Who wouldn't be curious?
A summary of the case is given on this article.
In June 2008, Anthony's 2-year-old daughter Caylee was last seen at the Orlando home she shared with her mom and her maternal grandparents. For the next month, Casey Anthony, then 22, left her parents' house and spent most of her time with friends, shopping and partying, telling her family and others that Caylee was with an imaginary nanny.
Anthony's mother called detectives when Anthony could not produce her child. Anthony told investigators she hadn't called them because the nanny had kidnapped the child and she had been conducting her own search, two of the numerous lies she told investigators.
Anthony was acquitted of murder in Caylee's death, but convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators. She was sentenced to the maximum of four years, but after serving nearly three years in jail awaiting trial, coupled with good behavior credits, she is set to go free next Sunday.
For a timeline, click HERE. It will help.
For courtroom drama, click HERE.
THIS psychology article proves also to be an interesting read.
[EDIT] @ 8PM 11th July 2011.
THIS latest Huffington Post article is a must-read for those of you who wants not only the summary, but also to find out why the U.S. public has so much angst and frustration over the case. The answer: no answer; the coroner could not determine how Caylee Anthony died.
Personally, I not only find this whole case bizarre, but I am also creeped out to the max. Here are a few conclusions that I've gathered:
#1: Only God knows the truth.
HERE is a quote from an ABCnews article:
Alan Dershowitz, part of the defense team that worked on the O.J. Simpson case and a Harvard law professor, sees the Anthony case as a prime example of how the justice system separates what happens outside the courthouse from what happens inside.
"There's a disconnect, because people outside see the trial on television, they think of it as reality television. And on television there's always a result. If this person isn't guilty, someone else is," Dershowitz told ABC News.
"In real life, we may never know what happened. We may end up with uncertainty. Uncertainty is a very important part of the criminal justice system," he added.
What exactly transpired behind the scenes within the Anthony family is only for them to know, and for us probably to never find out. Just as Jennifer Ford, a juror, said, "I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be."
In the legal system, it has all to do with evidence, with logic, with proof. Given that this is the world we live in, I'm reminded, and comforted, that "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." (2 Cor. 4:18)
#2: Parents have a huge responsibility.
Father Alberto Cutie said this on The Huffington Post:
Parents always need to be held accountable for the well being of their children. When a child is missing, the parent must be expected to be the first to be well aware of it; there is no time to party, for tattoos or for hanging out with friends. Regardless of the age, emotional maturity or circumstances surrounding that parent's life, children must always be protected, nurtured and educated by their parents -- unconditionally. There are no excuses for what happened to Caylee Anthony! That is why in this land of "justice for all," many will continue to wonder if that includes little Caylee.
While our earthly parents may fail us (they are also humans), we know that we can rely on our Heavenly Father, who will provide all that we need, who will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), who has written all the days of our lives in His book even before we were born! (Psalm 139:16)
#3: Upbringing and personality is crucial to an individual's present ABC -- attitude, behaviour and character.
This is a nature-nurture issue, and it also involves a great deal of psychology. I've always been fascinated by such matters, and especially in this case, I'm wondering of the multitude of factors that plays into the make-up of Casey Anthony's character and thinking process. In fact, it's not just for Casey, but for Cindy and George, her parents.
Each family has its own characteristics, and functionality cannot really be determined, unless considered to be an ideal. Every family has its own problems, and that makes each unique.
To consider the Anthony family to be dysfunctional, I beg the question: what exactly are we comparing their family to? Since all families are flawed in some sense, we can only compare it to God's ideal.
Though each of us may be flawed, but we need to look to Jesus as our Answer.
The curious case of Casey Anthony won't end here. The US public continues to scorn Anthony and her family. Anthony considers publishing a book on Caylee and herself. Various interviewers capitalises on Anthony's case to reap greater profits by gaining viewership. So where do we move on from here?
Regardless of the truth behind the death of Caylee Anthony, ultimately God has commanded us not to judge others. Instead of being self-righteous and judgmental, we need to judge ourselves first. Let's leave the judging of others to God. (July 09, friends in lowly places. 40-day 2011.)
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