A Florida jury has found Casey Anthony not guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee, in a case that has captivated US media. The 25-year-old mother was, however, convicted of lying to police after claiming the child had been abducted by a fictional nanny.
The prosecution had argued that Anthony killed Caylee because she stood in the way of her party lifestyle, alleging use of chloroform and duct tape. The defence countered that the toddler accidentally drowned in the family pool, with Anthony's father helping to dispose of the body—a claim he denied.
Anthony faced a possible death sentence for first-degree murder but will serve no more than four years for the lying charge. Her lawyers praised the jury for resisting what they called a 'media assassination' of their client.
The verdict sparked outrage outside the court, with some comparing it to the OJ Simpson acquittal. The judge had earlier barred the jury from sniffing an air sample from Anthony's car boot, which the prosecution claimed contained evidence of decomposition.
