The Sad Tale of Caylee Anthony

Little Caylee Anthony never had a chance to experience the joys of life,  her life was taken from her in the northern summer of 2008,  in Orlando,  Florida,  USA  (thanks to the anonymous reader for correcting me).   She was just two years old.  The child's mother Casey Anthony,  a single mum,  has been arrested and charged with Caylee's murder.   Whether mum is guilty or not we will have to wait to find out.   Her trial begins in January 2010.

Caylee never knew her father.   He,  most likely, never even knew of her existence.   According to friends of Casey Anthony,  the child was the result of a one night stand and the father died in a car crash shortly after Caylee's birth.

What is known of Caylee's death?   Not very much at all.   Only the skeletal remains of the toddler were found and her death was listed as "homicide by undetermined means."   There seems little doubt she was murdered as it is well documented that the body was discovered with duct tape wrapped around the mouth and head.

No evidence has turned up that directly links Casey with the child's murder.    There are,  however,  some questions she will need to satisfactorily answer if she is to convince a jury that she is innocent.   Why was the child's disappearance not reported to the police until around a month after she went missing?   Why has she continually lied in her police interviews?   Why was she out partying the whole time her daughter was missing?   The answers to these questions may give an insight into Casey's personality and state of mind but they do not necessarily prove her guilt or innocence.   However,  it would appear that this makes up the bulk of the prosecutors case.   And seems to be the reason why many members of the public see her as guilty.

The only thing I know with any degree of certainty is that Caylee's life ended far too soon.   I always find it difficult to imagine a mother taking the life of her own child.   It has happened in the past and will most likely happen again but that does not make it any easier to accept.   I want to believe that Casey Anthony is innocent but something in the back of my mind is telling me otherwise.

If you haven't seen this CBS/48 Hours interview by Maggie Rodriguez,  I suggest you have a look.   You won't find anything new in it.   What you may get out of it is a better understanding of how this child's death has affected those closely related to her.   For those of you who like to sift through evidence you may want to visit this site where you will find a summary of the numerous witnesses involved in the case.

As I stated earlier,  there is something in the back of my mind that I am not comfortable with.   Having said that,  I still intend to keep an open mind in regards to this case.