A Florida jury has found Casey Anthony, 25, not guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee, rejecting the prosecution's portrayal of her as a neglectful mother who prioritised partying over parenting. The unanimous verdict on murder, manslaughter and child abuse charges was met with outrage outside the court, with some comparing it to the OJ Simpson acquittal.
Anthony was, however, convicted of lying to police after claiming Caylee had been abducted by a nanny who did not exist. She faces a maximum of four years in prison when sentenced on Thursday. The prosecution had argued that Anthony killed Caylee in 2008 to free herself for a party lifestyle, using chloroform and duct tape, then dumped the body in woods near Orlando.
Defence lawyers argued that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool, and that Anthony panicked and covered up the death. They claimed her father, George Anthony, a former police officer, placed duct tape on the body to make it look like murder. George Anthony denied this account.
The trial featured controversial scientific evidence, including air samples from Anthony's car boot that allegedly indicated decomposing human flesh and chloroform. The judge barred prosecutors from having the jury smell a can of the air. The defence challenged the reliability of the tests.
Prosecutors highlighted Anthony's failure to report Caylee missing for 31 days, during which she was seen at a nightclub and obtained a tattoo reading 'beautiful life'. The jury rejected the prosecution's argument that Anthony's life was better without her daughter, instead accepting the defence's portrayal of a panic-stricken young mother.
