Casey Anthony was once 'America's most hated mom': A look back at her trial
On July 5, 2011, a jury in an Orlando, Fla., courthouse delivered its verdict in one of the most watched trials of the decade — that of Casey Anthony, who was accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, in 2008.
Dubbed “America’s most hated mom” at the time, Anthony was found not guilty for the most egregious counts — first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. But the seven women and five men on the jury found her guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing law enforcement with false information.
On this anniversary of the end of a trial watched by millions, let’s take a look back at the twists and turns of the case’s timeline:
June 16, 2008: Caylee Marie Anthony was last seen on this date, by her grandparents, driving off with her mother Casey.
July 15, 2008: After 29 days of that last sighting, Casey’s mother, Cindy Anthony, calls 911 to report Caylee missing.
July 16, 2008: The next day, Casey is arrested and charged for obstruction of a criminal investigation, giving false statements to law enforcement and criminal neglect of a child. She tells police Caylee disappeared after being left with her nanny, Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez.
August 21, 2008: After posting her $500,000 bail, Casey is released from the Orange County, Fla., jail. Later that day, she arrested again on check fraud.
September 5, 2008: Casey is released on $500,000 bail, paid for by her parents, and fitted with an electronic monitor.
October 14, 2008: Casey is arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse and four counts of providing false information to police. She pleads not guilty.
December 11, 2008: Caylee’s skeletal remains are found in a forested area not far from her home.
January 26, 2010: Casey pleads guilty to 13 counts of fraudulent check charges.
May 24, 2011: After nearly three years in jail, Casey’s trial begins.
May 25, 2011: Casey’s lawyer, Jose Baez, claims that Cayley’s death was accidental, and that she drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16. He also claims that Casey’s father, George, helped her cover it up — a claim that George denies.
July 5, 2011: Casey is found not guilty on all felony charges but found guilty on four counts of providing false information to police.
July 7, 2011: Casey is sentenced to four years in prison, but is released since she has already served three years and has a credit for good behavior.
Today, Casey is living in Florida, estranged from her family. A film about her and the trial is reportedly in the works, and she spoke to the Daily Mail about it recently, noting, “I could care less what people think of me. I just feel my truth needs to be out of me. I need to close the book… [the movie] will make it clear that I had no part in Caylee's death as far as how she died.”
She added:, “Hopefully one day people will find it in their hearts to believe that I could never do this.”
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