Casey Anthony Trial: Jury delivers verdict (July 2011)
On July 5, 2011, Florida mom, Casey Anthony, was acquitted in the death and disappearance of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. Here is the moment the court delivered the verdict and Casey’s immediate reaction. Casey Anthony was acquitted of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter. She was found guilty on two counts of providing false information to law enforcement regarding a missing person.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Casey Anthony became a household name in 2008, following the disappearance and death of her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, and again in 2011, when a Florida jury found her – controversially – not guilty. In the years since the trial, Anthony has discussed the case very few times: once in a 2017 phone call with the Associated Press and in an on-camera interview as part of a three-episode series in 2020.
On March 1, Casey posted a video to TikTok to “reintroduce” herself to the world as a “legal advocate” – and to advocate for herself and her late daughter, one of the first times she has spoken publicly in years.
Here’s what to know about the trial and Anthony’s newly-announced venture.
Who is Casey Anthony?
Casey Anthony was infamously tried and acquitted of first-degree murder in the disappearance and death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in Orlando, Florida. Casey Anthony was 22 at the time of her daughter’s disappearance.
Casey’s mom, Cindy Anthony, reported her granddaughter missing in July 2008, a month after reportedly not seeing her. In December 2008, Caylee’s skeletal remains were found in a wooded near not far from where Cindy and George, Casey’s parents, lived in Orlando, officials said.
At trial, Casey was found guilty on two counts of lying to law enforcement about the whereabouts of Caylee shortly after she was reported missing. Casey claimed she was with a babysitter, which turned out to be a false story, officials claimed at trial.
What was Casey Anthony charged with?
According to court records, here were the original charges against Casey Anthony – and what happened at trial.
- First-degree murder (acquitted)
- Aggravated child abuse (acquitted)
- Aggravated manslaughter of a child (acquitted)
- False into to law enforcement info regarding a missing person (2 counts; found guilty on both; 2 more were thrown out by an appeal court)
What happened at her trial? Was Casey Anthony found guilty or not guilty?
The made-for-TV trial brought national news media and interest to the Orange County Courthouse, where internet trial watchers, local trial watchers, TV commentators, and those involved in the case were put at odds – speculating, scrutinizing – nearly every moment.
Casey Anthony did not testify in her defense. Casey’s father, George, and mother, Cindy, testified during the trial.
Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Casey Anthony used chloroform – a colorless, sweet-tasting liquid that was once used as an inhaled anesthetic in surgery, per CDC – and duct tape to suffocate Caylee as a way to escape parental responsibility. The defense argued at trial that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool. George Anthony has denied that theory in multiple media interviews.
Timeline:
- July 2008: Cindy Anthony reports Caylee Anthony, 2, her granddaughter, missing after reportedly not seeing her for a month.
- October 2008: Casey Anthony indicted on first-degree murder in the alleged death of Caylee, among other charges
- December 2008: Caylee Anthony’s skeletal remains found in woods near grandparents’ home
- July 2011: Jury finds Casey Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder of daughter, Caylee; guilty on 2 counts of providing false info to a law enforcement officer. The jury reportedly deliberated for roughly 11 hours.
Casey Anthony Trial: Key Players – and where are they now?
- Jose Baez: Jose was the lead attorney on Casey Anthony’s defense team. He withdrew from her defense in 2012, following Anthony’s acquittal. Jose is part of “The Baez Law Firm,” and has officers in Orlando and Miami. He still holds an active license, according to the Florida Bar website. He is also part of Harvard Law’s faculty, according to an online bio.
- James Cheney Mason: James Cheney Mason served as co-counsel on Anthony’s defense team. Mason has a family law practice in Winter Park, according to his website. He still holds an active license, according to the Florida Bar website. Frank George also served as co-counsel.
- Judge Belvin Perry Jr. (retired): Belvin Perry Jr. served as the trial judge during Casey Anthony’s trial. He retired from the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on Aug. 31, 2014, three years after Casey Anthony’s case. In 2024, he was appointed to the Florida Agriculture and Mechanica University (FAMU) Board of Trustees. in Jan. 2025, he was voted out as chair of Bethune-Cookman University’s Board, but would remain on the board. He also serves as an expert in media interviews regarding major trials.
- Linda Drane Burdick: Linda Drane Burdick served as lead prosecutor in Casey Anthony’s trial. She still works for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as an Assistant State Attorney, according to her Florida Bar profile. It does not appear that she has done many press interviews following the trial.
- Jeff Ashton: Jeff Ashton served as the co-prosecutor in the Casey Anthony trial. He then joined the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as a judge. He was accused of inappropriate behavior in the courtroom by the Judicial Qualifications commission, who dropped the case in Jan. 2025. Ashton lost his re-election bid. Frank George was also on the prosecution’s team.
- George and Cindy Anthony: Casey Anthony’s father and mother – and Caylee Anthony’s grandparents. George was accused by the defense during trial of abusing Casey – and of hiding Caylee’s body. He has repeatedly denied both those allegations – and has not ever been charged related to those allegations. George and Cindy have done several interviews since the trial and appeared in various documentaries, including interviews with Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Investigation Discovery. In 2024, A&E aired a TV special where George and Cindy underwent lie-detector tests related to Casey Anthony, the case, and the death of Caylee.
Where is Casey Anthony now?
According to a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, Anthony had moved to South Florida, where she was reportedly working for a private detective who had worked on her defense team. In that interview, she denied knowing what had happened to her daughter.
In 2020, Casey Anthony participated in a docuseries, “Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies,” which streamed via Peacock. She also, according to state records and FOX News, filed documents to start her own private investigation business.
On March 1, 2025, Casey Anthony posted a 3-minute video to TikTok to “reintroduce herself” as a “legal advocate” for herself and her late daughter, Caylee.
“I am a legal advocate. I am a researcher. I have been in the legal field since 2011, and in this capacity, I feel that it’s necessary if I’m going to continue to operate appropriately as a legal advocate that I start to advocate for myself and also advocate for my daughter,” she said in the video, pushing people to her Substack, which charges $10 a month to subscribe to.
“My goal is to continue to help give a voice to people. To give people tools and resources that they can utilize so they actually know where they can turn to,” she said.
The Source: The information in this article came from various sources, including Casey Anthony’s March 1 TikTok video; the Substak website; FOX 35 and FOX News coverage of Caylee Anthony’s disappearance in 2008, Casey Anthony’s arrest in 2008, and 2011 trial and acquittal; court records via Orange County Clerk of Court; Florida Bar; office websites for Jose Baez, James Mason, Judge Perry, Jeff Ashton; and various media reports.
