What happened to Caylee Anthony? ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’ to shed new light on the case
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.
The 2008 murder of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony shocked the nation to its core. While the killer is still unknown, most people and media believe it was the toddler’s own mother, Casey Anthony. Casey had failed to notify authorities about her missing daughter and then lied repeatedly about her whereabouts and her recollection of the events that led to Caylee’s disappearance.
Caylee’s remains were later found close to the Anthonys’ house, which led to Casey’s arrest in connection to the murder. But after a grueling trial, the jury declared Casey was not guilty of the crime. Now that the new docu-series ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’ is set to air on Peacock, Casey has revealed new details regarding the incident. In the upcoming documentary, she stated that her father, George Anthony, was responsible for the murder and that she lied to save him. She also revealed that she and Caylee had been subjected to sexual abuse by George. So what really happened to Caylee Anthony?
RELATED ARTICLES
‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’ Season 1: How to watch the true crime docu-series?
What happened to Caylee Anthony?
Caylee was Casey Anthony's daughter, while the details about the toddler's father are still unknown. Caylee lived with her mother and grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony, at their residence in Florida. In June 2008, Cindy called 911 reporting a missing Caylee. She also claimed that her daughter Casey’s car smelled of “human decomposition” when George found the car in a tow yard. Cindy had been probing Casey for details of Caylee until she filed a missing report, and Casey had apparently dismissed her mother’s concerns every time. When Cindy approached authorities, Casey finally admitted that Caylee was missing. Casey later told police that Caylee was with a sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez and that the nanny kidnapped her daughter. But after investigating further, police found Casey had made up the story. It was also revealed that Casey had even lied about her job at Universal Studios.
In the next few months, many searched for Caylee while law enforcement looked for clues. What they found wouldn’t lead to Caylee, but it did lead to the October indictment of her mother on seven criminal counts, including first-degree murder. Casey pleaded not guilty. Finally, in December 2008, the toddler’s decomposed remains were found with a blanket inside a laundry bag in a wooded area close to the Anthonys’ home.
The discovery was enough proof to arrest Casey for her lies about Caylee’s whereabouts, and it was alleged that Casey murdered Caylee to free herself from parental responsibilities. But the jury acquitted Casey of the charges since she could not be proven guilty. Casey did not serve prison time after the trial and was given credit for time served. The not guilty verdict enraged the nation as many thought that it was wrong, and Casey was deemed the “most hated mom in America.”
However, it looks like Casey is now speaking out about her side of the story. Casey, who did not testify for her own trial, is set to appear in a tell-all docu-series directed by Alexandra Haggiag Dean titled, ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’. Ahead of the series’ premiere, she declared that she thinks it was her father and Caylee’s grandfather, George, who murdered the 2-year-old. She also claimed that she and Caylee were subjected to sexual abuse by the Anthony patriarch.
According to People, “I wasn’t feeling that great, and I wanted to lay down,” Casey says about June 16, 2008, when Caylee was last seen. “I had her lay in bed with me. I was awoken by my father shaking me and asking me where Caylee was,” she continues. “That didn’t make sense. She would never even leave my room without telling me. I immediately started looking around the house. I go outside and I’m looking to see where she could be.” Casey adds that she saw George holding a limp Caylee in his arms and said, “He was standing there with her, 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.”
She continued, “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.” Casey believed that Caylee was not truly dead and decided to stay with her boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro, for some time and never told anyone what happened. She claimed, “During the 31 days, I genuinely believed that Caylee was still alive,” adding, “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.” Casey also believes that Caylee never really drowned as her father claims she did, saying, “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.”
The harrowing story of Caylee’s murder will be discussed in ‘Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies’, which will be available for streaming on Peacock on November 29, 2022.