Death of Caylee Anthony

Death of Caylee Anthony
Memorial near where Caylee Anthony's remains were found
DateLast reported seen June 16, 2008
Remains found
December 11, 2008
LocationOrlando, Florida, U.S.
TypeCause of death disputed:
  • Unsolved child homicide by undetermined means[1][2][3] (medical examiner)
  • Murder by administering chloroform and duct taping the nose and mouth (prosecution)
  • Accidental drowning (defense)
DeathsCaylee Marie Anthony (aged 2)
SuspectsCasey Marie Anthony
Charges
Verdict
  • Guilty on 4 counts of providing false information to law enforcement (2 counts later overturned on appeal)
  • Not guilty on remaining charges

Caylee Marie Anthony (August 9, 2005 – June 2008) was an American toddler who lived in Orlando, Florida, with her mother, Casey Marie Anthony (born March 19, 1986),[4] and her maternal grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony. On July 15, 2008, Caylee was reported missing in a 9-1-1 call made by Cindy, who said she had not seen the child for thirty-one days. According to what Cindy told police dispatchers, Casey had given varied explanations as to Caylee's whereabouts before eventually saying she had not seen her daughter for weeks.[5] Casey later called police and falsely told a dispatcher that Caylee had been kidnapped by a nanny on June 9.[6][7]: 1587  Casey 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 laundry bag in a wooded area near the Anthony family residence.[8][9] Investigative reports and trial testimony varied between duct tape being found near the front and mouth of the skull.[10][8][11][12] The medical examiner listed Caylee's cause of death as "homicide by undetermined means".[13]

The State of Florida sought the death penalty in its case against Casey.[14] Relying largely on circumstantial (i.e. non-eyewitness) evidence,[15] the prosecution alleged Casey wished to free herself from parental responsibilities and murdered her daughter by administering chloroform and applying duct tape to her nose and mouth. Casey's defense team, led by Jose Baez, chiefly focused on challenging the prosecution's evidence, calling much of it "fantasy forensics".[16] The defense stated that Caylee had drowned accidentally in the family's swimming pool and that George had disposed of the body. On July 5, 2011, a 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.[17] With credit for time served, Casey was released on July 17, 2011. A Florida appellate court overturned two of the misdemeanor convictions on January 25, 2013.[18][19]

The case attracted substantial attention from the public[7]: 1590–91 [20]—Time magazine described it as "the social media trial of the century".[21] Television personality Nancy Grace, who referred to Casey as "tot mom,"[22] was notable for the attention and corresponding publicity she gave the case.[7]: 1598 n.94 [23] Casey's acquittal on the murder charges was met with public outrage, with hundreds of thousands posting to social media accounts in response.[24]

  1. ^ "Caylee Anthony autopsy" (PDF).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dr. Jan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Hopper, Jessica (May 24, 2011). "Casey Anthony Trial: Defense Team Claims Caylee Anthony Drowned in Family Pool". ABC News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  4. ^ "Casey Anthony". Biography Channel. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  5. ^ Liston, Barbara (May 31, 2011). "On 911 call, Casey said tot was missing for 31 days". Reuters.
  6. ^ Reed, Travis (August 26, 2008). "Files untangle tales from missing Fla. girl's mom". Associated Press.
  7. ^ a b c Battaglia, Nicholas A. (2012). "The Casey Anthony Trial and Wrongful Exonerations: How "Trial by Media" Cases Diminish Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System". Albany Law Review. 75: 1579–1611.
  8. ^ a b "Duct Tape Found Stuck To Mouth Of Child's Remains". wftv.com. December 12–13, 2008. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  9. ^ "Prosecution, defense offer closing arguments in Casey Anthony trial". CNN. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  10. ^ "Day 14: Photos of Caylee's skull make Casey Anthony ill, court ends early". Spectrum News 13. June 9, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Testifying at the trial of Casey Anthony, Orange County crime scene investigator Jennifer Welch and chief investigator for the Orange-Osceola County medical examiner Stephen Hanson are described as saying the duct tape was found "near the front of the skull.
  11. ^ Schneider, Mike (May 24, 2011). "Casey Anthony trial to hinge on forensic evidence". news-journalonline.com/Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 30, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  12. ^ Hayes, Ashley (June 13, 2011). "Examiner: Heart-shaped adhesive found on tape covering Caylee's mouth". CNN. Retrieved August 31, 2011. Adhesive in the shape of a heart was found on a corner of a piece of duct tape that was covering the mouth portion of Anthony's skeletal remains, an FBI latent print examiner [Elizabeth Fontaine] testified Monday in the capital murder trial of the girl's mother, Casey Anthony.
  13. ^ Hines, Ree (December 29, 2011). "Medical examiner in Casey Anthony case speaks out". Today.
  14. ^ Liston, Barbara (June 10, 2011). "Casey Anthony prosecutor says duct tape "murder weapon"". Reuters.
  15. ^ Hightower, Kyle (July 2, 2011). "Jurors see scant evidence in Casey Anthony trial". NBC News/Associated Press. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  16. ^ de Nies, Yunji; Hopper, Jessica (July 3, 2011). "Casey Anthony Trial Becomes Heated During Closing Arguments". ABC News.
  17. ^ Pavuk, Amy; Prieto, Bianca (July 5, 2011). "Casey Anthony not guilty of murder". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011.
  18. ^ Ng, Christina (January 25, 2013). "Casey Anthony Appeal Reduces Lying Convictions From Four to Two". ABC. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  19. ^ Morgenstein, Mark (January 25, 2013). "Casey Anthony convictions thrown out". CNN. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  20. ^ Shaw, Lucas (July 5, 2011). "Casey Anthony trial turned into media frenzy". TheWrap – via Reuters.
  21. ^ Cloud, John (June 16, 2011). "How the Casey Anthony Murder Case Became the Social-Media Trial of the Century". Time.
  22. ^ MacNicol, Glynnis (July 6, 2011). "Nancy Grace Is The Future Of Media". Business Insider.
  23. ^ Zurawick, David (July 5, 2011). "Are Nancy-Grace-led media as vile as Casey Anthony lawyer claims?". Baltimore Sun.
  24. ^ "Judge declines to name Casey Anthony jurors, cites public rage". Associated Press. July 11, 2011 – via Florida Times-Union.