State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, announced his support Thursday for a Pennsylvania version of ‘Caylee’s Law,’ meant to create clear state penalties associated with the death or disappearance of a child.
‘This is sparked by not just the verdict in the Casey Anthony case (in Florida), but by how Caylee’s disappearance was handled,’ Conklin said in a news release. ‘ … We have the chance now to protect Pennsylvania’s children from endangerment, fortify the penalties associated with these crimes and assist law enforcement in doing their job.’
Caylee Marie Anthony, of Orlando, Fla., was two years old when she disappeared near her home in 2008. She was later found dead in the area.
Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony, came under intense scrutiny for not immediately reporting her daughter missing. It wasn’t until 31 days after Caylee’s disappearance that Casey Anthony acknowledged her daughter’s disappearance to authorities, according to media reports.
Casey Anthony’s subsequent trial, where she was tried on charges of murder and manslaughter, generated widespread media attention. She was found not guilty earlier this month.
The entire ordeal has given rise to a number of legislative movements across the country, as lawmakers attempt to establish precise, strict standards for the reporting of missing and deceased children.
In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Larry Farnese, a Philadelphia Democrat, has introduced Senate Bill 1203. It would make it a first-degree felony to conceal the death of a child, punishable by a seven-year maximum prison sentence and a $15,000 fine. Failure to report a missing child would be considered a first-degree misdemeanor and yield a five-year maximum prison sentence and a $10,000 fine.
Conklin has thrown his support behind Farnese’s bill and plans to introduce companion legislation in the state House, he said Thursday. The news release from Conklin’s office noted that, under current state law, it is a first-degree misdemeanor for a parent to conceal the death of a child in the event of a still birth. But there do not appear to be any state laws that mandate the ‘timely reporting of a child’s death or disappearance,’ according to the release.
Conklin’s legislation, he noted, will be named ‘after this two-year-old child who suffered a horrible injustice’ in Florida.
