Bounty Hunter in Casey Anthony Case to Take Polygraph

Celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla says he's back in California where he will undergo a lie detector test. Padilla told Orlando station WFTV he believes the FBI wants to ask him about last week's big false alarm that sent reporters and law enforcement officials scrambling to a search site on the Little Econ River in Blanchard Park.

Divers organized by Padilla to search for the remains of Caylee Anthony found a plastic bag containing what they said were bones and toys. The bag reportedly had been weighted down with two bricks.

Law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene a short time later said there were no bones in the bag. They added that they found nothing of evidentiary value at the scene to aid them in their search for the missing toddler.

When asked by a WFTV reporter if the FBI wants him to take the lie detector test to find out if he planted the bag in the river, Padilla answered, "That's what I think, yeah."

Padilla's dive team was ordered out of Blanchard Park over the weekend. He said he hopes to return there later this week. Padilla says he remains convinced that Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, dumped her daughter's body in the Little Econ River.

Meanwhile, Casey's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, have hired a new family spokesperson. They fired Larry Garrison last week after learning he had profited from their appearances and family photographs.

Casey Anthony is jailed on first degree murder charges and is scheduled to stand trial in January.

Bounty Hunter Challenges Merimon Suspect to Lie Detector Test

The suspect in the disappearance of Peggy Merimon is now being called upon to take a lie detector test.

"I'm offering to foot the expenses of whatever it takes to get to the bottom of the truth and find out where Peggy Merimon is," said Gary Pringle, a bounty hunter heading up the search for Peggy Merimon.

Pringle issued that challenge Tuesday morning at the Lubbock County Courthouse. After searching for more than a year, he says it's time to bring Peggy home. Pringle says he'll pay for a polygraph, or anything else, that is needed to find Peggy.

"I've been advised that I'm wasting my time," Pringle says. "Everybody tells me that I should not be doing this, but I have observed what this had done to the family of Peggy Merimon. I have observed what this has done to Gearl, and to put it bluntly, I'm tired of it."

Merimon disappeared August 9, 2006 from the Lubbock State School, along with co-worker Kay Harrelson. Searchers found Harrelson's body near Shallowater days later, but Merimon is still missing.

A suspect in this case was recently terminated from the Lubbock State School, after spending more than a year on paid administrative leave.

If you know anything about the whereabouts of Peggy Merimon, give Crime Line a call at (806) 741-1000.

Another search will be held this Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m., and volunteers are needed.
If you can help, meet Pringle and his team at the Valero Fast Stop, at the corner of Clovis and Frankford.