‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’: Mom acquitted of toddler's murder will break silence in in-depth interview
The Caylee Anthony murder case gripped America in horror after the skeletal remains of the missing 2-year-old were found. Caylee was the daughter of single mother Casey Anthony, and the two had been living with Casey’s parents at their family residence in Florida before Caylee’s disappearance and eventual death. Casey was charged with four counts but was later acquitted of first-degree murder and manslaughter. However, the mother was found guilty of repeatedly lying to authorities regarding her knowledge of Caylee’s whereabouts. She served a short sentence on related misdemeanor counts and was released.
The jury’s verdict of not guilty enraged many as most were convinced “America’s most hated mom” had indeed murdered her daughter. Even after almost a decade, interest in her life remains high, especially since Casey did not testify in her own trial. After over 13 years since the horrifying death of the toddler, Casey is now breaking her silence and talking about the case from her point of view. She will be seen in an interview for a new Peacock documentary series titled ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’.
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Casey will speak about her version of the events in the three-part series, which will start streaming on November 29 on Peacock. During the explosive interview, Casey elaborates on allegations that she had been sexually abused by her father, George Anthony, and her brother, Lee Anthony. Casey’s defense team made the allegations during her trial in 2008 as well, but both George and Lee denied the claims, and the jury did not entertain the allegations further. In the interview featured in the documentary, Casey expressed her doubts that George may have also been sexually abusing Caylee, just as she claimed he abused her. According to PEOPLE, she alleges that her father staged her daughter’s drowning to cover up his abuse of his granddaughter.
Recalling the last time she saw Caylee on June 16, 2008, she said, “I wasn’t feeling that great, and I wanted to lay down.” “I had her lay in bed with me," she added. “I was awoken by my father shaking me and asking me where Caylee was.”
“He was standing there with her,” she continued. “She was soaking wet. He handed her to me. Said it was my fault. That I caused it. But he didn’t rush to call 911, and he wasn’t trying to resuscitate her. I collapsed with her in my arms. She was heavy, and she was cold.” Casey also said, “He takes her from me, and he immediately softens his tone and says, ‘It’s going to be ok.’ I wanted to believe him. He took her from me and he went away.”
She revealed that after the incident, she went to stay at her then-boyfriend Tony Lazzaro’s home, saying, “During the 31 days, I genuinely believed that Caylee was still alive.” She added, “My father kept telling me she was ok. I had to keep following his instructions. He told me what to do. I tried to act as normal as I could.” When asked if she believed that Caylee had drowned, Casey replied, “There was no ladder...no way for her to shimmy up. There’s no way to explain that, unless he put her in the pool to cover up what he did.”
Casey went on to make an incriminating accusation against her father as she revealed, “He’d put a pillow over my face and smother me to knock me out,” she says. “That happened several times. I’m sure there were times where I was incapacitated as a child where my body was limp and lifeless.”
Casey's claims in the earlier interview
While the upcoming docu-series will have Casey discuss her recollection of the story in depth, it’s not technically her first interview. In 2017, Casey spoke up in an exclusive interview for Associate Press. She talked about her daughter and what she thought about people’s opinions of her as “the worst mother in America.” Discussing her late daughter, she said, “I'm still not even certain as I stand here today, about what happened."
Regarding the attention she received from the media and the public outrage, she said, “I see why I was treated the way I was.” This was the first time after her acquittal that the mother broke her silence. Casey also noted, "People found me guilty long before I had my day in court." Discussing the attention she received, she said, “I don’t give a s--- about what anyone thinks about me, I never will.” She added, “I’m OK with myself, I sleep pretty good at night.”
The interview featured in the upcoming docu-series will also include Casey’s personal archives, behind-the-scenes footage, and the defense’s evidence for a never-before-seen look into both sides of the story. Director Alexandra Dean aims to make the American public look at Casey’s story in a new light with the “unbiased” documentary. Multiple interviews were recorded over six months for a startling psychological portrait of Casey Anthony, who did not see or give notes on the film.
Watch Casey Anthony talk about her point of view in ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’ on Peacock, available for streaming on November 29.