Casey Anthony: Mother Or Murderer?

Kaylie Etie
Ms. Guidroz
English II/ 4th hour
12 May 2016
Casey Anthony: Mother or Murderer? Have you ever heard of the court system acquitting someone that the public unanimously believed was guilty? Casey Anthony was a young mother who appeared outwardly to be a promiscuous woman who was living life with a rough childhood behind her. She appeared like a normal young person, trying to find herself, until she was accused of the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony. An abundance of evidence, holes in her story, and the lack of concern in Anthony’s attitude lead the world to undoubtedly point fingers at her. “Having been the center of a sensational murder trial, Casey Anthony is best known for her connection to the mysterious
disappearance of her daughter, Caylee” (Biography 1). On July 15, 2008, Cindy Anthony calls the police to report that her daughter, Casey, has stolen money and their car, and that her granddaughter may be missing. Casey Anthony admits to police that she had not seen Caylee for thirty-one days. The next day, Anthony is arrested for suspicion of child neglect and two other misdemeanors. After finding the scent of human decomposition, a sample of Caylee’s hair, and a stain in Anthony’s trunk, she is officially charged with child neglect. August 21, 2008, Anthony is released from jail until August 29, 2008, when she is again arrested for charges regarding forgery and theft. The following day, Anthony is booked into the Orange County jail. Following positive results of chloroform in Anthony’s car and the finding of Caylee’s skeletal remains, the capital murder trial begins on May 24, 2011. The public followed this case persistently, eager to find out what was to come for this monster of a mother. Biography writes, “Cable news channels broadcast the trial live, and Casey, Caylee and the rest of the Anthony family dominated the news” (3). Viewed as a teen-mom troublemaker, the world became enraged at the way Anthony acted towards the progression of the case. Casey Anthony made claims she was worried sick about her baby, but yet went thirty-one days without telling anyone. During those thirty-one days of not knowing where her child was, reports say that Anthony was out partying. Many believed her to have created the perfect murder, using the “nanny story” to take suspicion away from herself. As the trial unfolded, the public turned more and more against Casey Anthony because of her faking of her innocence. Some would argue that the jury assigned to the Casey Anthony case had something to do with the final verdict.
“The seven-women, five-men jury deliberates for 10 hours, 40 minutes and 33 seconds…”(CNN Library 3). The jury could be considered to have been biased because of the women in the jury. Women, in most people’s opinions, are either in-favor of the decision or are totally against it. In this situation, one might argue that the women should have been angry that someone would do this to a child, while others might say that they gave sympathy for the grieving mother. Ignorantly, Anthony was viewed in an interview as a witness rather than a suspect; therefore, everything she said was for the sole purpose of collecting
information. After hearing the outcome of the trial, the worldwide public was enraged.
On July 5, 2011, Casey Anthony is found not guilty of child abuse or manslaughter of a child, however, she is guilty of providing four counts of false information to law enforcement. For her false information charges, Anthony is given four years in prison and a fine for each count. On August 12, 2011, for check fraud, Casey Anthony must serve a year of probation. “Anthony was acquitted of the murder charge, but found herself loathed by the general public” (Biography 1). The general public recognized the unfairness of the verdict because many saw that the case was viewed in a deceiving perspective. Many agree that she was looked at as a mother who was hurt by the loss of her child instead of the main suspect in her daughter’s
murder. Casey Anthony is viewed by most of the world as the murderer of her precious daughter, Caylee Anthony. The large amount of evidence followed by Anthony’s twisted story lead the followers of the case to be undeniably certain that Casey Anthony was the murderer. Her troublesome childhood, wild-at-heart spirit, and lack of time to spend with her child provoked her to find a way to get rid of her daughter. Casey Anthony’s acquittal will forever be viewed as a horrible and irreversible decision by the general public.