Tot Mom Casey Anthony: What Did Her Family Know?

The prosecution has rested after four weeks of testimony. Although many have described the forensic evidence presented as circumstantial; few have questioned the powerful impact of the testimony about Casey Anthony's character. The prosecution has painted a picture of Casey Anthony as a liar and "a party girl" who killed her daughter because the toddler was interfering with her carefree lifestyle. The prosecution tried to prove premeditation. Experts testified about duct tape found on the mouth area of the child's skull and searches for chloroform found on the family computer.

Casey Anthony is charged with murder in the first degree. She has entered a not guilty plea and her attorney, in his opening remarks, told the jury that the child died by drowning in the family's backyard pool. It is up to the prosecution to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Ms. Anthony planned to kill her daughter.

I watched a good deal of the trial on television and was struck with the family drama unfolding in the courtroom. Although this case is primarily focusing on scientific forensic evidence, the psychological and family dynamics issues are impossible to ignore. I posted a blog a few weeks ago about my impression of the initial testimony given by Cindy Anthony, the defendant's mother.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-measure-madness/201105/casey-an…

Altogether, Cindy Anthony testified for the prosecution three times. During the third time she was called to the stand, she was asked about objects found at the crime scene. She identified remnants of items from their home -Caylee's t-shirt, her Winnie-the-Pooh blanket, and a laundry bag. The prosecution's goal was evident, Cindy Anthony's testimony would link the child's body to the Anthony home.

It wasn't Cindy Anthony's testimony that made the biggest impression on me. It was what occurred as she left the stand. She looked at her daughter and seemed to mouth, "I love you." That seemed to me a huge gesture of support. Her daughter's response, on the other hand, was raised eyebrows. I can not make any definitive conclusions about what her expression meant, but Casey Anthony certainly did appear to have a positive response to her mother's gesture. I was struck with their brief interaction and wondered whether the jury did as well.

The jury has been sequestered throughout the trial and have not heard the extensive press coverage about the Anthony family. They did, however, hear the defense attorney's defense strategy. Druing his opening remarks he told the jury that his client's father and brother sexually abused her. George Anthony has denied these accusations.

The jurors have also had ample opportunity to observe the family interactions. The jail visits between Casey Anthony and her parents and brother were videotaped. The prosecution played these videos during the trial. In one meeting that occurred before Caylee's body was discovered, the video shows Cindy Anthony trying to calm her daughter, calling her "sweetheart," all the while asking for information about what the defendant knew about the toddler's disappearance.

As I watched this video I wondered - What did Cindy and George Anthony know? I also wondered what they psychologically did not want to know. Did they suspect that their daughter was involved with Caylee's disappearance? Did they believe her story about the child being kidnapped by "Zanny the nanny"? Did they, perhaps not on a conscious level, know their granddaughter was dead?"

We do not know, and may never know, what Casey Anthony's family knew. It is important not to rush to judgment. After learning of the child's disappearance, they were under incredible pressure. For months they searched for information about her whereabouts. I saw many photos and videos of them addressing the press, wearing t-shirts that read "Have you seen me?" over Caylee's picture.

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Many people have focused on the psychological make-up of Cindy, Casey and George Anthony and the dynamics of the Anthony family. Some have described conflict between the defenant and her mother. Others have questioned whether Cindy Anthony was an over involved or possessive grandmother. In one video she describes Caylee as not only being Casey's baby, but "belonging" to everyone in the family. She also describes her daughter as her "best friend."

After Caylee's body was found and Casey Anthony was arrested, the grandparents were frequently criticized. The criticism became more vituperative over time. News reports have shown the family home with many "No Trespassing Signs" posted. Crowds at the curb yelled comments including, "Baby killer." As I watched images of the grandparents, I could appreciate how they were facing perhaps the worst of all family tragedies, the knowledge that their beloved granddaughter was dead and the possibility that their daughter may have killed her.