Casey Anthony Juror Says "My Decision Haunts Me" 10 Years After Acquittal
Jury duty may be over, but the memories are still in session.
In the summer of 2011, millions of Americans were glued to their TVs as seven women and five men were sworn in as jurors and later had to determine the fate of Casey Anthony.
For close to two months, prosecutors tried to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Casey was responsible for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony. After 33 days of testimony, the jury ultimately voted not to convict.
While many have kept a low-profile after the controversial verdict, one male jury member is speaking out to People and sharing regret about his decision.
"My decision haunts me to this day," he shared with the publication. "I think now if I were to do it over again, I'd push harder to convict her of one of the lesser charges like aggravated manslaughter. At least that. Or child abuse. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, and I didn't stand up for what I believed in at the time."
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According to the jury member, who was not identified by name, not a day goes by where he doesn't think about the case that made front-page news and was covered daily on cable news networks.
"It was such a strange summer," he reflected. "I knew that there was public interest in the case, but it wasn't until after I was sequestered that I realized that the whole world was watching."
While Casey continues her quest for a normal life in private, the jury member says he focuses much more on Caylee, whose life was cut short at just two years old.
"Every time I see her face or hear her name, I get a pit in my stomach," he admitted. "It all comes flooding back. I think about those pictures of the baby's remains that they showed us in court. I remember Casey. I even remember the smell of the courtroom."
"It's traumatic to think about, and I wish I had done a lot of things differently," he continued, "But it's a part of who I am. This case will stick with me for the rest of my life."
In 2011, Casey was acquitted of murdering Caylee, but found guilty of lying to law enforcement. Four misdemeanor counts resulted in a four-year prison sentence that turned into 12 days after factoring in time already served.
"I don't give a s--t about what anyone thinks about me," Casey told the Associated Press in March 2017. "I don't care about that. I never will. I'm OK with myself. I sleep pretty good at night."
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