How Did Casey Anthony Kill Her Daughter?
31 Days
If you've been following this case since 2008, then you already know that Casey Anthony is accused of murdering her daughter, 2-year-old, Caylee Marie Anthony. Casey Anthony faces a first-degree murder charge, and the trial is set to begin at the end of May 2011.
If you're not familiar with the story, which has many twists and turns, here's the (somewhat) simplified version: In early June of 2008, Casey Anthony, who lived with her parents in Orlando, Florida, packed up a few belongings and her 2-year-old daughter, and drove away from her parents' home.
Casey told her parents she was vacationing elsewhere in Florida, but this was a fabricated story. Casey spent her time in Orlando, living off of stolen money and checks, and sleeping at the homes of her boyfriend and friends. The "vacation" lasted 31 days, and within that 31 days, no one had seen 2-year-old Caylee Anthony. As for Casey Anthony, she was seen partying in clubs, getting a tattoo, and at one point, she even borrowed a shovel from her neighbor to remove bamboo from her parents' yard. Still, no one had seen little Caylee.
Casey's parents grew concerned; they wanted to see their granddaughter. Caylee's maternal grandmother, Cindy Anthony, decided to track down her daughter; and when she found her (at the boyfriends house), she learned that little Caylee wasn't there. Cindy and Casey drove away from the boyfriend's home, and returned to the Anthony household.
Where Is Caylee?
Cindy Anthony demanded to know the whereabouts of her granddaughter, Caylee. According to Casey, Caylee was with the nanny. What nanny? Zenaida Gonzalez, otherwise known as "Zanny the Nanny." The story didn't make sense. Who was Zanny? Where was Caylee? Casey didn't have a logical explanation.
Cindy, in an attempt to frighten Casey Anthony into telling her the truth about Caylee's whereabouts, made a series of (three) calls to 9-1-1 on on July 15, 2008.
At first, Cindy told the 9-1-1 operator that she wanted Casey charged with the theft of an automobile and money. In the second call to 9-1-1, Cindy once again reported her daughter as a thief, but this time added that she wanted to report "a possible missing child." During this call, Cindy can be heard telling Casey, "I already gave you 31 days."
In the third call to 9-1-1, a frantic Cindy Anthony told the 9-1-1 operator that Casey admitted the nanny had kidnapped the baby. Cindy also added, "There's something wrong. I found my daughter's car today and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car."
A Sad Ending
And so began the massive search for the mysterious nanny, Zenaida Gonzalez, AKA "Zanny the Nanny." Police did find a Zenaida Gonzalez, but this woman had never met Casey Anthony, and she eventually filed her own lawsuit, as the publicity and harassment ruined her life.
Police never found the "real" Zenaida Gonzalez, but on December 11, 2008, Caylee Anthony's skeletal remains were found by a meter reader; the child was dumped in a wooded lot. The cause of death was not determined; however, the killer had placed duct tape over the child's mouth. The duct tape was decorated with a heart sticker.
Cause of Death
The cause of Caylee's death was inconclusive; however, medical examiners noted that there was "no post-mortem trauma to the body." While Casey Anthony awaits her trial, prosecutors have compiled over 500 pages of circumstantial evidence that may reveal more information surrounding the death of Caylee.
On May 9, 2011, Judge Belvin Perry ruled to allow the results of air sample tests to be used in the Casey Anthony murder trial. The air sample tests may prove that Casey Anthony's vehicle, specifically the trunk, held traces of chloroform and human decomposition. Why was chloroform in the trunk? How was it used? We can only put the pieces together in our minds. Hopefully, prosecutors will be able to paint a clear picture of the crime, support their arguments with solid evidence, and convince the jury to punish the guilty party for her crime.