Orange County Corrections Lt. Tammy Unser describes to detectives Casey’s reaction to discovery of a body.
Casey collapsed in a chair after viewing WFTV-Channel 9 news report about child remains discovered near her family home on Dec. 11.
She never appeared to cry but continued to breathe rapidly.
Tammy escorts Casey to the medical clinic around 11:35 a.m. so she could view the TV and “see what was happening” This is before Jose arrived. The mental health staff was on hand to watch her and offer services if needed.
“She walked into the medical clinic and immediately looked at the TV, which was on Ch. 9,” Tammy says in the taped interview.
After she collapsed, Casey’s hands became sweaty and red blotches appeared on her neck.
She didn’t look at the TV anymore but she could hear reports about the body of a small child found near the Anthony home. She definitely heard all of that,Tammy says.
After 10 minutes, the mental health staff determined Casey Anthony had “had enough.”
Tammy escorted Casey to a conference room where a psychologist spoke to her. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to harm herself, says Tammy.
Casey assures both Tammy and the psychologist that she would not.
Casey requests a sedative and asked when Jose was going to arrive. Tammy told her that she assumed he was on his way.
Casey asked Tammy to sit with her because “she didn’t want to be alone.”
Casey continues to breathe rapidly and talk fast. She doesn’t talk about her case, Tammy says.
Casey did tell the corrections officer that she could not break down and cry “because this isn’t real.”
Casey then starts talking about football — the national championship.
Jose arrives around noon and met with her for about 90 minutes.
Tammy watched the two — who met in another room.
Tammy told detectives that Baez “told her what he thought and what had occurred.”
Tammy then sees Casey “break down” and cry, prompting Jose to ask for some tissues.
Eventually, Casey settles down and she returns to her cell.
She asked to take a shower — she spent about 10 minutes in the shower, Tammy says.
Casey reported the sedative did help settle her stomach.
Tammy said this was not typical behavior for Casey. She has never requested a sedative before and rarely showed emotion.
Source: Orlando Sentinel