Casey Anthony: The Ultimate Mindbender

October 01, 2008

Scroll Down to Read the Computer Reports, Cell Phone Records and Text Messages

What a bizarre ride. That is the only way I know how to describe this roller coaster of a case involving Casey Anthony and her missing two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

You'll notice I have reverted back to describing Caylee as two years old, rather than three, as several other outlets and I had been doing since her birthday on August 9th. This has been a subconscious move on my part. I'm not really sure why I've been doing it. I want to believe that she could have made it to her third birthday, but, perhaps, I am all too certain that she did not. As a result, I will refer to her as two years old again.

With that said ... In case you haven't heard about it, there is a petition circulating in response to rumors that the Anthony family has been offered a large sum of money for a movie deal. According to the petition, the Anthony's have been offered $2 million dollars for a movie deal. As of this writing, there are 3,097 signatures on the petition.

Meanwhile, can you believe all of the developments that have been occurring in this case? The computer forensics report alone was very telling, in that it revealed Casey had been looking at missing children Web sites long before Caylee disappeared. That fact is certainly curious. Was she looking out of the goodness of her heart or was she plotting the best way to make a child disappear? An interesting question that only Casey Anthony can answer.

Also of interest in the forensics report was a specific image that Casey Anthony had saved to her computer, which depicted a little girl, who looked similar to Caylee, looking up at a teddy bear that had a noose around its neck. The caption on the image read: "Why do people kill people, who kill people, to show people that to kill people is bad?" The image may not be relevant, but, given the situation at hand, it cannot be discounted.

Read the forensic report on Casey Anthony's computer

By now, I'm sure you've read most, if not all, of the newly released documents, which paint an even bleaker picture. The text messages alone give us an explicit glimpse into Casey's life and the web of lies that she worked so hard to spin.

Please Note: Phone numbers in the text messages and cell phone records provided below have been removed. Also, all text messages in Amy Huizenga's cell phone records that were not sent to or received from Casey Anthony have been blacked out, as they are not relevant to the case. The messages in the files listed below also contain coarse language, not intended for minors.

Casey Anthony's cell phone records

Amy Huizenga's text messages file 1

Amy Huizenga's text messages file 2

Amy Huizenga's text messages file 3

Brittany Scheiber's text messages

Cindy Anthony's cell phone records

Chat transcripts between Casey Anthony and nyitaliano3

Text messages from Casey Anthony to Troy Brown

I'm still not sure how she was able to separate fact from fiction. In reading all of the text and instant messages, specifically the one in which she refers to Caylee as a "little snot head," it does not take a seasoned professional to tell you that this was a mother who felt anchored down by her child.

But why - and this is the biggest question I keep hearing - didn't Casey Anthony let her parents have Caylee? In my opinion, it was about control. Casey needed to control the situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was hand her daughter over to her mother, a woman whom she outwardly resented for a number of perceived wrongs. Giving Caylee to her mom would have been an admission of failure, and it also would have given Casey's mother exactly what she wanted. As a result, Casey would have become a bench warmer, while her daughter would have completely taken over center stage. To you or me, the theory seems absurd, but, to Casey Anthony, a textbook narcissist, it would have made perfect sense.

Discuss The Caylee Anthony Case

Related Content:
Full Coverage : Casey Anthony Case

Photo Credit: Photo of Casey Anthony and Caylee Anthony that investigators found on Cindy Anthony's cell phone that was released with other evidence on Sept. 26, 2008.

Comments

[John]

"...a textbook narcissist,..."

Exactly. IMO, she's enjoying all the attention. You can see it in her smiles during her first jail release, that awful "high five" incident, and in the way she struts in and out of her lawyer's office.

[ladysheila]

Always, you don't want to assume anything. I have seen great parents who lovingly refer to their children in what would normally seem a bad term, example sh-- -ss, which is probably an older term. However, something about all of the texts in reference to her daughter were troublesome. In addition to what you referenced, her calling her 'the kid' was the one that just didn't sit right with me. Thank you for your continued coverage.

[007]

One of her boyfriends referenced Caylee as 'the offspring'.... Why don't men who don't want to be with women who have children, just STAY AWAY from women with children????

[Steven]

All explanations could be debatable but one cannot forget, THE PUTRID, RANCID SMELL AND THE ANALYSIS OF HUMAN DECOMPOSITION IN THE CAR USED BY CASEY ANTHONY AS WELL AS THE MASSIVE WEB OF LIES THAT ONLY END WHEN HER MOUTH IS CLOSED AND SHE IS UNCONSCIOUS. There is, yet, more FBI CRIME LAB evidence coming
forth and a body is not needed to prosecute this case as a murder one (see corpus delicti). Spoiled rotten, narcissistic freak. In her warped mind she believes that she'll get off and be on to her next, "Hot Body", contest. Newsflash, IDIOT! It's taking some time but you are going down. Hey, if she gets only ten to fifteen years in prison, she'll never go into GEN POP. Twenty-two to twenty-three hours a day, seven days a week inside a small isolation cell, with no other human contact (except guards) would be excellent.

[Karen]

whoo hoo! this site has the best coverage on this entire case! way to go discovery!

[Steve Moore]

My hats off to David Lohr for his dedication to this case. I was sold on this blog as soon as I hear you were going to Fla. Some of the mainstream press could take a lesson from you. Writing about a case is one thing but putting yourself in harms way to bring about some resolution is something all together different. You Sir are a fine person!

[cb]

A good defense lawyer can say that her looking into missing child sites is proof-positive that she was a caring woman who loved and was concerned about children; just as a lot of Casey's friends have said about her in regard to how she appeared with Caylee. Or she may have been seeking avenues of dispensing with her. Casey may indeed have actually really loved Caylee, and yet hated her at the same time.

This case is a study in dichotomy.

Let me preface this next statement by saying I don't believe that Cindy is responsible for Caylee's disappearance, but Casey has likely mimicked some of Cindy's parenting perspectives, in perhaps a skewed manner.

According to Leonard Padilla (questionable source?), the precipitating factor in Casey in storming out of the house on the 15th was Cindy losing control and "putting her hands on Casey's neck", following the discovery of the great grandparents' stolen funds. Whether or not a physical altercation occurred , it's clear that Cindy has the potential to lose control (as with protesters) and likely went beyond a typical scolding and said hateful and hurtful things to Casey. (although many may be justified)

However, I believe that this is likely a pattern she exhibited in parenting Casey. My speculation is that Cindy & Casey had a push/ pull-love/ hate thing going. Casey obviously was loved, but Cindy, who looks like a strong personality that needs control, may have permitted too little normal growth or normal adolescent rebellion beyond the confines of her agenda. And so likely having a similar innate personality, Casey would push boundaries to the extreme to test her limits and exert some control. Cindy would push back. She didn't want to have to deal with or acknowledge the trouble that Casey was creating in her everyday life, how it manifested beyond her control, and how it might reflect poorly on her. She likely let a lot slide, or ignored bad actions provided they weren't revealed to others. Casey lied, at times, to her mother to avoid conflict (as if she was going along with Cindy's program), and Cindy chose to accept them on the surface, because she appeared in control . But then Casey would do something so extreme that Cindy would get angry and try to exercise additional control over her, maybe chastising and belittling her (one example was stated by Jesse Grund).

In turn, Casey would push further and/or relay her feelings of impotence, low personal esteem, as caused by her mother.(ie. , example," Maybe I'm an unfit mother, as Mom has said", according to Lee: setting the stage for a self-fulfilling prophecy with fault directed at Cindy ). Cindy probably felt regret after these episodes and so she would see-saw back in the other direction and would have pity , guilt or remorse and then cover the daughter's wrongdoings or lies, feeling that she was at fault because of her harshness ( be it justified, or not). Casey understood this little dance and used it to her benefit.

Punishing her consistently and without extremes, back and forth , might have been more effective. Instead, Cindy would likely hope that things would just get better on their own, take a wait and see approach, ( allow appearances vs truth to prevail), and then would ultimately lash out when they didn't . (Of course I am only looking at the nurture element and not the nature aspect, as well as doing armchair analysis).

Casey probably felt the same way about Caylee. On one hand, she is photographing her constantly, bringing her along with friends, and proclaiming to strangers, unsolicited, that she is a mother. So she is demonstrating pride in her. With one of her boyfriends , Tony R., she is seeking approval by asking him, through text messages, if he would still want to see her, if she brought along the "little snot-head". His answer was "no", as I recall. So on the other hand, she has resentment towards the child for diminishing her 'personal stock'. If someone who is important to her at the time, hasn't placed a high enough value on Caylee, (that he permits her to tag along), then Caylee becomes a liability in Casey's perceived worth , by virtue of her attachment to her. Add to that, the directive that Cindy gave her to take responsibility of her child, and you have someone that is not only angry for Caylee hindering her desired lifestyle and status, but also for being a symbol of Cindy's direct control over her decision making .

Casey creates the illusion that she has control by pretending to have a job and a nanny, and that she has 'got it together'. Cindy creates the illusion of her successful mothering by accepting and perpetuating Casey's lies and explanations, thereby looking like she has control, and has "got it together'.

I feel that both mothers , Cindy and Casey, have viewed their daughters, to certain extent, more as extensions of themselves, rather than as individuals with separate needs.

In Cindy's case, she covered for Casey's behavior , because if truth came to light, it would reflect poorly on her. While in Casey's case, Caylee was becoming incongruous with the image that she wanted to project in a culture of friends and acquaintances that hadn't yet matured to the level of placing anything or anyone above the goal of going out and partying.

She may have lost Caylee by neglect, in some accidental death scenario, or lashed out in an instance of losing control. It doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't love her. She obviously didn't 'have it together' and neither did Cindy. I'm sure Cindy and Casey still love-hate each other.

[katfish]

This story has become so tiresome. Can you imagine living with someone like Casey? It wears me out just reading about it second hand....exhausting! Casey the mind bender definately fits.
You are dead on in your last paragraph of the blog.
This is all about a power struggle and little Caylee was the pawn. Poor baby!
I blogged about this story on August 29 and with all the stuff that has come out nothing has changed.
Casy where is Caylee?

[Bonnie]

Did anyone else notice that Casey was searching for Zani on my space. She said in an interview that she had a my space. Wonder if that helped with the information she got about her. I notice they both have tattoos. Where did Zani get hers and (who)did them. May have been a person with same tattoo parlor working in a different location. Hmmmm....

[Elizabeth Clark]

One lie begets another. But starting with one, that necessarily leads to another and another does not necessarily make someone a 'sociopath' or pathological liar. Ms. Anthony lied about having a job - possibly quite understandably, if she was pressured by her parents or peers about it or did not want to admit failure in having lost a job. If you have a job, you supposedly spend your days somewhere doing something (so you wind up lying about where you where and what you did), and you supposedly have an income (so you find a way to make it look like you have one). If you really don't want to lose your boyfriend but he threatens to break it off if you don't come over without your kid, you might fib about having a nanny who is unavailable so it doesn't seem so much like your fault. The truth is always a better option, but what 22-year-old, feeling cornered by responsibilities she didn't expect to face at that age, wouldn't at least be tempted to make a few things up just to save face and try to glide through until things get better? Such lies show your immaturity, but do not make you a murderer.

Meanwhile, calling your kid a "little snot head" or referring to her as "the kid" to the boyfriend doesn't say anything about how she really feels about her daughter. She's just saying things the way she thinks he wants to hear them. Clearly he was pressuring her heavily - he was basically saying "I don't care what you do with the kid, but get over here and have sex with me or it's over". She tried to make it sound like what he wanted to hear, but that doesn't mean she truly, or always, felt that way. And I have heard devoted parents occasionally refer to their children in such unkind terms, in moments of understandable fatigue and frustration. In the big picture, it usually means nothing. Such phrases do not make anyone a murderer.

It seems to me that the simplest explanations are usually the correct ones. Ms. Anthony appears to be a young woman saddled with a responsiblity she did not want and was perhaps not mature enough to handle. She handled it for a while, with full support of her parents, but when the time came for her to "grow up" and start handling more of it on her own, she was floundering as many a young, unwed mother has. And then... something happened. Maybe she really did give Caylee away to someone, but permanently. Maybe she did something terrible deliberately to Caylee. Maybe she lashed out and something terrible happened unintentionally. Maybe something happened completely by accident. And then she and her parents did what people have done since Adam and Eve ate the apple - they have tried to cover as best they can.

None of it is ok. But it is tiring to hear everyone being so holier-than-thou and picking up on every tiny phrase as somehow being evidence of murder. We have all told lies to save face or cover our butts. We have all said or thought unkind things about our children, even if we immediately retract or regret it. We have all, even those of us who deliberately chose to have children and were ready for it, have felt trapped by the responsibilities of parenting at least once or twice in a bad moment, particularly if there was no spouse to share the burden. No - most of us could never cross the line that separates feeling the frustration from acting on it, but we also don't know that Ms. Anthony did. And a founding principle of this great country's judicial system is that people are presumed innocent until someone can prove otherwise.

So let's let the system do its job. Let's pray that Ms. Anthony chooses to step forth and tell the truth, if she isn't already doing so. Let's pray that Caylee is found, alive most hopefully, but even otherwise, to tell what happened.

[betty green]

i think casey needs to be put in the general population when she is finally put in jail . she needs a reality check & she has one coming . even though it seems like she could care less for anyone but herself. . it is just so sad this precious chid had to suffer because of the warped family she comes from. i think cindy knows the truth but continues to cover for casey. hopefully there will be justice for the loss of caylee.we all know there is a higher power & casey can not fool him with her lies. i pray caylee will soon be found & put to rest . poor sweet baby

[007]

Well said, Elizabeth Clark!!!!!!!!!! I fully agree!!!!

[wpbgirlie]

Steve Moore - I completly agree with you. You have a very good take on the dynamics of the family. One thing that I would like to add is the lack of bonding that occured between Casey and Caylee. From what I have read, Cindy took over, not meaning any harm, but through natural insticts as Casey was not ready. I have six children - my oldest, I had at a younger age than Casey was and my last child was born when I was 40. I am acutely aware of the difference in my "mothering" at all of the different ages I became a mother . I was also a single mother for much of the time and am now a widow. I know bonding and how important it is. I was a cool, fun, popular teen when I had my first child. My life changed dramatically. My baby became more important than myself and that is what is supposed to happen with mothers. It happened all six times for me. Something was lacking with Casey. Her mother took over. I think she acutally murdered Caylee to hurt her mother.
Anyway, your analysis is excellent and I am very impressed.

[Cheri]

This case is ridiculous. The mere fact that Casey did not report her daughter missing for 30 days and lied repeatedly to police about everything says a lot. The way she lived, partying, shopping, sleeping around, after Caylee went missing, is unforgiveable. She will pay, one way or another, for what she has done. There is nothing worse than a child killer!

[Chastity]

I know many people who post here are avid watchers of NG. Did anyone else see it (Friday night I think) when they showed web searches under Casey's computer login??? Am I the only one who noticed that they were mostly for escort sites??? Does anyone have any info on that. Was she trying to get into the pron industry? Or maybe she was and it wasn't discovered yet?

[Bonnie]

I saw NG and I noticed that te sites were adult and mostly escort. I thought that might be what Lee meant when he ask Caysee if she was at Universal for fun or work or OTHER.

[debbie in new jersey]

I don't think Casey would have given Caylee to her mother to raise under any circumstances. She was not about to let Cindy be right about her poor parenting skills. I think Cindy had a duty to step in and do the right thing for Caylee. She should have gone to court and gained custody of her granddaughter. I think that is the main reason Cindy is blindly standing behind her daughter, she feels like it's her fault. As parents we all tend to blame ourselves for our childrens' wrongdoings. We always think if we had done things differently this or that wouldn't have happen. Thats what we have here with Cindy. Having said that I still think she should put finding Caylee ahead of everything else.

[Floridagigi]

People have stated on this forum and on others i have read as to why cindy and george anthony did not take caylee away from casey i'm hear to tell you in the state of florida GRANDPARENTS have no rights i know due to my own experiences with my step-daughters children the we had two of them 2 yrs ago the oldest till school got out and her father came and got her THANK GOD he now has permanent custody of her the younger one who was 7 mths old when we got her (by a different father} we had to give to the paternal grandmother just before her 1st b-day because of the amt. of evil and vindictive things she did to her father and i we just couldn't take it anymore she also did many evil things to her mother-in-law but at least she had her son to help her a curb her vindictiveness she eventually got that child back in the meantime while that baby out of the home due to abuse she had another chid 1 yr younger so they are now 2 an 3 Fl. has removed them again due to abuse and no relative will take them due to this girls behavior her personality is alot like casey's so now these poor babies are in foster care and they have the right to visit them they will probably get this children back again in about 10 to 12 mths per the caseworker so who's wrong here THE STATE IS thank god they are still alive

[Lexi Kahn]

Mr. Lohr, best crime blog ever. I've been following the case daily since NG ran with it. I can envision Casey using a babysitter at first, when Caylee was first born. But then I think she began to do the unthinkable -- knock the baby out with something and leave her either at home or in the car trunk while she, Casey, was out partying. I think when she would say the baby was "with Zani" that she was really unconscious. Chloroform will replace all the oxygen in its way. If Caylee was knocked out with chloroform and put in the trunk WITH a chloroform-soaked rag, she would have suffocated. Casey, already a pathological liar, may have had a split with reality when she found Caylee dead in the car, over the month since it happened her splintered mind fabricated this whole "Zani took her" scenario that just spun wildly out of control. It's just one possibility. I so wish she could be forced to take a lie detector test. Hypnosis. SOMETHING.

[Lexi Kahn]

Mr. Lohr, best crime blog ever. I've been following the case daily since NG ran with it. I can envision Casey using a babysitter at first, when Caylee was first born. But then I think she began to do the unthinkable -- knock the baby out with something and leave her either at home or in the car trunk while she, Casey, was out partying. I think when she would say the baby was "with Zani" that she was really unconscious. Chloroform will replace all the oxygen in its way. If Caylee was knocked out with chloroform and put in the trunk WITH a chloroform-soaked rag, she would have suffocated. Casey, already a pathological liar, may have had a split with reality when she found Caylee dead in the car, over the month since it happened her splintered mind fabricated this whole "Zani took her" scenario that just spun wildly out of control. It's just one possibility. I so wish she could be forced to take a lie detector test. Hypnosis. SOMETHING.

[CrimeJunkie Mama]

Maybe cops have found a storage shed Casey rented. I had wondered if perhaps Casey had used a storage shed, maybe in Oviedo/East Orlando, central spot. Casey may have flopped there when she wasn't in her car, at a bar, or at a boyfriends. She mentions having storage in her texts to Amy. In one of her texts to Amy she also talks about having nowhere to sleep, being homeless, and how much she loves her car. Her car gave her freedom and independence away from her mother/home life. Casey was on the ultimate roadtrip 24/7, clocking up lots of miles, driving around every single day living her pretend life, not working, not going to school, not being a mom to Caylee, spending money that wasn't hers and partying and having sex at night. Casey led a double life for a long time. I think something must have disrupted her 2 worlds and she made a decision to remove Caylee for some reason. It may have been spite so that Cindy could never have Caylee. Maybe Casey left Caylee alone in the storage shed while she partied one night and Caylee died. Maybe Casey told herself that she was an unfit mother and that Caylee was better off in heaven. There's a lot of Casey's time unaccounted for, especially the 31 day window. Since she never had a job even though she bs'd her friends that she worked 2 jobs, 60 hour weeks, where was she? Casey was like a juggler, juggling her lies and her 2 worlds all the time. Maybe there's a third life she managed too. Where was Casey when she wasn't with family or friends? Casey was a master manipulator but something must have happened that was beyond her control so she had to take control back. She's doing that now with her family, her lawyer, and the cops. Everything must be on Casey's terms. Her parents have done her no favors by spoiling and enabling her all these years. She's very immature even though she's a mother. Because Casey didn't like her real life, she created another one. Jesse Grund said she changed her personality to fit whoever she was with. A couple of months before Caylee's disappearance Casey must have decided to eliminate her daughter. Why is the big question. I think she was creating yet another new life for herself and this one didn't really include Caylee either. Casey maybe justified it by saying to herself "I'm an unfit mother." I also think it's interesting in a text to Amy she remarks about her inability to have an orgasm. Is it another example of how Casey never wants to lose control? All of the "boys" coming and going in her life and she never settles on any of them long term? I think she chooses not to because she'll feel trapped. Casey reminds me of a black widow killer. They too have no problem killing their own children for gain. How can she sit in her parent's home, each day and night, and not feel guilty, or show remorse? As each day brings more explosive details and Casey is surrounded by memories of Caylee in her child's bedroom full of Caylee's toys, she can probably still smell her daughter's scent if she spends anytime in the bedroom. Bet she doesn't dare enter. Casey can see her daughter's playhouse in the backyard, remember Caylee's laugh from when she swam in the pool or chased the dog, Casey sees her parent's anguish, hears the ugly chants of protestors, hears the pleas and prayers to God at the candlelight vigils taking place right outside her garage door, and the woman never cracks, always cold and calculating, manipulating and scheming. I think deep down Casey must find it all very amusing why people care so much about Caylee. Casey must have rationalized that since she brought Caylee into this world, she could also take her out of it. Caylee wasn't really Casey's daughter because Casey wasn't really a mother to Caylee.

[AAS]

I have to agree with cb and Elizabeth Clark! Both of your posts explain exactly how I feel about this whole case. I guess I am somewhat of an optimist and give people the benefit of the doubt in more cases than not, but I have not yet seen any hard evidence to sway my mind. Also, it's not my judgement call. I just get sick of hearing people bashing this young lady. People make mistakes, and when they do, sometimes a little white lie is told. Things have a tendency to skyrocket from there. Now, I'm not condoning anything this girl has done, and I'm not saying that she is completely innocent in all the charges.

As far as calling Caylee "little snot head", I can honestly sit here and say that I myself have referred to my child as "the brat" a few times. No, she's not a brat, but sometimes, as parents, we feel the need to use a "term of endearment" that is not normal. It happens, to many people, whether they want to admit it or not. I've heard people use the term heathen before! What about when people talk about their spouse calling them "the old man" or "the old lady". Are they really calling their spouse old??

[Jill from Western Australia]

So SAD... Casey killed Caylee....Cindy/George & Lee KNOW that Casey killed Caylee...the whole world knows this!!!!

My symphany lies with Law Enforcement...Casey is a HABITUAL LIAR/THIEF/DRUGGIE!!!!... I think her parents are DESPICABLE for entering into a BOOK DEAL!!! --- YUK!!!!!!

HURRY UP & PROVE IT!!!

[Julie]

I do not even know what to think about this case anymore. I cannot believe that this is still going on. How can they just let this girl get away with this. How can they let her sit at home with her family all day, why is there not someone hammering her for answers? She will have to break eventually right? I say waterboard her sorry butt!

Caylee is obviously dead, Casey obviously played some role in it, and her family...who knows. They either know everything and are planning to take it to the grave, or they know nothing and believe the lies.

I'm afraid this Foolio will get away with this...somehow, someway, I'm afraid Baez will get her out of this, and that's just terrible. Wonder if he believes her? Or if he really knows. ????

[Megan]

I feel that the bottom line here is that Casey is a psychopath. She has absolutely no feelings or empathy for anyone other than herself. This had nothing to do with Cindy's parenting of Casey. It is simply a severe defect that creates an evil person. Anyone can look back on their childhood and say it wasn't perfect and feel resentment or pain for the way they were treated. But a normal person learns from those experiences and tries all the more diligently not to treat their own children as they were once treated. There are many, many wonderful people and parents in this world whom were once abused and neglected children themselves. The difference here is empathy; and Casey has none. To me, this indicates that she is a classic case of a psychopath.

[cb]

TO :Posted by: Elizabeth Clark | October 01, 2008 at 02:16 PM

With all due respect, and I sincerely mean that, based on your thoughtful post, I agree with some elements of your mindset and disagree with others.

Please humor my dissection of these, with no offense intended:

"One lie begets another. But starting with one, that necessarily leads to another and another does not necessarily make someone a 'sociopath' or pathological liar."

The origins of these derogatory remarks are not from blog posters , but rather from people very close to Casey; Cindy Anthony called her daughter a sociopath . She said this to Casey's longest and most accepting childhood friend, after discovering the depth, and severity of Casey's deceptions (including the hefty thefts from her family). She told him to stay away from her.

The pathological (liar) label began with mental health specialists (PHD?-psychology) appearing on broadcast media who became privy to Casey Anthony's transcripts and her inexplicable actions.

As might be perceived after the following, (even if you don't respect their opinions):

"Anthony lied about having a job - possibly quite understandably, if she was pressured by her parents or peers about it or did not want to admit failure in having lost a job. If you have a job, you supposedly spend your days somewhere doing something (so you wind up lying about where you where and what you did)"

With this thought, I might agree in the short term, no one is happy about admitting or divulging failure. However, Casey didn't lose her job. In the police interview, her boss @ Universal tells the detective that they actually liked Casey a great deal. She was set on the fast track for management training. Casey got pregnant and was put on 'lighter' office detail (in the interim, until birth). But then after giving birth, she showed up once with Caylee, and then she ceased to return to work: just never showed up again. And so, as expected, her employment was terminated. She was not 'fired', she abandoned her job. At age 21 (or even older), you may not wish to admit and experience the shame of this decision with peers or family, initially. Or even possibly for some time after that. But to carry on the charade and to function under this pretense for over 2 years(?), all the while stealing large sums of money from anyone within proximity, it just doesn't sound ordinary. It's quite elaborate and it seems pathological. It goes beyond making a few things up. But yes, this element alone does not a murderer make.

"Meanwhile, calling your kid a "little snot head" or referring to her as "the kid" to the boyfriend doesn't say anything about how she really feels about her daughter. She's just saying things the way she thinks he wants to hear them. Clearly he was pressuring her heavily - he was basically saying "I don't care what you do with the kid, but get over here and have sex with me or it's over". She tried to make it sound like what he wanted to hear, but that doesn't mean she truly, or always, felt that way. And I have heard devoted parents occasionally refer to their children in such unkind terms, in moments of understandable fatigue and frustration. In the big picture, it usually means nothing. Such phrases do not make anyone a murderer."

I agree with all of this. I think that she did love her child, as well.

".......But it is tiring to hear everyone being so holier-than-thou and picking up on every tiny phrase as somehow being evidence of murder. We have all told lies to save face or cover our butts. We have all said or thought unkind things about our children, even if we immediately retract or regret it. We have all, even those of us who deliberately chose to have children and were ready for it, have felt trapped by the responsibilities of parenting at least once or twice in a bad moment, particularly if there was no spouse to share the burden. No - most of us could never cross the line that separates feeling the frustration from acting on it, but we also don't know that Ms. Anthony did. And a founding principle of this great country's judicial system is that people are presumed innocent until someone can prove otherwise."

I agree with you on almost all of this. With the exception that most people telling little white lies is vastly different than the magnitude of lies uttered by Casey. And no , we do not know what Casey Anthony did. And we can't know, because she hasn't told the truth. But when all of the elements together, circumstantially, don't look good, it is what arouses suspicion. Casey Anthony hasn't been charged with anything, and so until she goes to trial, and (may be) convicted by a jury of her peers, she is, of course, presumed innocent in the legal sense.. But anyone who enters a criminal blog site, like this one, certainly is interested in puzzles and putting all of the pieces together. None of what we say or think will be entered into evidence. I know that I am simply speculating. This is a rare circumstance where we are able to view large amounts of evidence. (how you feel about that, good or bad, is another thought). But none of it , here, will bear any weight as to the outcome of a trial, if there ever is one. Some people are blowing off steam in frustration; maybe some in the extreme. But most want to analyze the evidence & know the answers as to what happened, like myself. And likely, you, as well.

[KiKi]

It seems to me by reading all these documents ,interviews etc...that Cindy Anthony loved lording over Casey the fact that she paid for everything .Food ,shelter,health care .

It seems like Cindy used her ability to provide financial support as a way to put Casey down .They argued constantly as if in a huge power struggle .Caylee was the victim of all this sociopathic behaviour .Cindy's and Casey's .

They all love being in the spotlight .Any normal person would stay in the house when there were protesters outside but not the Anthony's they love the attention.
Going out running their mouth getting in fights .
I have not seen one thing about any of them being on the site with searchers to look for Caylee.Then put it out there that people should be ashamed for not looking for their grandchild .Why are they not looking for her ?
All they have done is use the phone to call in tips that distract from their daughters involvment .
They didn't call 911 until July 15th and Cindy Anthony's myspace blog about Caylee being missing was dated July 3rd .She knew that early on something was wrong .
And she also got it in there that she was only guilty of providing love and food and shelter .
IN MY HOUSE FOOD SHELTER AND LOVE GOES WITHOUT SAYING . I don't go around bragging about loving my kids and providing for their care .it's second nature for a parent or grandparent to provide these things .Why would you feel the need to brag about that ?

A person like Casey Anthony wants to seem important in the eyes of others so she makes up this fantasy life where she has an important job .
I really doubt there was ever any babysitter let alone a Nanny . If Momma said no to keeping Caylee then casey got knocked out of partying or getting laid simple as that .reading the instant messages between casey and nyitaliano it is evident they both are frustrated about not being able to see each other because of "the kid"

Anyone can follow along and determine that they both thought "the kid" was in the way of their fun .Casey more so .
That's a motive .she researched all her lies .
all she had to do was give up custody to Cindy but she couldn't do that because that is her ace in the hole so to speak.That is her bargaining chip .she can use the child to extort from her parents .
In the jail house calls /visits she talks to not only her parents without a trace of respect but also swears at her friends when they are saying anything about what she's doing or done .If they question her she flies into a rage .
She has no reason to make nice now as far as friends and family are concerned .
Listening to the police interview she tries so hard to come across as intelligent .
Casey Anthony I hope you get all the attention you deserve in a court of law and then by the other inmates in prison where you belong .
How you are able to control all the people in your life this way is a mystery to me unless it's all a big guilt trip you have laid on them .which I wouldn't doubt one bit .They probably do deserve to feel guilty .If they do at least they feel something .
CONFESS

[Brooke]

Not that I'm condoning any of Casey's behavior, but if you noticed, in her IM w/ nyitaliano, she did state that Caylee was her first priority.

[Ardra]

I don't think enough has been investigated regarding the DOZENS of escort sites she was visiting. It was mentioned on NG and she deferred the question to a guy who completely ignored it, and instead talked about her searching for missing children, etc.

Seems like this is a mighty big clue that isn't being fully discussed or explored.

Also, people, **remember that the trunk had odor of human decomposition**. This wasn't pizza. It was Caylee. The rest is just "how did it happen" speculation. The poor child is dead. The cadaver dogs and Body Farm don't make mistakes of that magnitude.

[NO SYMPATHY]

I am not going to give a bunch of theories about this case because they have all been hashed and rehashed a hundred times and no one really knows what happened but Casey and she's not talking. So with that said, I am sick of the bleeding hearts giving excuses for what "appears" (according to forsenics and facts) she "might" have done to her child. Everyone has CHOICES and it "appears" her choices were not in her child's best interest. She "chose" to put herself, wants and needs first and that's NOT acceptable when a child's life is depending on its parent to "choose" the best course of action in caring for the child. If the bleeding hearts can prove to me Casey is mentally challenged or insane and totally unable to make right/wrong decisions, then I am willing to change my thoughts. But let's face it, this girl is neither mentally challenged nor insane. She has "chosen" to risk her own outcome by her own actions...the lies, stealing, etc etc. No one held a gun to her head and forced her to lie, cheat, steal or refuse to tell the truth...about anything, not just her daughter. So people, go with the facts that have been proven so far in this case. SHE HAD CHOICES and she chose putting herself first, not her child. Otherwise, Caylee would not be missing. I have no sympathy for her.

[Elizabeth Clark]

In response to KiKi:

You wrote: "reading the instant messages between casey and nyitaliano it is evident they both are frustrated about not being able to see each other because of "the kid"

Anyone can follow along and determine that they both thought "the kid" was in the way of their fun .Casey more so ."

I read those rather differently. Yes, "the kid" was getting in the way of her mother's fun. But when I read the posts I was truly apalled at how hard nyitaliano pushed her, and how completely insensitive he was to her situation. He refused to come to her house (presumably because he figured he couldn't have sex while at her parents' home, with her daughter there), and then twisted that around to make her feel as though it was she who really needed to get out. She agreed about that only after he planted the idea first. He fed into her frustrations like a snake. She said Caylee was her first priority, and he just blew past that and kept pressuring her. He didn't give 2 hoots what she did with "the offspring", he just wanted to get her in bed. He threatened that it would be over if she didn't show up at his house that night even after it should have been clear thta she didn't have any babysitting options. Essentially, he gave her an ultimatum: "Your kid or me". Appalling! Certainly, she wanted to be with him, but the way I read it, although Casey was frustrated by the way motherhood interfered with her social life, she was also frustrated that nyitaliano didn't care at all about her responsibilites, and that he was threatening to dump her. Honestly, I was rather shocked at how hard he was pushing her, how selfish he was being, and how completely he disregarded Caylee's welfare. Sure, Casey didn't push back very hard, and went along with a lot of what he said....but I have seen dozens of young women (myself included) do that sort of thing in the hopes it might make the guy stick around and maybe even love them.

None of this, of course, makes doing harm to Caylee ok, obviously. But in order to understand why it happened (once we find out exactly what did happen), it makes sense to read carefully. And why does it matter to understand Casey's state of mind? Maybe so that we do a better job of recognizing the signs in the next immature, possibly unstable, single mother we meet out there, who might just be about to crack. So that maybe next time someone can reach out a hand to the next Casey, and thereby save the next potential Caylee...

[DS]

I think everyone's comments are very interesting. Something very telling in Casey's phone directory is the absence of the nanny or Zani or Zaneida. Casey makes several references to calling her Nanny, ie. "the offspring handler", etc. but there is no one in her phonebook with that name. Casey has "Boyfriend" and "BestFriend", "CASAdeAnthony", "MOMMA", every other person she knows is listed in there. It seems ridiculous to me that if the person existed,she would be in there. Either as "Babysitter" or "Zanie" or "Zaneida". Not only does the number not exist in the phonebook, but she never had any incoming or outgoing calls to the mystery nanny.

Of course we know the nanny never existed or else Casey would have been able to identify the woman's home where she supposedly frequently dropped the child off. If Casey took her daughter to the park, then all of the other moms at the park would know her. I go to the park all of the time with my son, and we know just about every kid there along with who their parent is. If a certain babysitter went to the park, then other families at the park would be familiar with her face.

Maybe these little details seems like little lies, but to me they are indicative of major guilt. If it is proven that there is no nanny - then the only other person who could be responsible for the child is Casey. She had plenty of time to take the child out of state to bury her. OR else even more realistic is for her to drive out to the Florida Swamp and feed her poor child's body to the alligators. They already have proof of decomposition in Casey's car. And strands of Caylee's hair in the trunk, not to mention the chloroform. If they cannot prosecute Casey without a body - that seems so unjust for that poor child. That lovely little girl may never get the peace she deserved.

[CrimeJunkie Mama]

Everyone needs to channel their postive energy to the cops in their search for Caylee's body. Today's news is encouraging that LE is looking in 2 places. She must be close. I'm sorry Casey cannot be that smart. She must have made some mistakes, talked to someone, left a clue somewhere. If LE finds little Caylee's remains, it'll be slam dunk hoochie mama! I can only hope they're close. Considering Jose Baez's remarks today, if we ever had any doubts about Casey supposedly afraid to talk because of kinappers, daughter's safety, blah, blah, blah. Baez statements prove that it's not in the best interest of Casey Anthony to talk to police about her missing daughter. Huh?! Caylee was never missing, never lost, never abducted> More than likely she's been dead all summer. Here we are into the fall and we're a little closer to the truth. I'll bet those cops have a 3 foot long ream of paper of Casey Anthony's timeline. I think even if they don't find Caylee, the case with will still be strong with all of the circumstantial evidence. Just to be really sure the prosecution seals it's case, Pray everybody they find her.

[Mary]

You know, if Casey did not have so much selfish pride like her own mother, then she could have just given the child to the Grandmother and Casey could have had her wild life that she wanted. At least beautiful little Caylee could have lived and grown up and had a life. This whole story is a complete tragedy for the entire family.

[Mary Blair]

I have read many blogs about all the evidence about the Anthony case, so far no one has come up with the question, how do you pay a Nanny if you don't even have a job? Maybe there is a Nanny and Zenaida is not her name, she lied about everything else, why tell the truth now? She is not a very bright girl to begin with, I don't think she is smart enough to hide a body that good. The authorities should leave Casey's parents out of this, and start analyzing Casey, she is the only one with the answers, she will bust sooner or later.

[Chastity]

Last night on NG, they said that they were searching the woods near the Orlando Airport again. They Indicated that a woman (matching Casey's description) was seen coming out of the woods and getting into a car (also matching that of Casey). Something struck me odd... I have been reading many blogs about this case and I read a comment that someone had posted about seeing a car along the side of the road and a woman getting in with a shovel. I think it was posted here but I can't find it now. It stick in my mind because I remember the person writing that they told their friend something like remember this incase someone turns up missing. Does anyone else remember reading this? This hits me for 2 reasons... I wonder if the times, dates and locations of the sightings match up. Also, if these things don't match up but this mystery woman turned out to be Casey, there may be more than one location to be searching for remains.

I know I'm not the only person to read all of the posts here. Does anyone else remember this? I know posts are reviewed before being put up... David, do you remember this? The person that posted that comment should contact LE in light of this new information.

[dove]

Here's my take: Casey did not have a babysitter, ever, but wanted to party so she used Xanax (Zani the Nanny, I've heard this phrase used before) to sedate little Caylee. She kept Caylee sedated in the back/trunk? of her car while she partied at these clubs. She must have done something with Caylee, because I haven't heard where Caylee was when she was out, has anyone? And didn't we hear someone say she went to her car often while at these places partying? She was checking on Caylee. It's not that she hated her little girl, she was emotionally unable to bond with her as the sociopath she is. I believe one night she gave her too much and Caylee died. Or...she forgot about Caylee and went home with some guy she picked up and Caylee died from the heat.

Then the spin began. The chloroform may have been used when she ran out of Xanax... She probably used the phrase Zani the Nanny and HAD to find someone named Zani as part of her coverup and used the phone book finding Zaneida Gonzalez at the apartment building...

I think the police know about the party phrase "Zani the Nanny" too, as it has been used frequently by mothers who are the dregs of society who want to sedate their kids. Xanax is a common sedative, it's easy to get, and it would be very easy to overdose a teensy little baby like Caylee.

It is also possible that Casey forgot Caylee was in the car sedated and went home with some guy only to remember the next day in the afternoon and found Caylee dead. The smell after being dead only that long, forgive me, but cooking in the hot Florida summer sun, would be horrible.

The rest, as everyone has said, is Casey's web of lies to cover it up. Seems a simple act of negligence and child endangerment (OK, not so simple, agreed) has become the nightmare of the century because of Casey's sociopathy.

Makes me ill. I hope Casey is put in a cell with the smell of Caylee's dead body next to her for the rest of her life.

[Shellie]

Response to Bonnie. With all due respect, we all do make mistakes, indeed. We all fail sometimes as parents, it's true. And we have all told lies at one point in our lives, undoubtedly. But I doubt I'd go out dancing if my child were dead (even accidently) or missing.

[Dawn]

To the girl who wrote about her conversation with italiano(the cop) he was the cop that was fired!!! also, if you have been paying attention to this case, and timelines, and phone transcrips, you would know, that she was with anthony lazzarro those days she was putting him off!!! That was proved!!! if wasnt tony it was someone else, she was with them and talking to the cop!! she was lying about the situation she was in, because she was with another guy!!! this whole scenario was uncovered on NG the other night by a dectective from florida, and padilla!!! yes he was pushing her, but even if the whole scenario was true, she was a loser to even give this jerk the time a day, he just wanted one and one thing only from her, and that was obvious!!! I wonder about how frustrated he was with the situation, and maybe casey used caylee to many times as an excuse, and he caught her out with other guys??? you do realize Jesse grund quit the police force during this time and called casey because he was very upset, i bet this cop was bad mouthing casey, and jesse got mad, because if you read the messages between italiano(the cop) he says something about the texts he sent jesse, and she trys to find out what he said to jesse, but he wont budge, and casey claims to the cop, that she did tell jesse she was falling for him(meaning italiano cop) something is wrong with this picture, i think the cop that got fired might be involved somehow, he does sound very mean and strong in some of there conversations, and very frustrated, its just a thought, maybe she is afraid of him, and he did something to her or caylee!!!

[chuckubus]

Cindy Anthony, like it or not, created Casey Anthony. Her father, George, has as much to do with Casey's personality (or personality disorders, however you look at it) as Cindy. While Cindy did not make Casey do anything at all, Casey's decison making process, the way she loves and displays that love (or hate), all of it was forged by Cindy Anthony. It's all about socialization and rearing, and by God Cindy Anthony created this beast. I used to believe the mother/child relationship was not connected. Not having grandparents of my own, I've never seen how the direct influence is handed down. Now that I am grown and have observed many relationships between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons (some resulting in tragic situations such as suicide) I have learned just how the parent creates the child, good and/or bad. So we have Cindy to thank for Casey. Why Lee is different is easy to determine - boys are socialized differently than girls, and to some degree I think it damages the females in these types of extreme cases, not in normal family situations. And yes, I understand normal is relative and many of you are saying "what is normal?") My point is made. Cindy, you made her. Thanks alot. You, indirectly, killed your own granddaughter. I agree with he who said Cindy and Casey have a push/pull/love/hate relationship. And Casey and Caylee had an even more skewed one. Caylee would have grown up to be a holy terror, no matter how innocent she is now (or was).

[James]

How was this positive and yet responsible statement from the chat transcripts overlooked? Narcissist No.

casey o marie (7:37:31 PM): you know what your getting into with me, and i'm sorry, caylee has to come first, my job, a close second, i can only take so much time from that for anyting else

[Lucretia]

Why are so many of the text messages blacked out?

[Nancy T.]

Lucretia,
I'm going to assume that this is a running "log" of text messages. Some from Casey (which are relevant) and some from others that we don't need to be concerned with.

[colinda]

I have no doubt in my mind that casey is guilty. Why lie to save herself. She should just tell the truth. It makes me sick that some people can neglect and abuse there kids. One thing i don't understand is that how could the grandparents not know that there daughter had no job and how can they not know who's the babysitter of the granddaughter. Why couldn't they whatch her while casey whent out they live together. How can this slip through the cracks? I just don't get it. i have kids things like that wouldn't slide through the cracks at this end. YA watch out casey when the truth does come out it'll be 1000 times worst for you.

[Gracie]

"How was this positive and yet responsible statement from the chat transcripts overlooked? Narcissist No.

casey o marie (7:37:31 PM): you know what your getting into with me, and i'm sorry, caylee has to come first, my job, a close second, i can only take so much time from that for anyting else

Posted by: James | October 04, 2008 at 12:19 AM"

James, it is my understanding that she made that statement to rusciano while she was actually dating lazzarro... she even sent a text to rusciano by accident about "getting jiggy with a boy" that she really intended on sending to amy. Whether she did it on purpose or not, if you read her stuff to amy, you'll see she really craved attention by guys (maybe daddy-dearest didn't spend enough time with her when she was little??) and liked having one in the back pocket in case something fell through.

Is there somehow a sympathy building for her because rusciano pressed her?? Uh. She didn't have to answer his texts. She didn't have to take his calls. The only reason she said Caylee and her job were priorities was for a plausible excuse. She knew how to push his buttons and, baby, she enjoyed pressing them. The more people she had on a string, the more power she had. Caylee first? Job (that doesn't exist) second? Please. That was all window dressing. Just like the feigned crying spells and depression. That's how she stayed on the good side of amy, morphing whatever mood amy was living through.

I said back when this first came to light that she did it, and it was no accident. She was planning on a new life and Caylee had no place in it.

Gracie

[Nicole]

Casey said "caylee has to come first, my job, a close second", and this was seen by somone as Casey being responsible. However, there was no job when she said it. It was merely said for effect. Poor little Caylee never saw her third birthday. I agree that she should be referred to as "two year old Caylee Anthony".

[T]

I'm confused how casey's mother can not feel remorse about her granddaughter.
I love my children, but if I thought my daughter lost, killed my grandchild , I would not be supporting her.
I would be grieving for my grandchild...visably.

[Marsha]

I have a theory that part of the reason that Casey got rid of (killed) Caylee was the fact that Caylee was almost three and really starting to develop language. This was dangerous to Casey because Caylee could have (and would have) eventually revealed all of the lies that Casey told: for example, that Casey had no job, that there was no nanny, that there could be more than one man at a time in Casey's life, etc. Cindy or boyfriend Tony could have asked Caylee about her nanny and be asked by Caylee, "What nanny?" Casey had no friend from work named Juliet, the non-existent Zanny never had a car crash, and so on and so on. It would have been impossible for Casey to continue all of her lies with a witness who could speak and who might start to reveal all of her lies. Casey's house of cards (her imaginary life) was about to collapse and she could not allow that. That would have revealed Casey to the world as an unemployed high school drop out who stole money from friends and family in order to survive-not the image that she wanted the world to see.

[mary]

I really think that Casey killed Caylee. I think that she put her in the trunk and forgot about her while she went and screwed around with her guy friends and thats how the little girl died.

That is so sad...

[Chris West]

I just found this site today and I am so happy to read what you are writing. Can't wait until this nightmare ends and you put a book out, I will be the first in line to read it.

I have read all the texts and all the bloggers responses and nothing has changed my mind. Casey killed her child because Caylee was in her way. She would never give her mother the satisfaction of being able to say "I knew you couldn't take care of her" killing her was easier. She is a sociopath and needs to be locked up for the rest of her life. When her attorney stated that Casey would not assist the police because it would not be in her best interest is very telling. They are just hoping that the body is never found and no one can prove exactly what Casey did to her precious child. I lived in central florida for years and I can tell you the areas that they have searched have many bodies of water that are full of gators, my theory is after she killed Caylee she dumped her in one of bodies of water and knows that the body will never be found because the gators did the job for her by disposing of the evidence.