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** Update 8 June 2013 **
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Archive: Casey Anthony Trial

Opening Thoughts 

[A compilation of entries originally posted during July, 2011]

I am not an attorney, merely a retired grandmother who takes great interest in the American justice system. I want to believe I would make an excellent juror. However, I'll never be a juror due to my work history in both law enforcement and the media, my college major in psychology and minor in Administration of Justice and lastly, but not least, I am a crime victim.  That said, I believe in the existence of "bad cops", "bad science" and "bad law". What troubles me the most is that our justice system seems to prefer letting a thousand guilty persons go free over convicting one innocent person. That notion, while noble, saddles prosecutors with unreasonable burden to put criminals away where they belong.

Coming in to this trial, having been exposed to a fair amount of media hype in 2008, I strongly suspected Caylee Anthony's death was accidental but that her mother, Casey Anthony, was culpable for the accident. Thanks to CNN's live feed from the courtroom, I was able to watch the entire proceedings. As the saying goes, "reasonable people can disagree" but I will never see the Reason in this verdict. Coming out, I am convinced Casey Anthony is a narcissist and a sociopath who killed her daughter with malice and forethought. If anyone doesn't believe she's a danger to society, I humbly suggest they consider the broad scope of heartache and destruction she has already caused in the lives of everyone around her. None will ever again be the same as they were before Hurricane Casey blew through.

Casey the Manipulator

It seems obvious to me Casey takes great pride in manipulating her surroundings, primarily through lies. Nobody tells her what to do. Nobody crosses her.  I bet she was exhibiting sociopathy before she hit kindergarten.  And the more her manipulations worked, the more she relied upon them.  But with the birth of Caylee, her control mechanisms no longer functioned as they did in the past.  Most teenage girls are enamored with the Idea of motherhood. It's a hormone thing. It's natural. But what teenagers fail to foresee is the enormity of the task of parenting. A truly good parent has to (and wants to) put as much of his or her own life "on hold" as is humanly possible to care for, be with and nurture their child. This societal norm is simply too much to ask when asked too early. In my observation, the years from 16-25 are both the most exhilarating and the most traumatic in a young person's life. The progression from driver's license to college graduation is the time where he or she breaks out of the parental cocoon. Things which were once prohibited are now legal and possible. Some will party to the brink of destruction only to pull back and grow up at the last moment. Others are not able to do that, remaining in a perpetual state of pubescent stupidity. This freedom addiction is not only understandable, it's virtually inevitable. Heaven help the person or persons who tries to stand in the way of any teenager, let alone one with deep psychological issues.  Caylee, at nearly three years of age, was not only a freedom obstacle, she was Mt. Everest. No more could she be stuffed into a carseat with a binky or a bottle in her mouth and "put away for now". Caylee was no longer a cute little toy to play with at will.  Caylee was no longer a guy magnet.  Caylee had become a beautiful little PITA to the mother she adored.

Cindy the Fixer

I see Cindy as the central pillar of the Anthony family... the strong, pushy matriarch always having the best interest of the family unit in mind and willing to go to any length to preserve that unity. George's suicide note alluded to this. And I will bet my piggy bank that Cindy was the first person in the family to recognize Casey's psychological issues and that she thought she could handle them, if not fix them.  If that's the case, she wouldn't be the first mother in history to think that way. Deep seeded psychological issues such as the ones Casey exhibits are more likely to stem from nature rather than nurture.  Proper nurture guided by psychiatric professionals may have mitigated some of nature's effects but it would never be able to cure them.  Many people have remarked that the entire family was dysfunctional.  While I think this is probably true, I suspect Casey was the root cause of the dysfunction. And Cindy was the doting mother who tried desperately to save Casey from herself.  This resulted in the destruction of any chance for a healthy mother-daughter relationship.  We saw in some of the prison videotapes the utter contempt Casey has for her mother.

George the Enabler

Here, I see a man who loved his daughter very much and recognized she had "issues" but preferred to play the role of the peacemaker between Cindy and Casey.  He played Good Cop to Cindy's Bad Cop.  Good intentions aside, the sad effect was to destroy the concept of parental solidarity in front of Casey and to drive the wedge deeper between Casey and Cindy. After awhile, all he could do is try to tidy up after each successive storm.  Was George complicit in the cover up of Caylee's death?  Yes, but not in the way the Defense said.  George's involvement was his failure to call 911 before touching the Sunfire on July 15th.  Speaking as someone who is familiar with the smell of decomposition, it is indeed a unique odor that (once experienced) is never forgotten.  George absolutely recognized the odor.  It's what made him check the trunk. Though in my opinion the tow yard was more culpable for not alerting the police once the odor was discovered (this was a private tow, not a police tow), I still hold George ultimately responsible for his failure to report it immediately.  And of course once the car was back at the Hopespring address, Cindy participated in further cover up by removing items from the car, spraying almost an entire can of Febreeze in the passenger compartment and in the trunk and by placing dryer sheets in both.  The actions of both parents may be somewhat understandable, but they were nevertheless wrong and probably criminal (tampering with a crime scene). A final note here on George, I don't believe for a minute that he ever sexually abused Casey.  It's a he said/she said and we know Casey is a pathological liar. Furthermore, there are the prison tapes.  Casey appears to dote on her father, calling him the best dad and grandfather ever.  Does a sexually abused child say that to her abuser, even if she is a pathological liar?  I highly doubt it. 

Lee the Outsider

I'm not sure what to think about Lee.  Did he attempt to molest Casey?  Possibly.  Neither the prosecution nor the defense explored the possibility and that's a huge red flag something went on.  Rather than a molestation, I think it's more likely there was incest there with both willingly "crossing the line"... and perhaps only once at some time in the remote past.  But let me stress again there was absolutely no evidence presented in court regarding an inappropriate relationship between Lee and Casey.  There was merely the strange accusation in the opening statement by Jose Baez.  I see Lee as yet another of Casey's victims.  I wish him well and pray he will have the good sense to stay away from Casey forevermore.  He's the only member of this family with even a remote chance to find happiness and normalcy.


The Defense Theory

Love or hate the Casey Anthony defense team, the observer must acknowledge, understand and accept the simple fact that the attorney is at all times the mouthpiece of the defendant.  Whatever the attorney says, consider it as having been said by and with the permission of the defendant.  In the strict legal sense, opening arguments by attorneys are not evidence. They are, however, still the words of the defendant.  So in this light, I judge the defense's theory of the crime not against Mr. Baez but against Casey Anthony herself.  Below is her theory.
Highlights of Casey's Theory of the Crime:
  • My father started molesting me when I was eight years old.
  • My brother tried to molest me.
  • I'm a pathological liar because I was molested.
  • I am a slut because I was molested.
  • My daughter, Caylee, drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16, 2008.
  • My mother was the last one to use the pool, on June 15.
  • My mother must have forgotten to take the pool ladder down.
  • My father found Caylee's body.
  • Caylee's drowning was not my fault, but my father yelled at me and blamed me.
  • My father didn't want me to get in trouble with my mother so he masterminded a coverup.
  • My father disposed of Caylee's body.
  • I have no idea what my father did to or with Caylee's remains.
  • It's my dad's duct tape.
  • My dad hit a dead squirrel with my car and it stinks.
  • Rotting pizza smells like a decomposing corpse.
All I can say is O.M.G.!  How Jose Baez presented this theory with a straight face is nothing short of amazing. We do know that Mr. Baez must believe the theory in order to legally present it.  Believing anything coming out of the mouth of a confessed pathological liar is no small fete, I'm sure.  I strongly suspect it's the reason Casey blew through so, so many "former" defense team members. But some people are able to suspend disbelief long enough to do their job. And do it he did.  I confess it took me awhile to learn to overlook his subconscious smirking affect which made him appear to be laughing at the words he was saying.  I no longer believe he was laughing and I applaud him overall for a job well done in spite of the ridiculous story he had to work with.

Not one single piece of evidence was ever presented to fully support any of the above listed defense claims.  And, in some cases, there was a conspicuous abandonment of some points altogether during the evidence phase.  But let me go through each point individually.

My father started molesting me when I was eight years old.
George Anthony denied this in testimony.  Jose Baez tried to pull a fast one by asking him the ridiculous trap question, "You wouldn't admit it even if you did, would you?" but George and Judge Perry didn't fall for it. Finally Baez gave up and asked the more appropriate question, "Did you ever sexually abuse your daughter?" and George answered he would never hurt his daughter in that way.  Oddly worded, I admit, but still a denial.

My brother tried to molest me.
[accidental mis-snip here, sorry]  from both the defense and the prosecution so... no evidence.

I'm a pathological liar because I was molested.
I have known women who were sexually molested and, while they did suffer extensive psychological effects from the molestation, they did not become pathological liars.  The defense could have had Casey examined by a professional and presented testimony to support the claim.  Because no such testimony was presented, I am left to believe either the defense opted not to have Casey examined or they did and the professional's report did not support the claim. Either way, no evidence.

I am a slut because I was molested.
Again, no evidence to support the claim.

My daughter, Caylee, drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16, 2008.
June 16 is simply the last date Caylee was seen alive and it does seem likely she died sometime that afternoon.  Videotape evidence shows Casey and boyfriend, Tony, at the video rental store without Caylee that evening and evidence of a babysitter was never presented.  Otherwise, there's no tangible evidence to support this date of death.

My mother was the last one to use the pool, on June 15.
My mother must have forgotten to take the pool ladder down.
According to the testimony of Cindy Anthony, she and Caylee did go swimming on July 15 after returning from their visit with Cindy's father and mother.  Cindy recalls taking down the ladder that night (testimony is what it is but I know I wouldn't have remembered that), but also testifies she found the ladder up the following day and recalls calling George about it and mentioning it to co-workers.  In addition, she testified the side gate nearest the pool was open. If one believes Cindy's testimony, she was not the last person to use the pool. That said, other evidence suggests this ladder-gate testimony was either untruthful or mis-remembered: there was no phone record to show she called George on that date; George was not questioned about it that I can recall; none of Cindy's co-workers testified to having heard the story.

My father found Caylee's body.
Caylee's drowning was not my fault, but my father yelled at me and blamed me.
My father didn't want me to get in trouble with my mother so he masterminded a coverup.
My father disposed of Caylee's body.

George denied having any knowledge whatsoever regarding when and how Caylee died.  And while I believe he lied about certain things at various points in the trial, his denial here seemed most genuine to me.

It's not my duct tape.
I would hazard a guess that most homes have at least one roll of duct tape.  Casey obviously didn't buy the Henkel brand duct tape since evidence showed it was a limited run item made in Ohio and had been discontinued for years.  However, any member of that household had access to that roll of tape.  For George to have stuck a piece of duct tape over the vent on the infamous gas can on June 20 seems perfectly reasonable to me.  And to imply that, since the duct tape "belongs to George", nobody else in the family could have used it is patently absurd.

My dad hit a dead squirrel with my car and it stinks.
Here I have questions in my mind as to the date Casey said this but I believe it was either June 18 or 19. There are a number of problems with the squirrel theory.  There was no evidence to show George had access to the Sunfire after leaving for work on June 16 (at which time Caylee was still alive) and before retrieving the car from the tow yard on July 15.  Forensic examination found no traces of dead anything anywhere on the undercarriage of the car and I find that the most compelling impeachment.  A simple run through a car wash would not have removed all traces.  Casey came home on June 20 and was surprised to see her father there.  When George wanted to retrieve the tire chalks from the Sunfire trunk, Casey became extremely agitated, ran past him to the trunk, retrieved the gas cans she had "stolen" earlier and said, "Here's your f*ing gas cans!" and slammed the trunk.  The fact that George smelled only gasoline on that date does not trouble me at all.  One, the smell of gasoline would have been quite strong, particularly while standing by a gas can with a missing vent cover. Two, depending on wind direction that day (if any wind at all), George may not have been in position to smell any decomposition.  I'll have more to say on the conflicting Smell Testimony later.

Rotting pizza smells like a decomposing corpse.
This is way too absurd to dignify. Let's just say the pizza box was empty, as was every other food item packaging in the trash bag.  As a side note, I think it was silly of Jose Baez to harp on the tobacco spit.  Spit does not smell like decomp.  Ever.


Uncommon Sense

So now what are we left with here?  Nothing.  Just Casey's lies.

Prosecutor Jeff Ashton summarized it best when he said the defense was asking the jury to jump down the rabbit hole, an allusion obviously lost on the jury.  I can't be as eloquent as Mr. Ashton, but his logic was spot on....
  • What grandfather, when faced with the accidental death of his beloved granddaughter, stages a murder to cover up the accident just to prevent his daughter from getting in trouble with grandma?   
  • What grandfather, who participated in the loving burial of family pets in the backyard, unceremoniously tosses his granddaughter into a swamp to be ravaged by weather and wild animals just to prevent his daughter from getting in trouble with grandma?
  • What grandfather is THAT scared of grandma???????
  • And what grandma is THAT scary??????
Seriously?


The CSI Effect and Zebras

"It was an accident that snowballed out of control." 
--Krystal Holloway aka River Kruz


Alternate Juror #14, Russell Huekler, was the first to step forward and speak to the press about why the jury acquitted Casey Anthony of all charges except making false statements to police officers.  Kudos to Mr. Huekler for speaking to us.  Having seen several of his interviews, I've been impressed with his sincerity.  However, Mr. Huekler's defense of the not guilty verdict is the best evidence for why the jury system may forevermore be ruined by the CSI Effect and Zebras.  His bottom-line argument for acquittal appears to be a belief Caylee's death was "an accident that snowballed out of control."  Yes, he used those exact words.  Seriously?  Krystal Holloway's impeached testimony was the pivotal evidence that guided this decision?   Apparently so.  Mr. Huekler made the blanket statement that he did not find George Anthony credible.

The CSI Effect

One morning when I was newly married I went downstairs to grab myself a small dish of cottage cheese for breakfast. When I couldn't find the carton I knew should be there, I asked my husband, "Did you eat all the cottage cheese?"  He looked at me with a charming grin and said, "No film, no proof."  I fear our jury system is heading toward this mentality.  The popular CSI  TV shows on CBS solve even the most perfect murders in one hour.  They are always able to find DNA and/or trace evidence that proves beyond any doubt (reasonable or otherwise) that a suspect is guilty.  Sadly, we don't actually live in that world.  We live in a world where circumstantial evidence is, more often than not, the very best evidence.  We live in a world where not all trace evidence can be tied to a suspect or a crime scene.  We live in a world of evolving science.  We live in a world where OJ Simpson's jury didn't trust DNA and yet now it's a must-have piece of evidence.  And now we're moving into a world where no body of circumstantial evidence will be sufficient to convict, no matter how compelling it may be; where no conviction will be possible without an official cause of death; where jurors abdicate their responsibility to apply common sense to the evidence.

Zebras

I am reminded of a scene from an episode of Law & Order: SVU in which youthful crime scene investigator, Stuckey, is processing a murder scene and stops to tell his wild theory of the crime to Detectives Benson and Stabler.  Still bending over the victim's remains, Benson looks up at Stuckey and says, "It's not zebras."  Stuckey is puzzled by this comment so Stabler explains, "If you hear hooves in Central Park, don't think zebras."   Sometimes people can't resist over-thinking things.  I go outside to get my morning paper and see that everything is wet -- the trees, the grass, the street, the driveways, my paper.  I infer from this circumstantial evidence that it rained overnight and I am satisfied I know "the truth."  My neighbor, seeing exactly the same circumstantial evidence as I did, may infer a fire truck might have come by and watered the neighborhood or it might have rained.  My neighbor feels unsatisfied at not knowing "the truth."  My neighbor loves zebras.  If you find a victim's remains apparently smothered in duct tape, stuffed into garbage bags and tossed in a swamp, it's gotta be an accident.  Right?

My comments below will be directed toward the statements of Mr. Huekler.

There was no DNA and no fingerprints on the duct tape.
There is no reasonable expectation to find DNA or fingerprints on a piece of duct tape (or anything else) that's been degraded underwater for nearly six months.  For you to cite this lack of evidence as a compelling "no proof" argument is disturbing.  I hope you are not of the mindset that absence of evidence is evidence of absence.  A reasonable person concludes the duct tape was not originally attached to thin air.  It was discovered barely attached to the lower part of Caylee's skull even though the adhesive and anything that would have logically been stuck to the adhesive had vanished.  I have seen many, many photos of archaeological burial sites where skeletons are found with mandibles gaping open in something of a "screaming" position in relation to the skull.  This is quite normal and expected and precisely why morticians routinely wire the mandible and skull together during burial preparations.  In the case of Caylee's remains, it was reasonably the duct tape which held the mandible in position.  Testimony that the tape could have been applied after the remains were skeletonized has no home in the realm of reasonability.  To argue a scenario in which someone places duct tape on a skull (at great risk of leaving his or her own DNA or fingerprints on it) for the sole purpose of staging a crime scene to collect a reward is to argue suspension of common sense.

We don't know how Caylee died.
Orange County Medical Examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia, testified to her finding of homicide as the manner of death.  Her testimony was not only compelling, it was filled with common sense and righteous indignation that any reasonable person could think otherwise.  The defense brought in Dr. Werner Spitz to conduct his own autopsy to counter Garavaglia's findings.  Neither expert was able to determine cause of death.  So, Mr. Huekler, what did you reasonably expect forensic pathologists and/or forensic anthropologists to prove in this case with only skeletal remains to work with?  When other evidence clearly suggests a homicide, why did you choose to believe Caylee's death was "an accident that snowballed out of control"?  Did you reasonably find the impeached hearsay testimony (admissible under the outcry exclusion) of Krystal Holloway aka River Kruz more credible than conflicting expert testimony?  Do you feel any defendant can ever be reasonably convicted in the absence of a cause of death?  What, if anything, did you reasonably infer from the evidence regarding chloroform, duct tape, and trash bags?


We couldn't find a motive.
Motive is not a legally required element for conviction and for good reason.  It can be especially difficult to determine motive when the accused is a disturbed, even sociopathic individual.  Such a person's motive may simply be, "I felt like it."  But even so, in this case, there was ample motive presented.  You simply chose to disregard it.  I believe it was you, Mr. Huekler, who said something to the effect of, "Who kills their child just so they can party?  It makes no sense."  That it makes no sense to you is a good thing.  It means you are not a sociopath.

Caylee was buried just like a family pet.
Cross examination of the family by Linda Drane Burdick disproved this ridiculous defense assertion.  The Anthony family did not euthanize their pets, put duct tape over their noses or mouths, bag them up and throw them in a swamp. Instead, their ill pets received medical attention, were lovingly buried with blankets or toys and ceremoniously buried in the family's backyard.  Only Lee Anthony testified to duct tape on a bag... and he was specifically referring to his recollection of the burial of his grandmother's dog, whose remains had been pre-packaged and frozen by the veterinarian.  Cindy testified to the use of packing tape on the burial bags.  Packing tape is different than duct tape.  Furthermore, Cindy Anthony testified the tape was wrapped around the outside of the bags in two places.  Photos of the bags at the recovery scene showed no evidence of having been taped in such a way.

There was conflicting testimony about the smell of the car.
I do realize that.  But in spite of the testimony of persons who testified they did not smell the decomposition, I am quite confident those who did testify to it knew exactly what they were smelling.  Have you, Mr. Huekler, ever smelled decomposing flesh?  I have, sir.  I will add my voice to that of every other person who has ever smelled it:  the smell is (a) absolutely unique and (b) one you will never forget and (c) nothing like the odor of common garbage.  Furthermore, I submit to you the defense team damned well knows that.  It's precisely why Baez catapulted a barrage of red herrings at you.  Tobacco spit, velveeta scraps, salami residue, chicken fat?  Are you kidding me?  Give me a break!  All I can say is that anyone who did not smell that odor in the trunk was simply not in a position to do so, either in time or in space.  Their failure to detect the odor does not, in any reasonable way, impeach the testimony of those who did.  Take 20,000 fans in a football stadium and you may find 1,000 who didn't see that last play in the first half.  Does that reasonably mean the other 19,000 didn't see it, either?  Does that mean you shrug that play off as not being proven?

Juror #3, 23-year-old Jennifer Ford, gave an interview to ABC on July 6 in which she conveyed she couldn't get past not having a cause of death.  Appearing defensive and defiant, she said, "How can you punish someone if you don't know what they did?"  She was not willing to accept the stated theories of cause presented by either the defense or the prosecution in the absence of a medical conclusion.  Translation: without a medical examiner's finding there can be no evidence of Cause and, without Cause, there is no Crime.  "I did the best I could," said Ford.  Mhmmmm.  I'm sure you did, kiddo.  You just weren't able to understand the evidence.  We expect jurors to figure out what evidence to reasonably believe and what to reasonably disregard.  Is it reasonable to believe that the only way a cause of death may be proven is by the medical examiner?  She stated she was unable to risk imposing the death penalty for Casey and said she couldn't live with being wrong.  So her obvious solution was to ignore common sense and let a murderer go free.  Jury consultants warned Ms. Ford was a potential "stealth juror".  She was much too eager to be on this jury and many of her answers to the voire dire questions seemed suspicious and guarded, even to me.  That she was the first among the panel of twelve to come forward is little surprise to me.  Ford didn't think Casey Anthony was innocent, she simply had no idea what she was guilty of.

Juror #2 is quoted in an anonymous interview with the St. Petersburg Times.

"'I just swear to God …,' he said, his voice falling silent, overcome by tears.
'I wish we had more evidence to put her away. I truly do …
'But it wasn't there.'"

Juror #4, an African American female, was widely thought to be the "hanging juror" because she doesn't like to judge people and is firmly against the death penalty.  Judge Perry refused to dismiss this juror "for cause" and denied the prosecution a peremptory challenge after defense argued the challenge constituted racial bias.

The publicist for Juror #6, a 30-year-old chef and (former?) local TV celebrity,  issued a statement he would not be speaking with any media without compensation.

Jury Foreperson, Juror #11, gave an interview to On the Record host, Greta Van Susteren, on the Fox News Channel.  This juror indicated the jury not only disbelieved George Anthony about virtually everything, he further relayed that some jury members thought he may have killed his granddaughter, Caylee Anthony.  Juror #11 couldn't even remember the central "fact" of when Caylee died, referring several times to the events of "the 15th".  He may as well have said, "We didn't care about the evidence in this case.  We didn't believe George Anthony so we had to find Casey Anthony not guilty."  OMG what a bunch of imbeciles!!! 

Juror #12, a 60-year-old female, has quit her job and moved fearing how her co-workers might feel about her.


Google This

First off, let me say I understood the forensic computer evidence.  I did not, however, feel the testimony was sufficient to explain it all to the jury.  If there was even one juror who had no computer and internet experience, he or she would be tempted to totally disregard computer evidence as being meaningless voodoo.  That was the aim of the defense strategy, to confuse and obfuscate the meaning of the various searches.  Defense also tried to deny the utility of using two different forensic programs to search the data.  As with any type of competing programs, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.  It's of little use now to explain the concepts of unallocated space, URLs, search strings inside URLs and all that.  But something about the searches themselves struck me hard.  In particular these:
  • chloroform
  • how to make chloroform
  • neck breaking
  • self defense
  • household weapons
  • ruptured spleen
  • chest injuries
  • shovel
Without specific recollection of which searches were made on which day, I recall some occurred on March 17 and some on March 21 -- at times when Cindy and George were both at work.  Lee was not living in the home at the time and no evidence to suggest he was the user was presented.  About this same time period, Casey Anthony was telling some yarn about getting the family house and inviting her friend, Amy Huizenga, to move in with her there.  In this light, I find myself asking these questions:
  1. Where were George and Cindy going?  
  2. Did George or Cindy ever mention moving out and giving their home to Casey?  
  3. If moving, wouldn't they be more likely to give the home to Lee and Mallory?
  4. How could "self defense" possibly fit into a scheme to kill Caylee?
  5. Was Casey considering violent injury to Caylee then claim "self defense"?
  6. Was Casey planning to escape the parental cocoon by killing George and Cindy? 
  7. Was Casey starting to confide "secrets" to set up a "self defense" excuse?

Evidence showed that Casey Anthony made those Google searches.  Nobody else was home at those times.  I do believe Cindy perjured herself in regard to making the search for "chloroform" herself.  I think it was the pitiful attempt of a mother trying to save her daughter.  Had she had more computer savvy, she might not have laid claim to the search knowing she'd be busted by the Gentiva records.  I, for one, forgive her for that.  I don't believe she will or should be prosecuted for it.


Jury Nullification

Jose Baez was quick to pontificate about his views on the death penalty during his post-verdict press conference.  That's fine.  Reasonable people disagree on that.  Personally, I believe there are cases where the death penalty is appropriate but that it should be reserved only for perpetrators of the most heinous crimes.  I never believed Casey should receive the death penalty.  I have mixed feelings as to whether the prosecution overcharged in her case.  However, alternative verdict options to first degree murder were offered to the jury and they rejected those as well.

Earlier today, Juror #3 (Jennifer Ford) told ABC News that they didn't think Casey was innocent, just that they didn't find the prosecution had proven its case.  What more evidence they could possibly have had that would have changed their mind (short of DNA and fingerprints on the duct tape) is beyond me.

What the Evidence Showed:
  • Caylee was in the care of Casey the last time she was seen alive (by George between 2 and 3pm on June 16).
  • Caylee's remains were found in the wooded swamp near the Anthony home with a pink t-shirt with the words "Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages", a shirt Cindy had never seen before and which only Casey had access to.
  • No evidence of shoes or socks was found with Caylee's remains which, to me, indicates the child never left the house alive on June 16.
  • Henkel brand duct tape, apparently unique to the Anthony household, was found attached to Caylee's skull and hair.
  • Black plastic bags with yellow handles, similar to the ones Caylee was disposed in, were found in the Anthony home.
  • A canvas laundry bag with a label matching another found in the Anthony home (the two being sold as a set) was found with Caylee's remains.
  • On the evening of June 16, Casey is caught on surveillance tape with boyfriend Tony Lazzaro renting videos.  Caylee is not with them.
  • Between June 16 and July 15, Casey rebuffs Cindy's efforts to see Caylee, offering a long string of excuses (all of which were proven false).
  • Between June 16 and July 15, evidence shows Casey partying and telling her friends Caylee was with Cindy.  She makes no mention to friends or family of Caylee drowning or being kidnapped.
  • On June 18(?) Casey runs out of gas and asks Tony to break into an Anthony home shed to "steal" two gas cans.  George reports the shed breakin to police.  Tony does not report any odor emanating from the trunk.
  • Casey borrows a shovel from a neighbor [June 17? 18? 19? 20?].  I believe it was on the shovel-borrowing day when when Casey uncharacteristically backs her Sunfire into the Hopespring residence garage.
  • On June 20, Casey briefly returns home for an unclear purpose, is surprised to see her father at home, and provokes a confrontation with George about the stolen gas cans. 
  • On June 27, Casey abandons the Pontiac Sunfire, with a bag of trash in the trunk, near a dumpster in a parking lot. It is subsequently towed on June 30.  No surveillance video is available.
  • On July 15, George and Cindy Anthony retrieve the Pontiac Sunfire from a tow lot.  The trunk had the distinct odor of decomposing flesh.  The car was under the sole control of Casey Anthony from June 16 to this time.
  • On July 15, Cindy tracks Casey to the home of Tony Lazzaro.  Caylee is not there.  Casey says Caylee is with the fictional Zanny the Nanny.  Later that night at the Anthony residence, Casey confides to her brother, Lee, that Caylee was kidnapped by Zanny the Nanny 31 days ago.
There was absolutely no evidence presented that Caylee Marie Anthony drowned, only that it was possible.  Judge Perry found that the drowning theory could not be argued in closing in light of that fact.

No other "accident" theory was presented.

Caylee Anthony was in the care and custody of Casey Anthony the last time she was seen alive.

The verdict should have been, at a minimum, manslaughter if the death of Caylee was believed to be an accident.  Had Casey confessed to perpetrating the coverup while maintaining her story of accidental death, she likely would never have been charged with first degree murder.  So what could a reasonable person assume was the basis for the continued lies?  I hope the jurors can answer this question.

I think the jurors simply didn't have the guts required to risk the death penalty for such an attractive, charming young woman.  Several of the jurors said in voire dire they did not believe in the death penalty.  They liked Jose Baez, according to press accounts of courtroom witnesses.  They did not like Jeff Ashton, according to others.  Some jurors only took notes during defense examination, some took barely any notes at all.  Half of them didn't bother taking their notes to the deliberation room.  From where I sit, this verdict was signed, sealed and delivered at the close of the defense opening argument.  Everything after that was just blah blah blah blah blah to them.  I'm sick of hearing talking heads say I should "respect the jury's decision."   I do not respect it.  I will never respect it.  Shame on them all.  There is absolutely no evidence to support this verdict.  That makes it jury nullification in my book.

On July 7, 2011, Fox & Friends interviewed Casey Anthony's aunt, Pamela Plasea.  Regarding the not guilty verdict, Plasea said, "It's not only a tragedy, it's a travesty." 


Closing Thoughts

Following Casey's sentencing hearing for the four charges of making false statements to a police officer for which she was convicted, a number of notable signs were displayed.

"Casey will you marry me."

"Somewhere a Village is Missing 12 Idiots"

"Arrest the Jury"


Defense argued that the four counts of providing false information to a police officer constituted double jeopardy.  Judge Perry denied the motion, noting that each separate lie resulted in a separate and distinct response by law enforcement.

Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Casey Anthony to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each of the four counts of providing false statements to a police officer... (Count 4) that she worked at Universal Studios, (Count 5) that Caylee was dropped off at the Sawgrass apartment of Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez, (Count 6) that she told Jeffrey Michael Hopkins and Juliette Lewis about the abduction, and (Count 7) that she had received a phone call from Caylee on July 15, 2008.  Judge Perry imposed the maximum sentence by law, however he allowed it to run concurrently with time served for her 13 felony check charge convictions.  When the credit for time served was calculated (1,043 days) the court announced her release will be on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.  It was later determined by the Orange County Corrections records Anthony would not be eligible for release until Sunday, July 17.

Assistant State's Attorney Linda Drane Burdick advised the court that the State of Florida has filed notice of intent to sue Casey Anthony for the costs of prosecution, thought to be as much as $300,000. Judge Perry granted her request to maintain jurisdiction until the total costs could be calculated and filed.

Tim Miller, head of Texas EquuSearch, announced he is investigating the possibility of suing Casey Anthony, George and Cindy Anthony, and perhaps Jose Baez to recoup roughly $100,000 expended in their search for little Caylee.

The real Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez is suing Casey Anthony for defamation.  As a result of Casey's lies, Ms. Gonzalez lost her job, was evicted from her apartment and received death threats directed at herself and her children.  The lawsuit was originally filed in 2008 but has been on hold pending the outcome of Casey's criminal trial.

Vivid Entertainment, a porn movie production house, has withdrawn their offer to star Casey Anthony in an upcoming XXX movie.  The company said they overestimated public desire to see Casey.

The IRS filed a tax lien in May of this year, just days before the trial, against Casey Anthony for $68,520 in back taxes resulting from the sale of family photographs.  Documents were mailed to the office of Jose Baez.  Ms. Anthony had been granted indigent status by the State of Florida in May of 2010. [Related Story]

Lee Anthony, formerly represented by George and Cindy's attorney (Mr. Lippman), has hired a new attorney. Uh oh.

Three Florida newspapers petition Judge Perry to release the names of the jurors.  Despite security concerns for the jurors, Perry agrees to consider the release after a cooling off period of perhaps a week or more. At one point he appears to read from a letter threatening to filet someone open, pour salt on them and feed them to the "pariahs".  One juror in particular, according to Perry, was already being contacted before leaving the courthouse following the verdict.  Perry expresses thoughtful concern for a justice system in which jurors are compelled to serve in high profile cases and then left to deal with the aftermath of an unpopular verdict without any protection.  He also points out that the cost by the state of providing police protection for every juror is prohibitive.

True Crime show host, Aphrodite Jones, reports today the prestigious talent agency of William Morris Endeavor has signed Jose Baez and Casey Anthony as a package deal.  A short time later, Jose Baez denied the claim that Casey has signed with any agency to HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell.  He also declined to comment on whether or not he has signed with the agency.  I've speculated the two will run off into the sunset together based on the flirting, hugging, hand-holding, caressing and overall body language we've seen between them just in the courtroom.  Casey appears to have Jose wrapped around her little finger. If he's not careful, she'll pull him down from his current high perch with the bat of an eyelash and feel no remorse for doing so.

According to jailhouse letters written by Casey to another inmate, her plans are to have more children, maybe even adopt.  I wonder if she has a father in mind?

George and Cindy Anthony will soon be faced with the next emotional bill for having created, nurtured and enabled their monster of a daughter, Casey Anthony -- that of trying to put their lives back together.  I sense they have a bizarre desire to reconcile with Casey if Casey will allow it.  Presently, Jose Baez has blocked their attempts to contact Casey, presumably at his client's request.  I understand they still love her. That's what parents do.  But how much denial does it take to think you can put that family back together after the horrific accusations made?  Uh, oh yeah.  Cindy was still looking for the fictional "Zanny the Nanny" until six weeks before Casey's trial.  That's sufficient denial.

To say the Anthony's have a dysfunctional family is to understate the obvious.   Perhaps I'm wrong in my belief that Casey is the vortex of the dysfunction.  The fact the family hid and lied about Casey's pregnancy to everyone, including Lee, speaks volumes.  When hearing of this I remember thinking to myself, "Pay no attention to that lump behind the curtain."

I'm plenty angry over Casey's acquittal but I'll get over it... unless and until my predictions come true that this saga is far from over and that we'll be seeing Casey back in an orange jumpsuit in the not-too-distant future.  Hurricane Casey has been returned to the wild to wreak more havoc and destruction and, regardless of whom you choose to blame, the results are what they are.  We have to live with our justice system.  With all its warts and scars, it's still the best in the world.

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