Public Outcry Prompts Suspension Of Caylee Doll Sales;
Doll Sales Halted, But T-Shirts, Bracelets, Stickers Still Available


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A businessman's plans to sell a doll named after the 2-year-old Orlando girl whose life was cut tragically short were suspended early Tuesday after public reaction to "The Inspirational Caylee Sunshine Doll."

Sales of the "Inspirational Caylee Sunshine Doll" were suspended after public reaction to a doll named after the 2-year-old Orlando girl whose life ended tragically.

Caylee Anthony's story touched people across the country. After a five-month search, her body was found in a wooded area near Orlando. Her mother, Casey Anthony, is charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Less than five weeks after her remains were found in a bag, Jaime Salcedo's company, Showbiz Promotions, created a doll with intention to donate some of the profits profits to a yet-to-be announced charity.

Salcedo said the 18-inch doll that sings "My Little Sunshine," the song Caylee Anthony was heard singing in a home video, is a tribute to the slain toddler.

Within hours of announcing that Caylee doll would go on sale at noon Tuesday, critics came forward calling the doll morbid and expressing outrage that anyone would try to profit from the slaying of a little girl.

Monday night, Salcedo defended the doll, saying it would help promote awarness and that at least $3 from each doll would be donated to a national missing and exploited children's organization.

"We want to give … we're not trying to get rich. We're putting ourselves at a whole lot of risk," Salcedo said. "She'll be a banner for missing and exploited children, and people will know and have a better idea how to handle those situations or stop those situations from happening."

Salcedo said the doll looks nothing like Caylee Anthony on purpose because he did not want to offend the Anthony family.

When asked why a $29.99 doll has to be sold for that purpose when most people already know Caylee Anthony's story, Salcedo replied, "The way that they look at it is morbid and all negative, 'Oh, the little girl is killed.' They don't look at the thing that Caylee's in heaven right now and she's dancing and singing and she's joyous and in a better place than any of us here."

By Tuesday morning, the project was on hold.

"It was very important that we allow the press to present our idea to the public first, in an effort to measure the reaction to our fund raising efforts," Showbiz Promotions said in a statement posted on its Web site Tuesday morning. "After reviewing the response to our media introduction of the Sunshine Caylee Doll and listening to the advice of the general public. We feel that is it best to suspend the launch of The Sunshine Caylee Doll."

Salcedo told Channel 4 that while he has suspended sales of the doll, he is going forward with sales of T-shirts, bracelets and stickers with the saying "Caylee Sunshine." He said 100 percent of the profit will be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Ridiculous.

If $3 goes to charity then where is the rest of it going? That's $27 left.

Some people have no shame.

Ridiculous.

If $3 goes to charity then where is the rest of it going? That's $27 left.

Some people have no shame.