Casey Anthony Case Study

The Caylee Anthony Case On July 15, 2008, two year old Caylee Anthony was reported missing by her grandmother, Cindy Anthony. Cindy notified the 911 operator after realizing she had not seen the girl in a month. Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, gave police several different reasons for the girl’s disappearance, including the story that the girl had been kidnapped by a babysitter. On December 11, 2008, Caylee’s remains were found in a Florida swamp near the Anthony home. Duct tape found with the body, the odor analysis done on Casey’s car trunk, a human hair found in the trunk, and the lies Casey told law enforcement in an attempt to explain her child’s disappearance led to Casey Anthony being tried for the first degree murder, aggravated
The same brand of duct tape was found on a gas can at the Anthony family home (“Casey Anthony Falls Ill After Caylee Skull Pics Shown”). Because of the skeletal remains, it is hard to determine the exact position of the tape. The defense presented its own forensic interpretation. Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic scientist who has contributed expert opinion in several cases including the O. J Simpson trial, believes the tape was attached to the body after the skin and muscle decomposed. He stated that the tape was placed there to hold the decomposing mandible in place (“Caylee Anthony’s Autopsy Was ‘Shoddy’”). Another theory is the mandible remained affixed to the body long enough for the mat to form because the skull was held in place by the swamp muck in which Caylee was buried. But, if the muck was indeed responsible for the mandible still being attached than it would have also held the duct tape in place unless the skull was moved significantly. The movement of the skull is not supported by any evidence (“Casey Anthony: Challenging the Duct Tape”). The defense argued that due to the state of decomposition, it cannot be proven that the tape was affixed to the body nor, if it were, where it was attached. However, the defense was unable to provide a reasonable theory as to why the duct tape was found with the body nor any plausible supposition as to how the mandible
In court, the defense stated Caylee had accidentally drowned in the family pool. It has been disputed whether this is what really happened or if it is yet another lie given by Casey to defend her innocence. Caylee enjoyed swimming in the pool. But to drown alone she would have had to open the pool deck door by herself, a feat not accomplished by many two year olds. Secondly, she would have had to do so when no one was there to watch her, and there were several people living in the house at the time. If Caylee had drowned, the question remains why the person who found her, most likely Casey, did not call for help. When finding their child facedown in water, most mothers would call 911 in an attempt to save the child. Even if facing a charge of child neglect, it is natural for a mother put her child’s needs ahead of her own, especially given the possibility, however slim, that medics may be able to revive the child. Although the defense claims Casey was frightened into concealing the body by Gregory Anthony, at some point Casey would have realized covering up an accidental death could appear to be murder, unless it was a murder all along. If Caylee had drowned, an expeditious autopsy would have revealed water in her lungs. If she was purposely suffocated by Casey with duck