Caylee Anthony Wasn't Reported Missing For 31 Days
Peacock just dropped a controversial new docuseries called Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies, which tells the story of the mysterious death of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony from her mom, Casey Anthony's, perspective.
In the docuseries, Casey, who was previously charged with her daughter's death before being found not guilty by a jury in 2011, alleges that her father, George, was abusive and that he was actually the one responsible for Caylee’s death. (George has not commented on the accusations yet.) This marks the first time Casey has spoken about the death of her daughter and her trial on camera. “I lost everything the day I lost her,” Casey says in the docuseries.
Caylee’s disappearance and death became national news in 2008, and many people followed Casey's trial after she was accused of killing her toddler. Here's the trailer:
The docuseries raises a lot of questions, including how Caylee Anthony died. Here’s what you need to know.
How did Caylee Anthony die?
The details are still unclear.
During Casey’s trial, prosecutors alleged that Casey used chloroform on her daughter and suffocated her by putting duct tape over Caylee’s nose and mouth, per CNN. Casey’s defense team, on the other hand, said that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family’s pool and that her grandfather disposed of her body.
Worth noting: CNN later spoke to the medical examiner who said there was “duct tape that was still present on the face” when Caylee’s body was found. “Looking back 10 years, what I was most appalled with was this lack of the truth and the lack of substantiated information,” Dr. Jan Garavaglia, retired chief medical officer for Orange and Osceola counties, said. “You could just say lies and not back it up by any kind of evidence and it was allowed.”
Where did Casey Anthony live?
Casey and Caylee lived together in Orlando, Florida. Casey said that she worked at Universal Studios, but police discovered that she’d lied about having a job there, CNN reported. She also claimed that Caylee was with a babysitter named Zenaida Gonzalez, or “Zanny,” but it was later discovered that she lied about that, too.
After six weeks in court, Casey was acquitted on charges of murder, manslaughter and child abuse. But the jury did find her guilty of providing false information to the authorities, leading to a four-year prison sentence. She was eventually released in July 2011 for time served and good behavior.
"I did lie to law enforcement. I admitted that I lied to law enforcement, so I am a convicted liar," Casey says on camera.
Where was Caylee found?
Caylee was raised in the Orlando home of her grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony, according to Biography. But Casey left with Caylee after a family argument on June 15, 2008. In mid-July, George learned that a family car Casey used had been impounded. Cindy called 911 after noting that there was a strong odor in the car, telling an operator “it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car." Cindy also reported Caylee missing.
An air sample test from Casey’s car indicates that there were human remains in the trunk, per CNN, and skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near the Anthony family home in December 2008.
Who found Caylee?
The 2-year-old's remains were found in a trash bag by a utility worker, per CNN. There was duct tape around her nose, mouth, and jaw, but her body was decomposed to the point where investigators could not pinpoint an exact cause and date of her death, per Biography.
Casey was charged with first degree murder.
On Oct. 14, 2008, Casey was indicted on capital murder and other charges, per CNN. She pleaded not guilty.
She was found not guilty.
Casey’s trial began in May 2011, per CNN. She did not testify during her trial, which lasted until early July. After a nearly 11-hour deliberation, the jury found her not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter. However, CNN says, she was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement.
On July 7, 2011, Casey was sentenced to four years in jail with credit for time served, along with $1,000 for each count. She was released on July 17, 2011. Less than a month later, Florida’s Department of Children and Families released a report, per CNN, that said Casey was responsible for the death of her daughter. "The actions or the lack of actions by the alleged perpetrator ultimately resulted or contributed in the death of the child,” the report read, per CNN.
Where does Casey’s dad come in?
In the docuseries, Casey accuses her father, George, and her brother, Lee, of sexually abusing her. "When I was eight years old, my father would start to come into my room at night," she said. She also said that her brother "started coming in shortly after I turned 12” and said it didn't stop until she was 15. She also alleges in the docuseries that she believes her father was abusing Caylee.
Specifically, Casey claims in the documentary that she fell asleep with Caylee by her side and woke up to see George holding Caylee’s wet body. “He took her from me and he walked away…I don't know where she went and I don't know what he did,” she said, per ET.
George has previously said he has tried to reconcile with his daughter, but that was before her allegations surfaced in the documentary. He was recently photographed outside his Orlando home but has not publicly commented on the docuseries or accusations there, per the New York Post.
Casey said she believed Caylee was being taken care of by father. "During the 31 days, I genuinely believed that Caylee was still alive," she said. "My father kept telling me she was OK. I had to keep following his instructions… I just knew I had to do what he wanted me to do."
Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies is out now on Peacock.
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