In a stunning verdict reached in just 10 hours and 40 minutes of deliberation, a jury acquitted Casey Anthony of murder this afternoon in Orlando, Fla. A red-faced Anthony held back tears after the verdict. Having sat grim faced for almost six weeks of testimony, she beamed when she learned her fate. Comprised of seven women and five men, ranging in ages from 32 to 65, the 12 members of the jury handed down the decision at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. The jurors spent four hours Sunday and six today breaking down the case against Casey. Ultimately, they found reasonable doubt and she walked. Accused of killing two-year-old daughter Caylee, she was found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. Casey Anthony was found guilty on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement officers. Those charges are misdemeanor offenses. Anthony could face a year in prison for each of the four counts, but since she’s been incarcerated for three years already, she may go free altogether. Sentencing on the guilty counts will be held on 9 a.m. Thursday. The high-profile trial began on May 24. Much of the 33 days of testimony and two of closing arguments made a compelling case against Anthony. Not enough, apparently. The absence of hard, physical evidence against her and a defense theory that was just plausible enough led to an acquittal. Prosecutors claimed Casey Anthony killed Caylee with chloroform and suffocated her with duct tape over her mouth and nose, then left her in the woods. Casey’s defense team admitted she weaved a complex web of lies about what happened, but suggested that Caylee drowned in the pool by accident. As for why Casey lied, her attorneys said that she behaved that way because she had been “trained to lie” through years of sexual abuse by her father. Judge Belvin Perry ruled, however, that there was no evidence that Casey was abused and ordered that it not be mentioned in closing arguments. Did the jury get it right? What do you think …
It’s already been quite a long time since Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham has been ready for romance. And it may be a long time still to come. After ex-boyfriend Derek Underwood died in December 2008, the teen put dating on hold so she could focus on raising their daughter Sophia. According to the reality star, now 20, that will change. Just not yet. “I’m pretty positive you might see me on a date again,” the single mom says ahead of this evening’s Teen Mom season premiere. “The fun thing is I get to go on dates and meet random guys and not be so serious.” “I get emails and letters at home like, ‘Find me on Facebook,’ but how many of those guys are really sincere?” muses the mother of Sophia, now 2. There are plenty of obstacles in her way, it’s true. In addition to the commitment of raising a child, Farrah Abraham finds it difficult to meet Mr. Right now that she’s on the MTV show (she, Maci Bookout , Catelynn Lowell and Amber Portwood all return for season three). “I feel like I have my independence right now, so I might as well take full advantage and work harder. When the right person comes, then I’ll accept him into our lives, but right now I’m not trying to have a relationship,” she adds. “Dating is more fun than a relationship right now for me.” When she’s ready, we don’t imagine she’ll lack for suitors. [Photo: Fame Pictures]
In a verdict many feel is on par with the stunning decision to acquit O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her two-year old daughter today. The result has left one avid viewer of the proceedings in shock: Kim Kardashian. The daughter of one of Simpson’s lawyer Tweeted this afternoon: “WHAT!!!!???!!!! CASEY ANTHONY FOUND NOT GUILTY!!!! I am speechless!!!” In between X-Raying her ass, Kim Kardashian found time to weigh in on the Casey Anthony trial. Kim later added: ”I am truly sick over the Casey Anthony verdict! So if the courts don’t believe she is guilty then who do they think killed this little baby?” “Is this now an open case? Do they attempt to arrest someone else? I am so confused! How do these jurors not believe she’s guilty????” We’re as stunned as anyone, but just to answer Kim’s hard-hitting questions: 1. That’s not how a court case works. The jury deals with the defendant on trial, not the hypothetical questions of who else could be responsible; 2. Yes, of course it’s an open case now. By the way, O.J. totally killed his ex-wife and her boyfriend.
The defense rested today in the Casey Anthony trial, bringing to an end two weeks’ worth of evidence presentation and witness testimony. It did so with the Anthony choosing not to take the stand. The prosecution will now present a rebuttal case, but it is barely even expected to last a day. Closing arguments will follow, with jury deliberations possibly getting underway this holiday weekend. If Casey is found guilty of killing her daughter, she could be executed by the state.
Teresa Giudice is not pregnant. We know what the latest In Touch Weekly screams; we also know what the cover of an issue of OK! said earlier this month about Kim Kardashian . Remember how that rumor turned out? Between a feud with sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, an impending lawsuit and her general lack of talent, Teresa has enough to worry about without tabloids conjuring up allegations of… … whoa! Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux might get engaged?!?
Yesterday, George Anthony took the stand and defended himself against allegations that he carried on an affair with a woman who was helping him search for his grandchild, Caylee. Today, he implied that daughter Casey is behind Caylee’s death. George Anthony Testimony “The car smelled like human decomposition. Caylee was last seen with Casey,” George testified, growing emotional. “One and one adds up to two in my mind. I was trying to put all the stories together. ” Casey Anthony shook her head and scribbled notes to her legal team as her father answered questions. George said he felt a “deep, deep hurt inside” when Caylee’s remains were found a couple years ago. He even attempted suicide soon after because “it just seemed like the right time to go, to be with Caylee. To spend time with Caylee. I didn’t want to be in this world anymore.” The defense, who is trying to make jurors believe George abused his daughter and that somehow explains her changing story, asked the witness if he ever touched Casey inappropriately. “Sir, I never would do anything to harm my daughter in that way,” he said.
The prosecution in the Casey Anthony murder trial once again called a crucial witness to the stand on Tuesday: Anthony’s mother, Cindy. Testifying for the third time in the trial, Cindy helped the prosecution establish and connect key bits of evidence against Casey Anthony. Items found with murdered Caylee Anthony ‘s remains can be traced back to the Anthony home, according to the testimony from Cindy. As Cindy left the stand and took her seat next to husband George, she mouthed “I love you” to Casey, but her daughter looked away. Cindy Anthony was among the last of the prosecution witnesses. The defense case – full of shocking claims – is expected to begin this week. Cindy testified today that a canvas laundry bag had been missing from the family home. A similar bag was found with Caylee’s remains. She also said a Winnie-the-Pooh blanket was missing; a similar one was found at the scene. But the most disturbing revelation came later. Decomposing hair found in Casey Anthony’s trunk – long, brown and untreated by chemicals – could belong to Cindy, Casey or Caylee Anthony. Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick also asked Cindy about her hair length, coloring and style. “I’ve had this hairstyle since 2002,” Cindy Anthony testified. Her hair is short and dyed blonde – not a match to the hair found in the trunk. She also testified that at the time of Caylee’s death, Casey kept her hair short and dyed – again, not a match for the hair in the trunk. Defense attorney Jose Baez later left Cindy in tears as he tried to point out inconsistencies between her testimony and a 2009 deposition. “I don’t remember everything I said,” Cindy sighed. “It was a two-day deposition.” Earlier, investigator Alina Burrows testified that a sheet of heart-shaped stickers, each the size of a dime, was found in Casey’s bedroom. That was just days after Caylee’s body was found in 2008. The jury on Monday heard gruesome testimony that heart-shaped sticker residue was found on duct tape on Caylee Anthony’s skull. Over objections by Anthony’s attorneys, prosecutors showed photos of the stickers found in the top drawer of Anthony’s bedroom dresser.
“Everyone is looking for her,” Cindy Anthony said on the tape, her voice wavering. “Are we going to be able to find her?” “I hope we can, Mom,” Casey responds. Although Casey Anthony has not taken the stand, jurors have heard a lot from the 25-year-old Florida mom on trial for killing her daughter Caylee, 2. On Thursday afternoon, prosecutors played recorded jail visitation between Anthony and her parents, George and Cindy, after Casey#39;s arrest for what at the time was then still a missi
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