God Bless the beasts....and the children.

I believe in the practice of using torture when it comes to finding out information.

This may sound like a harsh tactic -- but hear me out first.

I believe in my heart of hearts, that someone needs to torture Casey Anthony to find out what happened to her daughter. If you inflict enough pain on this woman -- the truth will come out. Forget a hot shower, and a pedicure as a bounty hunter seems to think will work -- because unless that's code for "cruel and unusual punishment" -- I don't think any true information is going to come out.

This is a girl who clearly has no conscience; she's had no culpability or accountability in her life thus far -- and will continue to lead authorities in circles because she knows that she can.

I'm so haunted by this case, and it literally makes my stomach hurt when I watch the news updates of the story unfolding. And while it would be easy for me to turn a blind eye to it all, there's something about little Caylee's face that is just drawing me in. I don't know if it's because there's something about her that is reminding me of my own daughter -- or just the innate sense of wanting to protect her somehow.

In the beginning when this case was first publicized, I really felt that there were enough pieces to the puzzle to think that she'd be alive. My gut felt that maybe the mother had a drug problem, had a debt to pay and said "here, take my kid...". I almost thought it was possible that Caylee might have been sold into the black market -- which while a horrible thing to endure -- at the same time, I thought was better than the alternative. Even while it's been so long that she's been missing -- with no traces of a body to support murder -- and no clear cut evidence (that has been released to the media anyway) that there was a dead body in the car, it almost seemed plausible to think (hope, wish) that maybe she's in another country someplace.

But the truth is, my heart sank the other night when I heard that clothes and a backpack were found in a wooded area.

For a second I rationalized this information, and thought "this would make sense. They'd change her into new unrecognizable clothing..." and I also thought that maybe it would make sense as to why Casey Anthony, her clearly demented mother -- would not be showing signs of grief. If she truly has a reason to believe that her daughter is alive - then that would explain why she's so, unemotional over it all. She's coming across as annoyed - even irritated by everyone trying to find out what the truth is. Of course she'd have to explain why she sold her daughter, but maybe in her twisted mind that's more of an issue than if (God forbid) she was actually dead.

I've seen more emotion come out of heinous child abusers who have killed their children than out of this woman. And none of the details add up. The grandparents are either simply in denial that their daughter is capable of wrong doing -- or it's the exact opposite. My gut tells me that they know their daughter is very capable of doing wrong things, but maybe are in denial that it would go so far as murder.

All I know is that I firmly believe if this young woman is tortured enough (and truthfully, I don't think it would take much to break her) -- she will come clean about where her daughter is.

My heart absolutely aches for this little girl. And while I know that the ending is not going to end up a happy one -- there's still a little flicker of hope inside of me, holding out for one.