‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’: Who is George Anthony? Casey Anthony accuses her father of sexual abuse
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
Anyone familiar with the Casey Anthony case knows it was a tumultuous journey. From Caylee Anthony’s missing report in 2008 to her remains being discovered a few months later in the following December, the case was subject to plenty of controversies. Especially after all clues led to Casey, the mother of the slain toddler, being the murderer. But even more shocking was Casey’s attorney Jose Baez accusing her father, George Anthony, of allegedly sexually assaulting his daughter in court.
While George vehemently refuted all claims of the accusation, it was still enough for his reputation to be tainted. The jury did not entertain the accusations further after not finding any solid proof of Baez and Casey’s claims. Now, as Peacock gears up to air the new docu-series, which presents Casey’s point of view of the entire ordeal, the defamed mother has stood by her claims about George. She has even gone as far as to claim that she thinks he did the same to Caylee. Many people have been wondering about her estranged father since her new claims and the documentary announcement, especially since the news that he can file a lawsuit against his daughter for making claims outside the court.
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Who is George Anthony?
George Anthony is an ex-cop and Casey Anthony’s father, making him Caylee Anthony’s grandfather. When Caylee Anthony’s missing report was filed, her grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony, reported the toddler missing. After that, the pair had become central figures in the case, especially George. George went to recover Casey’s car from the tow yard and allegedly discovered an odor similar to that of a decomposing body. Later, when the two-year-old’s skeletal remains were found in a forested area near the Anthony residence, Casey was arrested for lying to authorities about her knowledge of Caylee’s whereabouts.
Casey’s arrest led to a tumultuous case where her defense attorney claimed that it was George Anthony’s sexual assault that caused his daughter to turn into a compulsive liar. The statement shocked George, who denied all accusations. Casey’s attorney Baez also claimed that Caylee had died after drowning in the family’s pool, and George, in an attempt to cover up the incident, told Casey to lie. Casey and her lawyer claimed that her father had been allegedly abusing her since the age of 8, often sending her to grade school after allegedly forcing her into oral sex. They also claimed that her brother, Lee Anthony, allegedly sexually abused Casey as well. But since there was not enough evidence against the accusations, the jury did not consider the claims.
Did George Anthony have an affair? Alleged mistress testifies
According to HuffPost, Krystal Holloway, aka River Cruiz, claimed she had an affair with George. Holloway revealed that George had told her that Caylee’s death was “an accident that snowballed out of control.” When questioned, George denied having an affair and stated that he only knew Holloway while working at the command center. But police had reported that they found a text message from George that read, “Just thinking about you. I need you in my life.” Halloway testified that in November 2008, during the ongoing search for Caylee’s remains, George, came to her home and said that he did not think his daughter, Casey, was “capable of harming his missing granddaughter.” But a prosecutor alleged Halloway for making up the story for money.
George contemplated suicide
According to HuffPost, George attempted suicide on January 22, 2009. On that day, former Anthony family lawyer Brad Conway contacted law enforcement and reported George Anthony missing. In his 911 call, Conway said Anthony “has taken several bottles of medication from the house as well as some pictures.” In his suicide note, he blamed himself for Caylee being gone and wrote, “I have decided to leave the earth, because I need to be with Caylee Marie.” He also questioned why Casey did not approach him and Cindy, writing, “I sit here, falling apart, because I should have done more. She was so close to home, why was she there? Who placed her there? Why is she gone? Why? For months, you & I, especially you always questioned, why?” When police found George, he was taken into police custody and briefly held at a medical center for evaluation. The news of his suicide became known after Baez mentioned the detail in court, prompting George to break down and admit to attempting to take his own life.
Casey Anthony renews claims of assault in new documentary
In the upcoming docu-series by Peacock, Casey blames her father for Caylee’s death. During her extensive interview featured in the three-part docu-series, Casey stands by her claims from 2011 that George and Lee allegedly sexually assaulted her and her story about the toddler drowning. She even claims that she thinks George did the same to Caylee. According to People, she said, “He’d put a pillow over my face and smother me to knock me out,” adding, “That happened several times. I’m sure there were times where I was incapacitated as a child where my body was limp and lifeless.” She also says that she worries that her father moved on to abusing Caylee. “That’s what I think about,” she said. “I wish every day I had said something to someone about something. Maybe then things would be different.”
Casey and George have not talked in years and are not in touch, although his daughter did reach out after George was in a near-fatal car accident in 2018. Her 71-year-old father has not commented on his daughter’s renewed claims that he had something to do with Caylee’s death, which remains unsolved after over 13 years. But New York Post has reported that Casey’s estranged father could sue her for defamation after her claims. As per attorney Richard Altman, If Casey’s claims are false, she could be in serious legal liability. “If she said it at her trial, that would be privileged,” Altman explained to the NY Post. “If she says it outside of a court proceeding then of course it’s actionable and if she repeats it now, even though this happened years ago, in theory her dad has a year to go after her.”
‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’ is set to premiere on Peacock on November 29.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).