Bella Vita

I was trying to detox from this story but so many people, particularly talking heads, seem completely off the mark regarding the dynamics of the Anthony family.

First of all, to those who think Casey Anthony was sexually molested by her father and/or brother. Not true. George Anthony is a distasteful man, a liar, a boor, a phony, a philanderer, and somewhat of a deadbeat as his "retired cop" career was 4 years as a deputy in Ohio and 6 years in the police department as what no one has ever said. He's a ne're-do-well, former used car salesman, security guard, now on disability. His wife earned the money for this family for most of the marriage.

Brother Lee, also a liar, though not to the extent of mom, dad, and sister. Lee grew up keeping his head down and his mouth shut while the lies, pretense, and family rants hurricaned around him. The storms became very ugly when Casey hit puberty. Lee is still a simpering frightened 30-year-old little boy with his head down.

The Anthony family worked with the defense put on by Baez and his dream team. That is how the defense had the photos of little Caylee with her hand on the sliding door, the photos of Caylee climbing up the pool ladder with grandma. Collusion explains the act put on by George as a witness - his calculated hesitation before answering the sexual abuse question, his feigned combativeness toward Baez, his obvious lying on the stand about a mistress. Collusion explains Lee's act regarding Caylee's birth - his sobbing how hurt he was that he was not included in the pregnancy. The fact Lee was tested for Caylee's paternity. Insinuation that Lee too was an incestuous pervert who some thought might be Caylee's father.

Lee was simply ashamed of his sister's promiscuity and pregnancy as only a big brother would be. But weeping about it on the witness stand gave him the role of potentially creepy, sister groping Chester the molester.

George and Cindy knew Caylee was dead the day they picked up the car with the smell of decomposition. It's why some of the jailhouse taped conversations between Casey and her parents sound as if they're talking in code. I.e. Cindy: "Are we going to be able to find her?" Casey: "I hope we can, Mom." Cindy was really asking if the body was disposed of so it would never be found. The Anthony's could then for eternity continue the "missing" or kidnapped saga.

I don't believe Casey made chloroform, not successfully anyway. Too many other knock-out drugs available, prescription or over-the-counter. She lacked the patience and intelligence to whip up of a batch of usable chloroform. She may have attempted it and put the mess she made in the trunk to dispose of elsewhere and that caused the high forensic reading for chloroform in the trunk. Or just as likely pappa George or Cindy tried to wet vac the car with calcium hypochlorite or other pool chemical they had in the garage, to remove the stench, creating detectable chloroform.

Casey Anthony, like Megan Hogg and dozens of others, smothered her child with duct tape. Having to hook up with Tony she didn't have time to dispose of the body and was quite busy for a few days until the odor forced her desperate dump in the swamp down the street. After a couple of months with no discovery of the body she likely thought animals and the elements had saved her from it ever being discovered. Her first few months in jail gave her plenty of time to hear other inmate gossip and tales, choosing which ones might work for her - accidental drowning, incest, abuse.

Not to say the grandparents didn't grieve over their loss - but their grief was secondary to the need to save face because in such a family, who believe they are superior to everyone in the world, only they have the right to judge, punish, or kill, their own. The deed was done, the family switched into "save face" mode. It's all they know how to do. Leave people wondering who is lying about what until no one knows which Anthony and which lie is to blame. They mastered the method with friends, neighbors, coworkers, family members - and now the judicial system.

The family's entire act was to aid Baez in casting doubt, confusion, and conspiracy on the case - and they succeeded better than even they or Baez expected. Baez, his love of the camera may only be outmatched by his client's love for the Bella Vita.

Throw in accusations or innuendo of tainted evidence and shoddy police work ... the prosecution thought they would dazzle the jurors with forensics, unaware that the defense would baffle them with bullshit.

I was watching an interview with Jesse Grund, Casey's one time fiancé, who said this is not the Casey he knew. That she did not lie to him, etc. Yet, 2 questions later he comments that a few months after their breakup she texted him that she was pregnant and he was the father. He did the math and doubted it, and had paternity testing which proved he was not the father. Yep, she didn't lie to him.

Grund seems like a decent guy, willing to step up to the plate and be a husband and father - but nice guys finish last with a gal like Casey. Five months after Casey agreed to marry Jesse, she ended the engagement. "She claimed I loved Caylee more than I loved her," Grund said. When asked if he thought Casey killed Caylee, Grund says "Honestly, I don't know … The Casey that I knew was incapable of hurting a hair on Caylee's head … But this person, this dark, selfish, remorseless individual that sits in jail right now, I'm not sure what she's capable of." Maybe it's hard admitting we didn't really know someone when we thought we did. What do we often hear in some of the most heinous cases - he/she was such a nice person. Such foolery is partly due to most folks having instinct and intuition culturally bred out of them by kindergarten. Play along to get along.

Casey tired of competing with her mom for Caylee's affection. Then tired of competing with Caylee for the attention of the men in her life - dad, bubba, lover.

The Anthony's successful "not guilty" was also directly related to a majority of the jury being lazy, mentally deficient, conspiracy minded, and a few perhaps corrupt. Lazy because they did not spend the time necessary to connect the dots, did not review the evidence, did not deliberate. A couple of straw votes and filling out the verdict forms was not deliberation. Mentally deficient because they did not understand their charge and were too narcissistic to ask for elucidation - i.e. they wanted a motive and the prosecution does not have to prove motive. Although competition for affection and attention is more than enough for some murders.

One juror has said that Casey was seen by her dad as she left the home that day but doesn't show up again until hours later renting a movie with her boyfriend - so she asks did Casey kill Caylee at the mall or at a public place? Duh, in evidence was the cell phone pings for Casey that day showing that she hung around her neighborhood for hours after she supposedly left for work. Most likely returning to the house after George went to work, where she murdered the child, double bagged, stuffed her in the laundry bag, tossed her in the trunk, then went to meet boyfriend Tony.

A juror has said they didn't like George Anthony's shifty behavior on the stand - but said Casey's 31 days of partying behavior as her daughter was rotting down the street wasn't a factor in their decision. Tell me that's not deficient thinking.

The jury expected CSI style proof - found with tweezers and a Q-tip and presented by analysts with cleavage and/or good looks wearing sunglasses. Within hours of the verdict some jurors were offering to sell their interviews to the highest bidders. Interviews less valuable had the verdict been guilty as charged.

The television gasbags now ask is it possible for Casey to ever have a relationship with her parents again? Of course she will, the relationship was never broken. Her parents did what they have always done for her - lie, connive, cover up, placate, kid gloves and sweethearts. But you can bet that Cindy will never again try to force Casey to behave as a responsible adult.

Now numerous states are passing Caylee laws - making it a felony to not report a missing or dead child within xx amount of hours. Shame on us for needing the State to force caregivers to do to the right thing. As if child killers are going to obey the law anyway.

Oddly, it seems those who are outraged when someone is wrongfully convicted are the first to tell us when a murderer is freed that it's the way our judicial system works and we have to respect the verdict. I can accept that it is what it is, but I don't have to respect the players or the outcome.

I'll keep rubbernecking to see how the karma comes back around to the main players, who are guided not by conscience and common sense, but greed and narcissism.