The murder of Caylee Anthony

I can't believe we have no thread on this most notorious case.  I will fill in some background in this post in a while.

Death of Caylee Anthony


Caylee Marie Anthony (August 9, 2005 – 2008) was a two-year-old American girl who lived in Orlando, Florida (United States), with her mother, Casey Marie Anthony (born March 19, 1986),[1] and her maternal grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony. On July 15, 2008, she was reported missing in a 9-1-1 call made by Cindy, who said she had not seen Caylee for 31 days and that Casey's car smelled like a dead body had been inside it. Cindy said Casey had given varied explanations as to Caylee's whereabouts before finally telling her that she had not seen Caylee for weeks.[2] Casey told detectives several falsehoods, including that Caylee had been kidnapped by a nanny on June 9, and that she had been trying to find her, too frightened to alert the authorities.[3] She was charged with first-degree murder in October 2008 and pleaded not guilty.

On December 11, 2008, Caylee's skeletal remains were found with a blanket inside a trash bag in a wooded area near the family home.[4][5] Investigative reports and trial testimony alternated between duct tape being found near the front of the skull[6] and on the mouth of the skull.[4][7][8][9] The medical examiner mentioned duct tape as one reason she ruled the death a homicide, but officially listed it as "death by undetermined means".[10]

The trial lasted six weeks, from May to July 2011. The prosecution sought the death penalty[11] and alleged Casey wished to free herself from parental responsibilities and murdered her daughter by administering chloroform and applying duct tape. The defense team, led by Jose Baez, countered that the child had drowned accidentally in the family's swimming pool on June 16, 2008, and that George Anthony disposed of the body. The defense contended that Casey lied about this and other issues because of a dysfunctional upbringing, which they said included sexual abuse by her father. The defense did not present evidence as to how Caylee died, nor evidence that Casey was sexually abused as a child,[12] but challenged every piece of the prosecution's evidence, calling much of it "fantasy forensics".[13] Casey did not testify. On July 5, 2011, the jury found Casey not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.[14] With credit for time served, she was released on July 17, 2011. A Florida appeals court overturned two of the misdemeanor convictions on January 25, 2013.[15][16]

The not-guilty murder verdict was greeted with public outrage, and was both attacked and defended by media and legal commentators. Some complained that the jury misunderstood the meaning of reasonable doubt,[17] while others said the prosecution relied too heavily on the defendant's allegedly poor moral character because they had been unable to show conclusively how the victim had died.[18] Time magazine described the case as "the social media trial of the century".[19]

Disappearance

According to Casey Anthony's father, George Anthony, Casey left the family's home on June 16, 2008,[20] taking her daughter Caylee (who was almost three) with her and did not return for 31 days.[21] Casey's mother Cindy asked repeatedly during the month to see Caylee, but Casey claimed that she was too busy with a work assignment in Tampa, Florida. At other times, she said Caylee was with a nanny, who Casey identified by the name of Zenaida "Zanny" Fernandez-Gonzalez, or at theme parks or the beach.[22] It was eventually determined that a woman named Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez did in fact exist, but that she had never met Casey Anthony, Caylee Anthony, any member of the Anthony family, or any of Casey's friends.[23]

On July 13, 2008, while doing yard work, Cindy and George Anthony found a notice from the post office for a certified letter affixed on their front door. George Anthony picked up the certified letter from the post office on July 15, 2008, and found that his daughter's car was in a tow yard.[24] When George picked up the car, both he and the tow yard attendant noted a strong smell coming from the trunk. Both later stated that they believed the odor to be that of a decomposing body.[25] When the trunk was opened, it contained a bag of trash, but no human remains.[26]

Cindy Anthony reported Caylee missing that day, July 15, to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.[20] During the same telephone call, Casey Anthony confirmed to the 911 operator that Caylee had been missing for 31 days. Sounding distraught, Cindy said: "There is something wrong. I found my daughter's car today and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car."[27]


Investigation
A crime scene photo admitted into evidence shows the wooded area where Caylee Anthony's body was found.
When Detective Yuri Melich, with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, began investigating the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, he found discrepancies in Casey's signed statement.[28] When questioned, Casey said Caylee had been kidnapped by Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, who she also identified as "Zanny", Caylee's nanny. Although Casey had talked about her, Zanny had never been seen by Casey's family or friends, and in fact there was no nanny.[22][29] Casey also told police that she was working at Universal Studios, a lie she had been telling her parents for years. Investigators brought Casey to Universal Studios on July 16, 2008, the day after Caylee was reported missing, and asked her to show them her office. Casey led police around for a while before admitting that she had been fired years before.[30][31]

Casey Anthony was first arrested on July 16, 2008,[20] and was charged the following day with giving false statements to law enforcement, child neglect, and obstruction of a criminal investigation. The judge denied bail, saying Casey had shown "woeful disregard for the welfare of her child".[29] On July 22 2008 after a bond hearing the judge set bail at $500,000.[32] On August 21, 2008, after one month of incarceration, she was released from the Orange County jail after her $500,000 bond was posted by the nephew of California bail bondsman Leonard Padilla[33] in hopes that she would cooperate and Caylee would be found.[34]

On August 11, 12, and 13, 2008, meter reader Roy Kronk called police about a suspicious object found in a forested area near the Anthony residence.[35] In the first instance, he was directed by the sheriff's office to call the tip line, which he did, receiving no return call. On the second instance, he again called the sheriff's office, eventually was met by two police officers and reported to them that he had seen what appeared to be a skull near a gray bag.[36][37] On that occasion, the officer conducted a short search and stated he did not see anything. On December 11, 2008, Kronk again called the police. They searched and found the remains of a child in a trash bag.[4] Investigative teams recovered duct tape which was hanging from Caylee's hair and some tissue left on her skull.[4] Over the next four days, more bones were found in the wooded area near the spot where the remains initially had been discovered.[4][38][39][40] On December 19, 2008, medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia confirmed that the remains found were those of Caylee Anthony. The death was ruled a homicide and the cause of death listed as undetermined.[41]

Arrests and charges
Casey Anthony at the time of her arrest on July 16, 2008
Casey Anthony was offered a limited immunity deal on July 29, 2008, by prosecutors related to "the false statements given to law enforcement about locating her child", which was renewed on August 25, to expire August 28.[42] She did not take it.[43]

On September 5, 2008, she was released again on bail on all pending charges after being fitted with an electronic tracking device.[44] Her $500,000 bond was posted by her parents, Cindy and George Anthony, who signed a promissory note for the bond.[45][46]

On October 14, 2008, Casey Anthony was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and four counts of providing false information to police. She was later arrested.[47][48] Judge John Jordan ordered that she be held without bond.[49] On October 21, 2008, the charges of child neglect were dropped against Casey, according to the State Attorney's Office because "[as] the evidence proved that the child was deceased, the State sought an indictment on the legally appropriate charges."[50] On October 28, Anthony was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges.[51]

On April 13, 2009, prosecutors announced that they planned to seek the death penalty in the case.[52]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Caylee_Anthony

'America’s most hated mum' speaks for the first time about her daughter's murder case.

On July 5, 2011, a jury found Casey Anthony not guilty of the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

During the six-week long trial – described by Time magazine as the ‘social media trial of the century’ – Casey was branded the “most hated mum in America”.

The not-guilty verdict was met with public outrage and many still believe Casey is responsible for her daughter’s death.

Now, nine years on, Casey Anthony has spoken to the press for the first time.

In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, 30-year-old Anthony said she believes her daughter – who would be 12 were she still alive – would be a “total badass”.

"I'd like to think she'd be listening to classic rock, playing sports," she said.

Casey said she is still not certain about the events that led to her daughter's death.

"I'm still not even certain as I stand here today about what happened," she said.

"Based off what was in the media...I understand the reasons people feel about me. I understand why people have the opinions that they do."

At the same time, Casey said she doesn't "give a s***" about people's opinions of her.

"I never will. I'm OK with myself, I sleep pretty good at night," she said.

Caylee was last reported seen on June 16, 2006. Thirty-one days later, her maternal grandmother, Cindy Anthony, reported her missing.

She told authorities that Casey's car also smelled like a "dead body had been inside it".

When Casey was arrested a day later on charges of child neglect, she told police that Caylee had been kidnapped by her nanny.

She was charged with first-degree murder in October 2008.


Two months later, Caylee's remains were found with a blanket inside a garbage bag near the family home. Duct tape was found, with medical examiners reasoning it had been used to kill the two-year-old girl.

Anthony's defense attorney suggested that Caylee had drowned, and that the girl's father had covered up her death.

It took the jury less than 11 hours to find Casey Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.

When asked about the trial, or the circumstances of her daughter's murder, Casey said, "Everyone has their theories".


Just last week, former Circuit Judge Belvin Perry Jr., who presided over Anthony's trial, said there was a possibility that she had accidentally killed her own daughter.

"There was a possibility that she may have utilised [chloroform] to keep the baby quiet...and just used too much of it, and the baby died," he told the Orlando Sentinel.

"That’s just one of the many theories as to how this beautiful young lady [Caylee] tragically met her death...The only person that really knows what happened was Casey.

“For whatever reason, people are still fascinated with Casey Anthony," he said.

But Casey told the Associated Press she has no explanation for what happened to Caylee.

"As I stand here today I can't tell you one way or another," she said.

"The last time I saw my daughter I believed she was alive and was going to be OK, and that's what was told to me."


MSN News from Mammia
http://www.mamamia.com.au/casey-anthony-interview/

I posted an article about this a few days back on my little own Misc Crime thread.

I always joke that nobody reads it

Bluebell at least admitted she does

Better late than never - posts now transferred.

Ah well, this huge case deserves its own thread imo., will try and move your post here Andrew.

 People are still not happy with the outcome.  I wonder if anything will ever happen, as in America they cannot be tried twice for same crimes.

http://www.today.com/news/casey-anthony-speaks-out-daughter-s-death-whether-she-d-t109043

Casey Anthony speaks out on daughter's death, and whether she'd ever have another child

Hope to god she doesn't go and have another child.

This lass should be locked up and not earning herself a few quid by all this publicity bollox.

Oh great stuff, what a double act... NOT!!  Whatever next, the mind boggles.

It's an absolute disgrace.

2 murderers on TV laughing and joking. Taking the p!ss.

Reminds me of a certain couple over the years.

JillyCL‏ @JillyCL · 2h2 hours ago


'...viewers have learnt about the web of lies Casey spun to police following her daughter's disappearance' https://uk.news.yahoo.com/casey-anthony-american-murder-mystery-132725848.html






Casey Anthony An American Murder Mystery: How was two-year-old Caylee Anthony's body found?


.
The enthralling Investigation Discovery's new docuseries, Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery, continues in the US tonight (11 April) with its third and final part about the toddler from Orlando, Florida, that went missing and was murdered.

The show has re-examined the death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony and her mother Casey's ensuing murder trial. So far, viewers have learnt about the web of lies Casey spun to the police following her daughter's disappearance for 31 days.

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Ahead of the final part of the telling miniseries, let's take a recap of the murder case with some key points.

Details of Caylee Anthony's death

On 15 July 2008, Cindy Anthony reported her granddaughter missing. During the 911 call, she claimed she had not seen Caylee for 31 days and that her mother Casey's car smelled like a dead body had been inside it.

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Cindy said that her daughter Casey had given various explanations as to Caylee's whereabouts before finally telling her that she had not seen Caylee for weeks. She told detectives several falsehoods including that Caylee had been kidnapped by a nanny on 9 June and that she had been trying to find her but was too scared to alert the authorities.

In October 2008, she was charged for first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty.

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Caylee's skeletal remains were discovered on 11 December 2008 with a blanket inside a trash bag in a wooded area near the family home. Duct tape was found near the front of the skull and on the mouth of the skull, with the medical examiner claiming duct tape was a reason she ruled out homicide. She officially listed it as "death by undetermined means."






Murder trial

The murder trial lasted six weeks in total between May and July 2011 and caused a social media uproar in the US.

The prosecution alleged that Casey wanted to free herself from being a parent and murdered her daughter by administering chloroform and applying duct tape. They sought the death penalty for the crime.

The defence contended that Casey lied about this and other issues due to her dysfunctional upbringing which they claimed included sexual abuse by her father. They also did not present evidence as to how Caylee died, nor evidence that Casey was abused as a child. They challenged every part of the prosecution's evidence, dubbing it "fantasy forensics". Casey did not testify.


Verdict

On 5 July 2011, the jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. She was found guilty of four misdemeanour counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. A Florida appeals court further overturned two of the misdemeanour convictions on 25 January 2013 and Casey was released on 17 July 2011.

Press and public reaction

The case attracted a significant amount of media attention and was regularly the main topic of many television talk shows and was even featured on Fox's America's Most Wanted, NBC's Dateline and ABC's 20/20. Casey's parents Cindy and George appeared on The Today Show on 22 October 2009, maintaining their belief that Caylee was alive and would be found.

The trial was also commonly compared to the OJ Simpson murder case due to its widespread media attention and initial shock at the not-guilty verdict. The verdict was met with public outrage and was both attacked and defended by media and legal commentators. Some people suggested that the jury misunderstood the meaning of reasonable doubt, while others claimed that the prosecution relied too heavily on the defendant's allegedly poor moral character because they had failed to show how Caylee actually died.




UCLA forensic psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman said at the time: "The main reason that people are reacting so strongly is that the media convicted Casey before the jury decided on the verdict.

"The public has been whipped up into this frenzy wanting revenge for this poor little adorable child. And because of the desire for revenge, they've been whipped up into a lynch mob."

She added: "Nobody likes a liar, and Anthony was a habitual liar. And nobody liked the fact that she was partying after Caylee's death. Casey obviously has a lot of psychological problems. Whether she murdered her daughter or not is another thing."

Nearly nine years after her daughter went missing and six years after being acquitted for her murder, Casey Anthony still maintains she does not know what happened to her two-year old daughter.

Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery continues tonight at 10pm ET/PT on ID.

You couldn't make this up....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7083055/Casey-Anthony-reveals-plans-racy-film-detailing-wild-partying-cover.html?fbclid=IwAR2dHQFL_yUc_dbNlo4CTf1TrLUt7uc_ttXqEcPWg2JzxkDDx2Bmqo5oyuM