Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder, Acquitted of Manslaughter in Daughter's Death

FOX ^ | July 5, 2011 | Staff

[freebird5850]

Morning all, didn't see a thread for today so I created one.

[drjulie]

In my opinion, she’s likely a sociopath who uses people and manipulates situations to suit her. Though her parents appears dysfunctional I think it is a function of trying to deal with a daughter who is deeply flawed. Perhaps they were supporting her and then at some point insisted that she get a job. The pregnancy might have been intentional so as to keep them “on the hook”. Once the baby was of little or no use she was gone. She didn’t need Mom & Dad any longer as she had the new boyfriend.

[tirednvirginia]

I see people living in a fantasy world everyday on Facebook.

[texgal]

You're right and it's too bad that he could not be called to present his testimony in court.

Every search is important to him. Mr. Miller started Texas Equisearch after his own daughter went missing and was eventually found in an area around here that became known as the killing field. Several young women's remains were found there over a period of years and no one has ever been charged with the killings.

[drjulie]

Thanks. I suspected as much but hadn’t heard the testimony.

[chris37]

Honestly, I’d be ok with life without parole, but from what I saw, she would get life with the possibility of parole, which to me is unacceptable.

I think that life in prison may be worse than death for someone like her.

The term “reasonable doubt” is a tricky one though. It does not mean “beyond any doubt”. I believe she did it, I definitely do not believe that George did it.

Aside from all the circumstantial evidence, the fact that she didn’t take the stand and say she didn’t kill her daughter speaks volumes to me. I know a juror isn’t supposed to consider that, but screw that.

If someone accused me of killing my child, and I didn’t do it, they would have to physically bind my mouth in order to prevent me from declaring my innocence at my trial throughout the length of my trial.

If I am to be put to death, then the people deciding such will hear those words from me come Hell or high water. I simply do not care if the prosecution makes me look like a fool, or a liar, or anything else. Being that I am innocent, I will declare such in open court without fear of consequence.

She is not innocent.

[miss marmelstein]

Casey and her female attorney (she looks like a Cindy Mini-Me) are getting quite chummy. There are also Lesbo photos of Casey. Pretty awful.

I think social pathology and promiscuity go together.

[drjulie]

Based on that it could easily have been an accident that she tried to cover up. Perhaps the jury will struggle with the premeditation piece.

[paul revere is riding]

I have to take a nap. Putting hubby on verdict watch while I do. Will bbl Verdict today I hope

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Ok, all of you who either have had children or been around children - The very pretty but idiotic lawyer on HLN or Court TV (Sunny Hosten?) who has been in the tank for the defense all along just said her mother told her children Caylee's age aren't very verbal! She was saying there was no reason for Casey to kill her that day because she wasn't able to verbalize what might have been happening to her.

I realize all children develop at different rates, but my daughter was speaking in paragraphs at age 3! Not baby words, not two or three words - the girl could talk!

My son, not so much.... ;^)

[RitaOK]

I have the same question on Casey’s upkeep. She lied about having a job for two years at Universal? Astounding. There must be more to the numerous stolen checks from the mother, the SS of the grandfather in the nursing home, and at least one stolen from a girl friend.

I am with you on Wendy Murphy. I heard that, when she said that both sides suppress what they don’t want to deal with. That penetrated. I just can’t imagine that, especially in the death of such an innocent toddler. I understand attorneys have to have a victory at all costs because their careers are measured by it. But, really?

[Girlene]

To the point of Casey, a circumstantial case looks like to me a “reasonable doubt” situation every time, so I don’t believe she will get the ultimate penalty. It looks like felony murder (death by abusive act)to me is the answer, if you believe the chloroform was used. But this could be a hung jury and cause for a new trial. Can you believe it? !!! In any case, phase two is the supreme court. The verdict seems to be only the beginning of the next phase(s).

Anything is possible with this case.....I think she could likely get the death penalty, but maybe it will be life without parole, since the death penalty can be a pretty hard judgement for some to decide for a young woman.

By finding the three overlapping pieces of duct tape attached to the hair, I'm not sure you even need to prove chloroform was used. If the jurors believe those pieces were placed over the mouth/nose area, that is premeditation over the time period it took to cut/place each piece of tape. Any half-way mentally able adult would know what it would result in - death - thus premeditation.

The thirty one days of laissez-faire attitude about the daughter, all the partying, etc. shows a person who is care-free.....not someone with worries about being found out they accidentally killed their daughter and is trying to hide it because they're scared. She only becomes scared when the body is found. She knew the jig was up for her.

I think the key is whether the jury believes the tape was used to cause the death, or whether it was placed there later for some reason. Never know, jury could find reasonable doubt, though. Wouldn't be the first time.

[miss marmelstein]

There are videos of Caylee saying Mommy and Daddy (if I heard it clearly). I’ve wondered who she thought Daddy was. Probably poor George.

[Mr. K]

I think that started in the OJ trial when the defense kept saying all the evidence was ‘circumstantial’ in a way that made it sound like they were saying “full of $h!t”

Circumstantial has come to mean ‘unsubstantial’ in many people's minds, and that is a bad thing.

MOST evidence in EVERY case is circumstantial. People rarely commit crimes in full daylight in front of witnesses.

[reaganaut]

Based on that it could easily have been an accident that she tried to cover up. Perhaps the jury will struggle with the premeditation piece.

- - - - - -
Just discussed this with my husband (attorney). If a reasonable person would expect that their actions could/would cause death (like drugging and duct taping the mouth) then even if the intent wasn’t death, it would still be premeditation according to the law.

So, by that standard, casey’s actions are premeditation to murder.

[FrdmLvr]

My question about Zanny the Nanny is this:

Did Casey use the Xanex on Caylee the entire time she was supposed to be working? Not daily, but on those occasions she had something she wanted to do and didn’t want to be bothered with Caylee? I was under the impression she told her parents she was taking her to the babysitter who was called Zanny.

Or did she come up with this Zanny during the 31 days?

She was employed by a theme park before Caylee was born and then she claimed she went back after her maternity leave. Did she drug Caylee with Xanex for those two years?

[afraidfortherepublic]

According to the Judge’s instructions, an accidental death that occurs during the commission of an act of child abuse is the same as premiditated murder — a death penalty crime.

But, the computer searches on how to make chloroform occurred 3 months before Caylee’s disappearance. Definitely premeditated.

I looked at the time line at the link posted above — somethingrose. According to that, Casey’s personal laptop had been wiped clean of anything before June 15th. I remember reading that Lee’s computer was also confiscated by the cops.

My understanding of computers is that you can never “wiipe them clean” of anything without removing the hard drive and smashing it with a hammer. I wonder how hard the police tried to pull up the missing info from Casey’s personal computer?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Yes, while reading what constituted circumstantial evidence an example was this: direct evidence is seeing someone shoot another person; circumstantial would be watching them follow that person into a house, carrying a gun and hear the shot fired.

Knowing now how often folks lie under oath, I think the circumstantial evidence holds more weight.

[samtheman]

Actually, I couldn’t listen to all the defense close, at least for now. JB is too painful to listen to. I did see the laughing man bit (I saw that earlier today, it’s posted on youtube).

I’ve gone on to the prosecution rebuttal and I love this line (referring to the defence claim that the duct tape was placed on the child’s face after she was already dead, from “drowning”):

“People don’t make accidents look like murder. That’s absurd!”

[RitaOK]

Cindy is the ultimate “control freak”. She is smart, gainfully employed, rigid and proper, perhaps to a fault, (recall she never took Casey to a GYN util she was 19) and Cindy was demanding. What’s not right with that picture? Cindy out performed her daughter, probably her husband too, and was the provider with power over the household, and Casey and Calee. The resentment for these circumstances was screaming from Casey and the incessant desire to escape and party. Add to that Casey’s clinical narcissism and you have a storm coming. Calee paid the price how ever it was horribly done.

I agree with you that Cindy wants to control the outcome, as usual, and spare herself the realization that she is the mother of a “monster” and is dealing with how stupid she was to believe so much fantasy from Casey for so long. Can’t get over that Casey said for two years, she had a job at Universal. Never happened.

[texgal]

My daughter said hardly anything at all until around 18 months then it was full sentences! The boys were closer to 24 months before they began to speak more than a word or two. There seems to be a difference between boys and girls.