I have struggled to come to grips with the horrible testimony and scraps of evidence presented in the trial against "tot mom," Casey Anthony. Having once produced a legal talk show, it's hard to watch the proceedings without my inner-producer chiming in. I definitely have formed my own theories and thoughts as the trial has come to a close. Despite only a few hours of deliberation, the jury today found Casey not guilty on the most serious charges she was up against, instead, finding her guilty only of lying to law enforcement officers The young woman who could have received the death penalty will now face only misdemeanor charges and potentially no further jail time at all.
Regardless of the verdict, nobody involved in this case will return to life as it was before -- least of all Caylee whose brief time on this planet ended in tragedy. As a mother, I cannot imagine what would bring a young mom -- even a teen -- to cross over to the dark side and take the life of her own child. We ought to remember that just because a person is found not guilty in a court of law, this does not mean that they didn't commit the crime they were accused of. Simply, it means the prosecution did not prove their case to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Our judicial system is imperfect and does occasionally let the guilty go free just as it sometimes convicts the innocent.
If Casey did commit this crime, perhaps just as I believe OJ Simpson did, she truly thought she was justified in her actions because her own narcissm prevented her from recognizing the pain and anguish she would cause her family. Maybe she lacked the ability to delve far enough to the future toward a time when she might relish the role of motherhood. The prosecution painted a picture of her as a selfish, immature young girl who preferred her identity as life of the party over that of mommy. I cannot purport to know the daily struggles that come with teenage motherhood, or single-motherhood in general, but I do know that most single, teen moms manage to get through it without resorting to murder.
One thing about the trial struck me as particularly ironic. Though it seems the jury discounted it, it did appear that Casey's mother Cindy may have lied when she took responsibility for the questionable searches on her home computer that involved "chloroform" and "neck breaking." She claims she, not Casey, conducted these searches, even though records show she was at work at the time the searches were conducted on her home computer. Was this the case of a mother doing whatever she could to protect her daughter? And if so, how tragic that this is exactly what Casey lacked in terms of her own parenting skills -- the role of guardian and protector of her own child. Even if she is not guilty of murder, she is guilty of failing to report her own toddler missing for an entire month. Regardless, Casey's parents showed no emotion in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Considering that just weeks ago, Casey accused her own father and brother of sexual abuse, I doubt their relationship will repair itself any time soon.
I feel sorry for everyone involved in this long and drawn out saga - the family, the friends, the sequestered jurors, the witnesses who testified about findings so disturbing they would shake most human beings to their core. I'm sure anyone touched personally by this case will struggle to come to grips with it for some time. In effect, many lives ended on that fateful day when Caylee died.
I even feel sorry for Casey. She may have escaped death, but she is by no means free. Going forward, she will have to live with the consequences of her actions -- and without her daughter -- for the rest of her life. Maybe that is the harshest punishment of all.
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