The Casey Anthony Trial: More Than Just News?

Anybody who owns a television or has a computer with Internet capabilities has, at the very least, seen images of a young woman by the name of Casey Anthony in a courtroom weeping on the shoulders of her lawyers during the summer of 2011. Her now infamous murder trial garnered an enormous amount of attention, not only from news outlets like CNN, but also from gossip magazines like People, celebrity blogs like that of Perez Hilton and local news stations across the nation. Casey Anthony was everywhere, and anyone and everyone in the world was deeply enthralled in the twisty murder trial that played out more like a Lifetime movie than an episode of Law and Order. The trial was often televised live on national networks and was covered extensively by everyone from Anderson Cooper to Nancy Grace. Public fascination with the trial went so far that people camped outside the courthouse overnight, hoping to get a glimpse of the trial firsthand. One day, a brawl broke out amongst such campers and those who attempted to cut the line. Calling the media’s and the public’s passion for the trial ridiculous is perhaps the understatement of the century.

Charged with brutally murdering her toddler daughter after mysteriously failing to report her missing for 31 days in 2008, Anthony baffled police and the public when it was revealed that she spent her nights partying following the month of her daughter’s unreported disappearance. When the trial began, Anthony, her family and her defense team sent shock waves through the media for piling on dubious story after dubious story. One day, Anthony and her family claimed that a nanny, who was found never to have met the Anthony family, kidnapped the toddler in question, Caylee. On another day, viewers of the trial were shocked to learn that the defense requested a paternity test to determine whether or not Casey’s father, George Anthony, or her brother, Lee Anthony, could have fathered Caylee. The defense laid on bombshell after bombshell, lie after lie, so much so that little evidence was found to prove that Casey actually murdered her daughter. As a result, and much to the astonishment of those following the case, Casey was found by the jury to be not guilty on the counts of first-degree murder, manslaughter, and child abuse. The verdict itself led to an even more widespread media frenzy than did the actual trial, making the case of Florida versus Casey Anthony perhaps the most publicized and talked-about trial since that of O.J. Simpson.

We hear and read about murder trials all the time, in the news and in fictionalized entertainment, like the television franchise CSI. So what makes Anthony’s trial particularly captivating? For those who followed the case, it was not an easy thing to swallow; we were often shown graphic photos of Caylee’s remains and given equally appalling details of Casey’s alleged method in killing the little girl with chloroform and duct tape. All details aside, the case was nevertheless centered on the tragic death of an adorable two-year-old girl. But still, with all the atrocious details given in testimonies and the disturbing context of the trial, we couldn’t help but keep watching. Moreover, when the jury’s verdict was revealed, Twitter and Facebook exploded with tweets and statuses that expressed shock and disbelief.

I admit that I was, like many others, one of the people constantly on CNN.com and flipping through different news channels in hopes of learning new facets of the case that emerged with each day. The trial never ceased to be a topic of conversation between me and my family and my friends. We were all totally lost in the unbelievable twists and turns that the testimonies revealed with each given day. With the discovery of Casey’s outrageous lies, the defense’s claim of Caylee’s accidental drowning, Cindy Anthony’s involvement in suspicious Google searches, and deeply unsettling suspicions of incest, we, along with viewers across the country, just couldn’t get enough of the unending surprises that the trial unveiled.

Maybe the public’s fascination with the tragic trial is the result of people’s desire for a good story, or at least good TV. In an era in which reality television rules the airwaves and people get famous for having no apparent talent, people flock to the nearest program that has catty housewives clawing at each others’ throats and overachieving stage parents tweezing their toddlers’ eyebrows for beauty pageants. But the trial didn’t just have elements of any addicting reality show; it ended with cliffhangers after each day, letting viewers ask questions and juggle numerous theories as to what really happened. In the vein of popular television dramas of vastly diverse caliber such as Mad Men or Pretty Little Liars, the “Tot Mom” trial presented viewers with a real-life soap opera that left us hungry for more with each surprising turn. After watching a day of the trial, we were left not only with the information testimonies revealed, but also what testimonies did not reveal, allowing us to develop speculation after speculation. What really happened to Caylee? How are George and Cindy Anthony involved? Is Casey mentally ill? The defense certainly made every effort to keep the questions coming, leading successfully to Casey’s acquittal.

Even now when the trial is over, news outlets are still buzzing with speculation about what really happened, or what never happened at all. Many, including me, believe that justice was not served for the tragic demise of Caylee. Others believe that the jury fairly cleared Casey of murder charges. My guess is that even after the trial’s startling conclusion, everyone will still be asking questions, and details will continue to emerge for months, maybe even years, to come. The world may never know what really happened to the poor little girl. But hey, at least it makes for great TV.