Casey Anthony is a mother who was convicted of murdering her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, in the fall of 2008. Though she was never found guilty of the crime, people across the world believe she is responsible for the death and disappearance of her daughter, making her one of the most hated mothers in America. Now, over 13 years later, justice for Caylee continues to be demanded.

Casey Anthony was born on Mar. 19, 1986, to parents Cindy and George Anthony in Warren, Ohio. Casey’s childhood was described as seemingly normal by her friends and family and it wasn’t until her high school years that friends noticed Casey began lying persistently. Her parents had planned out a graduation party, not knowing Casey would not be graduating due to lack of credits. 

In August of 2005, at age 19, months after denying her pregnancy, Casey Anthony gave birth to a baby girl named Caylee Marie Anthony. Though Casey was engaged to a man named Jesse Grund at the time of Caylee’s birth, he was proven to not have fathered Caylee and the identity of Caylee’s father remains unknown to the public to this day. 

For the first two years of Caylee’s life, her grandparents Cindy and George Anthony were her primary caregivers. On Jun. 16, 2008, after an argument broke out between Casey and her parents, she fled with Caylee whose whereabouts were then unknown for a month.

On Jul. 15, 2008, Cindy and George learned that a car of theirs being used by Casey had been impounded. When picking up the car, George noticed an overwhelming smell coming from the trunk of the car along with a trash bag. On this same day, Caylee’s grandmother Cindy reported her missing.“It smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car,”  said Cindy in her call to 911 after demanding that Casey be arrested.

Casey, who was 22 at the time, followed up with another call to 911 on Jul. 16, 2008. 

“My daughter’s been missing for the last 31 days,” she stated. 

She also  claimed that her child was with a woman named  Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, also referred to as “Zanny the nanny” whose existence has yet to be confirmed. Casey led investigators to Zanny’s place of residence to learn no one by the name of Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez had ever lived there. In fact, the residence had been empty for months. Casey then took investigators to Universal Studios where she claimed she worked. After reaching a dead end and no answers from Casey, she was arrested and charged with child neglect, lying to investigators and interfering with a criminal investigation.

On Jul. 22, 2008, during Casey’s hearing, it was brought to the public that a cadaver dog had picked up the scent of decomposition in the back of Casey’s vehicle and in the Anthony’s backyard. Though Casey did not have major charges against her at this point, her bail was set at $500,000, and she was declared a person of interest in the disappearance of her daughter. Casey’s bond was posted on Aug. 20, 2008, but was reversed ten days later. 

Casey was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, and four counts of providing false information to law enforcrement on Oct. 14, 2008, five months after Caylee’s initial disappearance. On Oct. 24, 2008, forensic reports were released showing that hairs found in the back of Casey’s trunk were consistent with hair found on Caylee’s brush, and that chemicals found in the car were also consistent with decomposition. 

On Dec. 11, 2008, skeletal remains of a little girl were found in a wooded area half a mile from the Anthony’s home; they were confirmed to be the remains of Caylee nine days later on Dec. 19, 2008. Though there was no obvious trauma to Caylee’s body, the medical examiner ruled Caylee’s death as a homicide of undetermined means, and  the report revealed that Caylee’s skull was discovered with duct tape around her mouth, nose, and jaw. 

Casey’s trial began three years after Caylee’s death on May 24, 2011, with prosecutors making sure to mention her partying lifestyle and how seemingly unconcerned she was during Caylee’s disappearance. During the trial, Casey’s attorney accused her father, George Anthony, of molesting her, stating that this was the reason for Casey’s erratic behavior. The attorney also claimed that Caylee’s death was a drowning cover up from George Anthony. George took the stand and denied all allegations.

After a trial lasting six weeks,  over 400 pieces of evidence were recorded, and an 11 hour deliberation by the jury, Casey Anthony was found not guilty on Jul. 5, 2011. Two days later, she was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $4,000 for lying to law enforcement. Because Casey had already spent three years in prison and exhibited good behavior, her sentence was cut short and she was released on Jul. 17, 2011. 

After her release, protestors gathered outside the prison demanding justice for Caylee. 

To this day Casey Anthony is a free woman and continues to live in Florida. 

“I sleep pretty good at night,” said Anthony when asked about her daughter’s death a decade later. 

Casey Anthony is now considered one of the most hated women in America and the death and disappearance of Caylee continues to be a mystery despite the evidence against her mother.