# Casey Anthony

> Charged with first-degree murder in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, Anthony was acquitted in July 2011 of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. The jury convicted her only of lying to investigators, and an appeals court later threw out two of those four convictions.

- Case: State of Florida v. Anthony · Orlando, Florida · 2008
- Case status: Acquitted. Acquitted July 5, 2011, of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. Those acquittals are final, and no court has found that she caused her daughter's death. The same jury convicted her of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer; in 2013 the Fifth District Court of Appeal ordered two of those convictions vacated and upheld two. She had already served her sentence and was released July 17, 2011. She separately pleaded guilty in 2010 to check fraud and completed a year of probation in 2012. The sources reviewed report no criminal charges against anyone in Caylee Anthony's death.
- Last updated: 2026-11-05
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-05
- Web page: https://criminalbackstories.com/cases/casey-anthony/
- All defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of law. Charges and allegations described on this site are not proof of guilt.

## Why she's in the news

In March 2025 Anthony began posting videos on TikTok and writing on Substack, describing herself as a "legal advocate" and "researcher," Parade reported.[16] In a 2022 Peacock docuseries, *Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies*, she gave her first on-camera interviews about the case and said, "I still don't know what happened to Caylee."[15]

## Case at a glance

- Acquitted: First-degree murder; aggravated child abuse; aggravated manslaughter of a child (July 5, 2011)[2][6]
- Convicted: Four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer; two were ordered vacated on appeal in 2013[1][13]
- Death: Caylee Marie Anthony, 2, reportedly last seen June 16, 2008; her skeletal remains were found Dec. 11, 2008, in a wooded area near the family's home[6][1]
- Cause of death: The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by "undetermined means"[5]
- Sentence: One year on each false-information count, consecutively, and a $1,000 fine per count; with credit for time served she was released July 17, 2011[8][6]
- Court: Orange County Circuit Court, Orlando; Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. presided at trial, with a jury chosen in Pinellas County[6][3][7]
- Prosecutors: Office of State Attorney Lawson Lamar; Jeff Ashton and Linda Drane Burdick tried the case[3][2]
- Defense: Jose Baez and J. Cheney Mason, among others[3][5]

## The backstory

Anthony was acquitted of every charge that she caused her daughter's death, and that verdict is final. What follows is what investigators and prosecutors alleged, what the defense argued, what witnesses said at trial, and what the court record shows about the four statements of which she was convicted. Testimony was evidence for the jury to weigh; the jury did not find that she killed her daughter.[2][1]

### Caylee Anthony

Caylee Marie Anthony was born on Aug. 9, 2005, when her mother was 19.[6] She was reportedly last seen alive on June 16, 2008, and her mother did not report her missing for about a month; Caylee's grandmother reported her missing on July 15, 2008.[6][2] Her skeletal remains were found on Dec. 11, 2008, in a wooded area near the Anthony family's home in the Orlando area, and were identified on Dec. 19.[6][1]

### The false statements

On July 16, 2008, Orange County sheriff's Detective Yuri Melich interviewed Anthony twice, first at the family home and, several hours later, at Universal Studios Orlando, according to the appeals court's opinion.[1] The State charged that she gave him four false statements: that she was employed at Universal Studios in 2008; that she had left Caylee with a babysitter at an apartment complex on June 9, 2008; that she had told two former Universal co-workers about the disappearance; and that she had received a phone call from Caylee on July 15, 2008.[1] She was arrested that day on charges including child neglect and giving false statements.[6] Prosecutors described the babysitter as nonexistent.[3]

### The charges

A grand jury indicted her on Oct. 14, 2008, on first-degree murder and other charges, and she pleaded not guilty.[6] She was tried on seven counts: first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and four counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.[1][6] On April 13, 2009, prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty, reversing an earlier decision.[6] Judge Stan Strickland stepped aside from the case in April 2010 and was replaced by Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr.[6]

### The trial

Because of the coverage in Orlando, the jury was chosen in Pinellas County, about 100 miles away, and was sequestered in an Orlando hotel during the trial.[7][3] Jury selection began May 9, 2011, and opening statements were given May 24.[6]

**The prosecution's case.** Prosecutors Jeff Ashton and Linda Drane Burdick argued that Anthony killed Caylee in June 2008 because the child interfered with her social life, and they pointed to her lies about the babysitter and about a boyfriend, to the chemical signature of decomposition in her car, and to a tattoo of an Italian phrase meaning "beautiful life" that she got about the time the family and police learned Caylee was missing.[3] Forensic scientist Arpad Vass testified on June 6, 2011, that a decomposing body was the only plausible explanation for the odor in the car's trunk.[6] Dr. Jan Garavaglia, the chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties, testified that she ruled the death a homicide by "undetermined means," and said, "There is no child that should have duct tape on its face when it dies."[5] A University of Florida forensic anthropologist testified, using a computer animation the defense objected to, that tape was placed on the skull before the body decomposed; Judge Perry allowed the animation and denied a defense motion for a mistrial.[5] The prosecution rested on June 15.[6]

**The defense's case.** Defense lawyers argued that Caylee drowned accidentally in the family's swimming pool and that the death was "an accident that snowballed out of control."[3] Jose Baez challenged the analysis of air from the trunk and argued that no one could prove a stain there came from decomposition.[3] Under cross-examination by defense lawyer J. Cheney Mason, Garavaglia acknowledged that tests on the bones were negative for volatile chemicals.[5] The defense noted that no fingerprints were found on the duct tape and that the only DNA on it excluded both Caylee and her mother, the *Christian Science Monitor* reported.[4] Anthony did not testify, and the defense rested June 30.[6] "Don't speculate," Baez told jurors. "Don't guess."[4]

### The verdict

On July 5, 2011, after about 10 hours and 40 minutes of deliberation over two days, the jury of seven women and five men acquitted Anthony of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child, and convicted her of the four counts of providing false information.[6][2] No medical examiner had determined how Caylee died, and the evidence was circumstantial, the Associated Press reported.[2] Lamar said, "We're disappointed in the verdict today because we know the facts," and called the case "very, very difficult to prove."[2]

On July 7, Perry sentenced her to one year on each false-information count, to be served consecutively, and a $1,000 fine per count, rejecting the defense's argument that she had told "one, continuous lie."[8] With credit for nearly three years in jail, she was released July 17, 2011.[8][6] In September 2011 Perry ordered her to pay more than $217,000 in investigation costs.[6]

### The appeal

On Jan. 25, 2013, the Fifth District Court of Appeal held that her statements in each of the two July 16 interviews amounted to a single offense, and ordered two of the four convictions vacated on double-jeopardy grounds.[1][13] It upheld the other two, finding that she was not in custody for *Miranda* purposes when she spoke to the detective, and rejected her argument that the false-information statute was unconstitutionally vague.[1]

### The check-fraud case

On Jan. 25, 2010, while awaiting trial, Anthony pleaded guilty to 13 counts of check fraud; prosecutors said she used a former friend's checks during the summer of 2008.[9] Judge Strickland sentenced her to time served plus probation.[9] Agence France-Presse reported that the checks totaled $644.25.[10] After her release, Strickland amended the sentencing order to require a year of supervised probation after release, and she completed it in August 2012.[10][11]

### Civil suits and bankruptcy

Anthony filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 25, 2013, listing about $800,000 in liabilities, and her debts were discharged that year.[6][14] A woman who shared the name of the babysitter Anthony described sued her for defamation in 2008; on Sept. 18, 2015, a bankruptcy judge dismissed the claim, writing that Anthony's "fabricated version of events did not implicate Plaintiff in the disappearance of the child."[14] A defamation suit by the county utility worker who found the remains was still pending in bankruptcy court at the time.[14]

### The law that followed

In April 2012 Gov. Rick Scott signed a law, inspired by Caylee's death, raising the maximum penalty for knowingly giving police false information about a missing child from one year in jail to five years in prison.[12]

## Personal backstory

### Early life and family

Anthony was 19 when her daughter was born in 2005 and 25 at the time of her trial.[6][2] She lived with Caylee at her parents' home in the Orlando area.[2][6] She told the detective that she worked at Universal Studios Orlando; the jury convicted her of giving false information to police about that.[1][8]

### Mental health

*No diagnosis found by a court or given in testimony was found in the sources reviewed.*

### In custody

She was in jail for nearly three years before her trial ended, and was released on July 17, 2011.[2][6]

### After the acquittal

In a 2012 interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, she said she did not kill Caylee.[6] In 2022 she worked as a legal assistant for her former lawyer Patrick McKenna, according to Parade, and that year she gave her first on-camera interviews about the case in the Peacock docuseries *Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies*, in which McKenna said he believes she is innocent.[16][15] In March 2025 she began posting on TikTok and Substack.[16]

## Where the parties stand

- Prosecution: Prosecutors argued that Anthony killed her daughter in June 2008 because the child interfered with her social life, and pointed to the month she went without reporting Caylee missing, her lies about a nanny and a job, evidence of decomposition in her car, and duct tape found with the remains.[3][2] "What do guilty people do? They lie," Linda Drane Burdick told the jury.[3] After the verdict State Attorney Lawson Lamar called it a "dry-bones case" that was "very, very difficult to prove."[2]
- Defense: Anthony did not testify.[6] Her lawyers argued that Caylee drowned accidentally in the family's swimming pool and that the death was "an accident that snowballed out of control," and they challenged the forensic evidence from the car trunk.[3] "Casey did not murder Caylee. It is that simple," Jose Baez said after the verdict.[4] Anthony has said since that she did not kill her daughter, and in 2022 she said, "I'm a convicted liar."[6][15]

## Timeline

- Aug. 9, 2005: Anthony, 19, gives birth to her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony.[6]
- June 16, 2008: Caylee is reportedly last seen alive.[6]
- July 15, 2008: Anthony's mother reports Caylee missing.[6]
- July 16, 2008: In two interviews with an Orange County sheriff's detective, Anthony makes the statements that later lead to her false-information convictions; she is arrested the same day.[1][6]
- Oct. 14, 2008: A grand jury indicts her on first-degree murder and other charges; she pleads not guilty.[6]
- Dec. 11, 2008: A county utility worker finds skeletal remains in woods near the Anthony home; they are identified as Caylee's on Dec. 19.[6]
- April 13, 2009: Prosecutors announce that they will seek the death penalty.[6]
- Jan. 25, 2010: She pleads guilty to 13 counts of check fraud involving a friend's checks; she is sentenced to time served plus probation.[9]
- May 24, 2011: Opening statements in Orlando, before a jury chosen in Pinellas County.[6][7]
- July 5, 2011: The jury acquits her of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter and convicts her of four counts of providing false information.[2][6]
- July 17, 2011: She is released from jail.[6][8]
- April 2012: Gov. Rick Scott signs a law, inspired by Caylee's death, increasing the penalty for lying to police about a missing child.[12]
- August 2012: She completes a year of probation for the check-fraud case.[11]
- Jan. 25, 2013: The Fifth District Court of Appeal orders two of her four false-information convictions vacated; she files for bankruptcy the same day.[1][6]
- Sept. 18, 2015: A bankruptcy judge dismisses a defamation suit against her.[14]
- December 2022: Peacock releases a docuseries in which she gives her first on-camera interviews.[15]
- March 2025: She begins posting videos and commentary online as a self-described "legal advocate."[16]

## What happens next

The criminal case is over: the acquittals are final, two misdemeanor convictions stand, and her sentences have been served.[1][6][11] Her debts were discharged in bankruptcy in 2013.[14] A defamation suit filed by the county utility worker who found the remains was still open in bankruptcy court in 2015; *the sources reviewed do not report its outcome.*[14]

## Sources

1. [Anthony v. State, No. 5D11-2357, 108 So. 3d 1111 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013) (opinion)](https://hallapproved.com/fl/cases/appeals/2013/4988870/). Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal, Jan. 25, 2013 (text via Hall Approved). (court or official record)
2. [11 hours of deliberation, 4 misdemeanor convictions for Casey Anthony](https://vindyarchives.com/news/2011/jul/06/11-hours-of-deliberation-4-misdemeanor-c). The Associated Press (via The Vindicator), July 6, 2011. (news report)
3. [Casey Anthony acquitted of murder in death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee](https://6abc.com/archive/8232478/). WPVI-TV 6abc, July 5, 2011. (news report)
4. [Casey Anthony trial acquittal: Death of Caylee Anthony is still a mystery](https://proof.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0705/Casey-Anthony-trial-acquittal-Death-of-Caylee-Anthony-is-still-a-mystery). The Christian Science Monitor, July 5, 2011. (news report)
5. [Prosecutors focus on duct tape in Anthony trial](https://abc13.com/archive/8182226). KTRK-TV ABC13, June 2011. (news report)
6. [Casey Anthony Trial Fast Facts](https://ktvz.com/news/national-world/2021/06/21/casey-anthony-trial-fast-facts/). CNN (via KTVZ), June 21, 2021. (news report)
7. [A Trial Begins: Did Casey Anthony Kill Her Daughter?](https://www.kpbs.org/news/national/2011/05/17/a-trial-begins-did-casey-anthony-kill-her-daughter). NPR (via KPBS), May 17, 2011. (news report)
8. [Casey Anthony To Be Released From Jail July 17](https://news9.com/story/5e34f936e0c96e774b366836/casey-anthony-to-be-released-from-jail-july-17). News 9 Oklahoma City, July 7, 2011. (news report)
9. [Casey Anthony Pleads Guilty ...To Check Fraud](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/casey-anthony-pleads-guilty-to-check-fraud). CBS News, Jan. 26, 2010. (news report)
10. [Florida judge orders Casey Anthony to serve a year probation on check fraud](https://theworld.org/stories/2011/08/01/florida-judge-orders-casey-anthony-serve-year-probation-check-fraud). Agence France-Presse (via The World), Aug. 1, 2011. (news report)
11. [Casey Anthony Completes Her Probation](https://www.eastidahonews.com/2012/08/casey-anthony-completes-her-probation/). ABC News Radio (via East Idaho News), August 2012. (news report)
12. [Florida governor signs law inspired by Caylee's death](https://www.staradvertiser.com/2012/04/07/breaking-news/florida-governor-signs-law-inspired-by-caylees-death/). The Associated Press (via Honolulu Star-Advertiser), April 7, 2012. (news report)
13. [Casey Anthony convictions thrown out](https://www.wtvr.com/2013/01/25/casey-anthony-convictions-thrown-out). WTVR CBS 6, with CNN, Jan. 25, 2013. (news report)
14. [Judge throws out defamation lawsuit against Casey Anthony](https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2015/09/18/judge-throws-out-defamation-lawsuit-against-casey-anthony/). WKMG News 6, Sept. 18, 2015. (news report)
15. [Casey Anthony shares her version of events in a new docuseries. What you need to know](https://kvia.com/cnn-national/2022/12/07/casey-anthony-shares-her-version-of-events-in-a-new-docuseries-what-you-need-to-know/). CNN (via KVIA), Dec. 7, 2022. (news report)
16. [Where Is Casey Anthony Now? What Caylee Anthony's Mother Is Doing After Prison](https://parade.com/culture/where-is-casey-anthony-now). Parade, updated July 2, 2026. (news report)