Both Said Judgment Day Awaits Caylee Anthony's Mother

Jessie Degollado, KSAT 12 News Reporter
POSTED: Thursday, July 7, 2011

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas -- Sabrina Benitez and Josh Davis sat on the steps outside their New Braunfels home with photos of their missing son on the front door and windows, pondering Casey Anthony's acquittal of her 2-year-old daughter's murder and ultimately brief sentence for lying to investigators.

Both said her judgment day awaits.

"She should not have gotten away with it," Benitez said.

Her husband said most troubling was that "no one gets convicted or does any time for it."

"I'm hoping nothing like this happens in my son's case," Benitez said if her 18-month-old son Joshua's fate is sadly the same as Caylee Anthony's.

Unlike Caylee's mother who did not notify Florida authorities for 31 days, Joshua's mother said, "I called within 10 to 15 minutes."

She said New Braunfels police were summoned after friends and family already at their house had searched the premises.

Yet like Casey Anthony, the couple said some in the community cast doubt and suspicion on them.

"It kind of ate me up like, wow, people really think we would be that cold-hearted to do something to our son or make him disappear," Davis said.

However, Joshua's father said he has learned to ignore those sentiments.

"People are going to have their opinions anyway, so there's nothing I can do to change that," he said. "God knows we had nothing to do with his disappearance."

Adding to their ordeal, they said their new baby Jayden, born two weeks after Joshua vanished, was turned over to a family member by Child Protective Services.

Mary Walker, CPS spokeswoman, said it was done only after the mother showed traces of marijuana.

"(Benitez's) mom was taking care of him. Now we're living with him, so we did everything we needed to do," Davis said.

Although Jayden is only five months old, his mother said he responds to Joshua's photographs.

"We remind him of his brother and every time he hears his name, he smiles," she said.

His father said they also tell him, "That's brother. Tell brother to come home."

Instead of the "Beautiful Life" tattoo that Casey Anthony had done after her daughter's death, Benitez has the names of her sons Joshua and Jayden on her wrists.

Also unlike Anthony who often partied with friends in the weeks before Caylee's body was discovered, Benitez said she only attends family gatherings.

"We have a family prayer for him. We think about him," she said.

Davis said Joshua is constantly in their minds and hearts.

"We talk about him. Pray for him. Pray about him," he said.

Benitez cried as she said the family is in turmoil, "not knowing where he's at, who has him, if he's all right."

She said, "We just want answers. We want him back already."

Joshua's father said miracles happen every day.

He said, "I'm praying God has one of those miracles in store for us."

http://www.ksat.com/news/28479776/detail.html

Emphasis added by H4K Editor