Area rep pushes for passage of Caylee's Law

DEXTER, Mo. -- A local state representative introduced House Bill 1167, also known as Caylee's Law, on the House floor Jan. 5.

If the bill becomes law, it would make it a crime for parents, legal guardians or legal custodians to fail to report the disappearance of a child up to 17 years old to a law enforcement agency within 24 hours from the time they are discovered missing. The Bill also provides that the discovery of a dead body of a child up to 17 years age must be reported to law enforcement within one hour of the discovery, otherwise it would be a crime.

"We need to be putting Caylee's Law into the books in the state of Missouri," said State Rep. Billy Pat Wright, R-Dexter, who introduced the bill. "I've received nothing but support so far, and we're really going to push this to become a reality."

Caylee's Law has been passed in several states since Casey Anthony's Florida acquittal on charges of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2008. In the case of Caylee Anthony's disappearance, her mother failed to report her missing until 31 days following her disappearance.

HB 1167 would make anyone failing to report a missing child within 24 hours subject to charges of endangering the welfare of child in the second degree. Endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor unless the offense is committed as part of a ritual or ceremony, in which case the crime is a class D felony. If death or serious physical injury of the child occurs as a result of or during a time when the child is missing, the crime is a class B felony. Failure to report a corpse within one hour would be punishable by a charge of abandonment of a corpse. Abandonment of a corpse is a class D felony.

Wright said he expects the wording of the bill to be discussed further on the House floor. He said there may be some changes to the final wording after that discussion.

The Bill was read for the second time Jan. 9. No hearings have been scheduled. If passed in this session, the bill would become law Aug. 28. The bill's co-sponsor is Rep. Diane Franklin of Camdenton, Mo.

"It's a sad commentary on today's society that a law like Caylee's Law becomes necessary," Wright said, "but the recent Anthony case proved that we really do need to put a law like this into place to protect our children. It's all about the children."

Pertinent address:

Dexter, Mo.