to police.
She was sentenced to four years in prison for lying to law enforcement officers who went on a “wild goose” chase in search of the toddler. Anthony repeatedly told police that Caylee was missing, even though the toddler was already dead one month before.
Anthony was released last summer after time served.
