Casey Anthony Could Be Telling The Truth — 5 Signs She’s Innocent In Caylee’s Death
Now, she blames her father
Facebook 14 years after the death of her daughter, Casey Anthony is continuing to profess her innocence in an upcoming Peacock docuseries.
In 2008, the world watched as 22-year-old Casey Anthony, a single mom from Orlando, Florida seemingly covered up the disappearance of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.
On June 16, 2008, Casey drove away from her parents’ home with her daughter after an alleged altercation. This was allegedly the last time Caylee was seen alive.
The Anthonys later learned that the family car their daughter left in had been impounded and went to retrieve it.
Upon opening the car on July 25th, George Anthony was overwhelmed by what is described as a ‘dead body odor’. Cindy Anthony called to report the suspicious smell to the police.
After leading investigators down dead ends and telling many different stories, Casey was subsequently arrested as a person of interest in her daughter’s disappearance.
On December 11, 2008, the skeletal remains of a small child were found less than half a mile away from the Anthonys’ home in a wooded area.
October 14, 2008, Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, and providing false information to law enforcement.
Though prosecutors initially were not seeking the death penalty, in April 2009, in light of new information, they decided that if found guilty, Casey should be put to death.
On July 5, 2011, Casey was found not guilty of murdering her child, though there was overwhelming evidence that she was involved.
Casey was found guilty of lying to the police and sentenced to four years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
That sentence was commuted to time served for the three years she had spent behind bars and for good behavior.
The widely held public opinion is that Casey got away with murder, but the mother has remained relatively consistent about what she says happened.
Is Casey Anthony innocent?
Casey was acquitted after being found not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse.
She was found guilty on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement. To this day, she maintains that she did not participate in her daughter’s death.
Casey Anthony claims her father was involved in Caylee's death.
During the trial, Casey and her defense team made several accusations about how Caylee came to be found deceased.
Although, she had previously claimed her babysitter was the person that kidnapped her daughter, during the trial, her defense attorney, Jose Baez pointed a finger at George.
The defense alleged that Caylee had never been missing but had instead accidentally drowned in her grandparents' swimming pool and that George covered it up.
They even went as far as to say that Casey saw her father holding her deceased daughter in his arms after the supposed drowning. George allegedly yelled at her, “Look what you’ve done!”
In a stunning revelation, while on the witness stand, George was accused of molesting his own daughter since she was eight years old.
When asked by the prosecutor, Jeff Ashton, if he sexually abused his daughter, Casey’s father responded, “No, sir.”
He was also asked if he was present when Caylee died and answered, “No, and when I heard that today it hurt really bad,” while holding back tears.
George denied the allegations, but they took their toll. On January 23, 2009, he attempted suicide, but medics were able to save him.
Casey still maintains her father was involved in Caylee's death.
In the aftermath of the trial and acquittal and with a new docuseries on the horizon, Casey is standing by her claims that her father is responsible for Caylee’s death.
In a lengthy interview with People Magazine, Casey says her father staged Caylee’s drowning to cover up the fact that he had been inappropriate with her.
She now says, “I wasn't feeling that great, and I wanted to lay down. I had her lay in bed with me.”
She then says George woke her up by asking where Caylee was and recalls, "That didn't make sense. She would never even leave my room without telling me.”
She goes on to say, “I immediately started looking around the house. I go outside and I'm looking to see where she could be."
Casey claims that in the month between her daughter disappearing and her body being found, she believed the little girl was still alive.
Here are 5 signs Casey Anthony may be telling the truth:
1. Caylee’s cause of death was never determined.
Caylee’s death was ruled a ‘homicide by undetermined means’ by the medical examiner. Most of Caylee’s skeleton was recovered but showed no signs of trauma before death.
This means that it is entirely possible that the child could have drowned. Without concrete evidence of murder, the case against Casey leaves much doubt.
With that said, if at any time, it is determined that Caylee died by any other method, Casey’s story should be called into question and disproven.
2. A court-appointed psychiatrist believes George abused Casey.
During the trial, Dr. William Weitz said that he believed George Anthony began raping his daughter at the age of eight and continued until she was twelve years old.
To back up those claims, the doctor disclosed that the abuse only stopped because Casey began her period and could get pregnant.
He also alleged that although Casey’s mother was a nurse, she had gone through her entire childhood without seeing a pediatrician.
Not only was George accused of having an incestuous relationship with his daughter, but so was Casey’s older brother. But a molestation allegation does not equate to murder.
However, if Casey was abused by her father and brother, the lies she told would make sense. It is not uncommon for adults who were abused as a child to exhibit behavioral symptoms like lying.
3. Cindy Anthony changed her story and took the blame.
Though Cindy started by describing the smell in the car as a "dead body," she later recanted and said it could have been trash that was stored in the trunk.
During the trial, Cindy explained the searches found on her daughter’s computer for “chloroform”, “neck breaking”, and “chest injuries”.
Cindy claimed, “I was searching for 'chlorophyll' because I was worried that it might affect my dogs. I was worried about them eating bamboo."
She added, “A friend of mine was in a car accident, and I looked up certain injuries” to explain the neck-breaking and chest injuries searches.
At the end of the day, Cindy’s testimony was taken with a grain of salt because as a mother, people believe she was willing to risk her own freedom to save Casey.
Also, there were other searches on “suffocation” made from a computer primarily used by Casey. That search was blamed on George Anthony.
4. The facts of the case line up with Casey’s story.
Caylee was found near her grandparents' home, she was last seen alive at their home — since she likely died there, Casey’s claims that her dad was involved are not impossible.
However, during the investigation into Caylee’s disappearance, George’s involvement was never mentioned.
The story seemed to have been invented during the trial after the facts that pointed to Casey’s guilt were revealed.
5. George behaved erratically after Caylee’s death.
Who can forget George’s suicide attempt and the five-page letter he left behind during Casey’s murder trial?
George tried to die by suicide on January 22, 2009. He took several bottles of medication from his home and reported missing. He was eventually found and revived.
In the suicide note, George blamed himself but later wrote, “I want this to go away for Casey! What happened? Why could she not come to us? Especially you, why not Lee?”
Judging Caylee’s grandfather based on this incident is unfair because there is no handbook on how to act in the face of your granddaughter being murdered.
Conclusion:
When it comes to the evidence in this case, it is apparent that the car Casey left in with her daughter carries a lot of weight.
Casey was in possession of the vehicle, she was behind the wheel, she claims it ran out of gas on her. Then there is the chloroform, hair in the trunk, and signs of decomposition.
But none of that matters because Casey has already been found not guilty in a court of law.
The court of public opinion is still trying this case and whether or not the upcoming documentary provides any definitive answers remains to be seen.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle, entertainment and news, and self-focused content, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.