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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Betty Ford Dies; Casey Anthony: The Verdict
Aired July 08, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Isha Sesay in New York with breaking news tonight.
Former first lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. A family member says Ford died self hours ago, that her death was peaceful and family members were by her bedside. Betty Ford was known, of course, as a first lady. Her husband, Gerald Ford, was sworn in as president in 1974. But she became perhaps even better known as an advocate for those suffering addiction.
Samantha Hayes has a look back at Betty Ford's remarkable life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMANTHA HAYES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Betty Ford's life in the political spotlight started quickly after her marriage to Gerald Ford, who was elected to Congress two weeks after their wedding.
As first lady, she developed her own persona beyond the White House and was known for speaking out on abortion rights and women in the workplace. Also the mother of four children, she was considered strong, active, and, most of all, candid.
BETTY FORD, FORMER FIRST LADY: It has been the outgrowth of my own health that has made it possible for me to go ahead and in my way share what I learned with others.
HAYES: Before 1974, it was almost unheard of for a first lady to publicly mention personal problems. In the first year of her husband's presidency, she announced she had breast cancer and would undergo a mastectomy. But it is the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse that will be her greatest legacy.
SHERRY BEBITCH JEFFE, POLITICAL ANALYST: I think she educated a generation that needed education, that needed support in how to deal with these problems.
HAYES: Mrs. Ford disclosed publicly that she had for years abused alcohol and had become dependent on prescription drugs, the first major political figure to openly address a problem that plagued millions.
JOHN SCHWARZLOSE, DIRECTOR, BETTY FORD CENTER: It has been from the very first day a place for any man or woman who wanted help. JEFFE: It made it unnecessary to hide the reality of substance abuse. And I think that was a contribution that Betty Ford made.
HAYES: Mrs. Ford kept largely out of the public eye in her latter years. Most Americans saw her for the first time in more than a decade at the funeral and burial of her husband. It was a four-day period of national mourning.
And although she looked fragile, she never wavered. And the treatment center she helped create will be a memorial for generations to come.
In Washington, I'm Samantha Hayes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Well, joining me now on the phone is Larry King, who interviewed Betty Ford many times over the years. Also on the phone, presidential historian Doug Brinkley, who wrote a biography on Gerald Ford.
Thanks so much for joining us this evening as we take in the very, very sad news.
Larry, if I can start with you, you interviewed Betty Ford a number of times. What was she like?
LARRY KING, FORMER HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": She was an extraordinary lady, an extraordinary wife, a great first lady. And she, of course, she changed the picture of first ladies with that announcement of her own breast cancer, with going public with being alcoholic.
I had her on many times by herself, a number of times with her husband. One of the most dramatic nights was when her husband described the night they had an intervention and all gathered around the bed to tell her that she was -- they knew she was alcoholic and that she needed help.
And all that led really to the start of the Betty Ford Center. I -- we had a dinner once, my wife and I went, in which they honored Betty Ford. And all the first ladies came. And I was the emcee. It was a great dinner.
She was a hell of a lady. She was just a terrific person. I can't find one negative about Betty Ford. And I'm sure Doug Brinkley would agree.
SESAY: Yes, and, Doug, your thoughts as we take in this news. She was incredibly outspoken publicly. What was she like in private?
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, as a young woman, she was a model and did sales work. She was extremely attractive. And she married a football hero, Gerald Ford. And that was her second husband. And throughout the 1950s and 1960s, they lived in Virginia, the Fords. And she was just an extraordinary spouse for Gerald Ford. I mean, he advanced the Republican Party largely on the strength of his wife, who everybody adored and loved. And we have to remember how Gerald Ford became president, I mean, Watergate, Richard Nixon's leaving office.
And suddenly it's Gerald and Betty Ford in front and center of American life. And she brought a new tone and tenor to the White House for the first time, her sense of humor, the fact that she openly talked about how much she loved her husband, her candidness on a "60 Minutes" interview with Morley Safer dealing with issues of her daughter perhaps having a sexual relationship with somebody and marijuana smoking.
She publicly endorsed Roe vs. Wade, at one point called it a great, great decision. And this cackles from conservatives. They saw her as far too liberal. And it caused Gerald Ford some problems in 1977-'78 with the Republican Party. They were critical after the Fords left the White House of her.
SESAY: Larry, let me ask you this. How comfortable was she talking about her own problems with addictions? She spoke out on so many different causes. But what was your sense about her talking about her past, her difficult past?
KING: I think she was very easy with it. I think she knew that she had a responsibility once coming out to help a lot of others.
There's no telling how many people she helped, how many people eventually came through the Betty Ford Center, all through her doing. That's the most famous rehab center in the world. And she started it. She did it all on her own. She had wonderful assistants helping her at the end. We had her on many times with the person who headed the Ford Center.
And she was very -- as Doug pointed out, she was a gorgeous woman and a beautiful family. They were a very -- they had problems, of course, as discussed, with the marijuana. But they hung together. They were as close a family as you will see ever in the White House.
SESAY: And, Doug, what do you think her legacy will be and her greatest achievement?
BRINKLEY: Well, the Betty Ford clinic. I mean, we all know the word rehab now and it's part of our lives.
And what Betty Ford was able to do very bravely was say all of us have somebody we know that's having a problem with alcohol or pill addiction, with drugs. And she de-stigmatized it. And she made it OK to say that I have a problem and I want to try to get it fixed.
So the Betty Ford clinic goes on. And I have read some reports that people say she kept a very low profile in recent years, which is true, due to health reasons. But in Rancho Mirage, California, she owned the city. Everybody who knew her loved her. And she was part of the charity world there like nobody else.
And so she leaves a great void. I think of her as sort of a pillar with Lady Bird Johnson, who did beautification and getting rid of billboards and wildflowers in America, and Betty Ford with the clinic and the -- with a candidness about women's issues. I think both of them turn out to be two of the underrated first ladies in American history, Lady Bird and Betty Ford. And both of them passed just in recent years.
SESAY: Larry King, Doug Brinkley, we thank you for joining us this evening and sharing your thoughts and perspective on Betty Ford, who died this evening. Thank you.
Statements are flooding in tonight with remembrances of Betty Ford.
A statement just in from the White House says in part -- and I quote -- "Mrs. Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment. While her death is a cause for sadness, we know that organizations such as the Betty Ford Center will honor her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life."
Once again, breaking news tonight: former first lady Betty Ford dead at the age of 93.
Coming up after the break, Anderson Cooper's special report: "Casey Anthony: The Verdict."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening.
A little more than a week from now, Casey Anthony will be getting out of jail. She will be walking free into a world in which millions of people know her name and know her story, people who believe they know rightly or wrongly how her murder trial should have ended, instead of how it actually ended.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, ORANGE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: Will the defendant rise, along with counsel?
Madam clerk, you may publish the verdicts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Judge.
In the Circuit Court for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County Florida, the State of Florida Versus Casey Marie Anthony, as to case number 2008DF15606-0, as to the charge of first- degree murder, verdict as to count one, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty, so say we all, dated at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on this 5th day of July, 2001, signed foreperson.
As to the charge of aggravated child abuse, verdict as to count two, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: A tearful Casey as the "not guilty"s rolled in to every charge, except lying to authorities about the disappearance of her daughter Caylee.
Reaction afterwards from defense attorney Jose Baez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BAEZ, ATTORNEY FOR CASEY ANTHONY: What my driving force has been for the last three years has always been to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey, because Casey did not murder Caylee. It's that simple.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, we now know in fact it wasn't that simple for the jury or his client in the court of public opinion. He later said he's afraid for his client's safety.
But the first hints of a backlash to the verdict came early in the angry action to this video of him and the defense team celebrating at a restaurant across from the courtroom, whooping it up as local stations recapped the legal victory.
Prosecutors found the verdict hard to take, Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton his retirement that afternoon.
Some members of the jury weighing in, defending their decision to acquit her, but with one of them saying that doing so made them sick to their stomachs, saying the state simply had not made its case.
Legal onlookers split sharply. Radio phone lines lit up. Those millions who took a little girl into their hearts when she disappeared then grieved for her and followed every moment of her mother's saga, they are still out there, still talking about the lies her mother told, the family she alienated, her psychological state, the hazy future she has, and of course the jury's stunning verdict.
A lot to talk about ahead in the hour.
Martin Savidge has been covering it all -- Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks Anderson.
It's been quite a week here in Orlando. In fact, I would say that we have never seen anything quite like it, at least not since the trial of O.J. Simpson. And it's been a long time since we have heard people argue over the verdict over the way that they have over this one. People took this one personally.
They have it in their hearts, but they also have it in their heads. I'm constantly surprised at just how much people know about every last detail. It was like that almost from the beginning. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
911 OPERATOR: Nine-one-one. What's your emergency?
CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: Yes. I found out my granddaughter has been taken. She has been missing for a month. Her mother finally admitted that she's been missing.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Can you tell me a little bit what's going on?
CINDY ANTHONY: My daughter's been missing for the last 31 days.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): The case against Casey Anthony was mostly about what she did and what she said during the 31 days between when 2-year-old Caylee Anthony disappeared and when her grandmother Cindy Anthony made that call to 911.
We got a glimpse into Casey's behavior on surveillance footage, in personal photographs, at local clubs, on stage dancing with another woman, and at a tattoo parlor getting a tattoo that read bella vita, beautiful life.
On July 7, five days after visiting that tattoo parlor, a snapshot of what she was thinking from a post on MySpace. "On the worst of worst days, remember the words spoken, trust no one, only yourself. With great power comes great consequence. What is given can be taken away. Everyone lies. Everyone dies."
The prosecution repeatedly underscored Casey's character, deconstructing lie after lie told during those 31 days. She said she had a job at Universal Studios and that Caylee was with a nanny.
CASEY ANTHONY, DEFENDANT: They never searched by her full anymore. Z-E-N-A-I-D-A.
SAVIDGE: Neither ever existed. She lied to police and led hundreds of volunteers on a wild search for her daughter when, by the defense's own admission, Casey knew her daughter was already dead.
And the neighbors, who had been so sympathetic to the Anthonys, were angry at Casey's lies. This is Father's Day 2008, the last known video of little Caylee. She was visiting her great-grandfather at his nursing home. A day later, June 16, Casey moved out of her parents' house. That was the same day when Casey's defense says Caylee drowned in the family pool, and the same day this surveillance video shows her renting movies with her boyfriend, Anthony Lazzaro.
She never mentioned to him that her daughter was missing, much less dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she ever tell you that her child was missing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Had been kidnapped? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
SAVIDGE: She never mentioned it to her parents, either. Cindy Anthony finally learned the truth when she overheard her daughter admit she didn't know where Caylee was. It was 31 days since the disappearance. Cindy Anthony called 911 to report that her 2-year-old granddaughter had disappeared.
CINDY ANTHONY: I told you my daughter was missing for a month. I just found her today, but I can't find my granddaughter. And she just admitted to me that she's been trying to find her herself.
SAVIDGE: On July 16, 2008, Casey Anthony was arrested for child neglect and providing false information to police. Later, taped jail conversations revealed a Casey who at times sounded angry.
CASEY ANTHONY: Can someone let me -- come on.
SAVIDGE: At other times, loving and sweet.
CASEY ANTHONY: You are the best father and by far the best grandfather.
SAVIDGE: Casey's defense went all the way back to her childhood to explain who she was and how she got here.
CASEY ANTHONY: My name is Casey.
SAVIDGE: Alleging when she was just a little girl, her own father, a former policeman, sexually abused her, a charge he adamantly denied under oath.
GEORGE ANTHONY, FATHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: Sir, I never would do anything like that to my daughter.
SAVIDGE: For 35 days, Casey and the jury were in court, some of the testimony mind-numbing, some of it scintillating.
BAEZ: This child at 8 years old learned to lie immediately. She could be 13 years old, have her father's (INAUDIBLE) in her mouth and then go to school and play with the other kids as if nothing ever happened.
SAVIDGE: Most thought the prosecution was methodically making its case, portraying Casey as a liar and willing to murder her daughter to get back to her party girl lifestyle.
LINDA BURDICK, PROSECUTOR: Caylee's death allowed Casey Anthony to live the good life, at least for those 31 days.
SAVIDGE: The jury heard how Casey planned her child's murder on a home computer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that a Google search?
JOHN BRADLEY, SOFTWARE EXPERT: Yes, it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For?
BRADLEY: The words neck breaking with a space in between, head underscore injury. A search turned up internal bleeding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many times was that site visited?
BRADLEY: According to the history, 84 times.
SAVIDGE: Central to the state's case was the theory that Casey used duct tape and chloroform to kill Caylee, but then a bombshell from Casey's mother, Cindy Anthony.
BAEZ: Do you recall in March of 2008 you doing any types of searches for any items that might include chloroform?
CINDY ANTHONY: Yes.
SAVIDGE: Although some experts claimed they found high levels of chloroform in Casey's abandoned car and smelled an unmistakable smell in its trunk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you immediately recognize the odor that was emanating from the piece of carpet in the can?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I recognized it as human decomposition.
SAVIDGE: But, most of all, Casey's defense team pounded away on the fact that precisely when and how Caylee died remains unclear to this day.
BAEZ: You have to have an abiding conviction of guilt. That's what you have to have inside of you.
SAVIDGE: And, in the end, it was enough. The once seemingly sure case for the prosecution failed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.
SAVIDGE: The anger from the community was immediate and widespread.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Caylee! Caylee!
SAVIDGE: Though the jurors skipped a news conference after they handed down their verdict, several started speaking out, including juror number three, Jennifer Ford, who told ABC News that she and other jurors were -- quote -- "sick to their stomach" after delivering their verdict.
The desire to know what really happened to Caylee Anthony makes this case far from over. Many questions remain unanswered. How did Caylee really die? Will we ever hear Casey finally tell the truth about the death in her own words? Where will she live when she leaves prison next week? And is she the one now in danger?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: Plenty of questions in the hour ahead. And we have assembled an all-star team of experts to help provide the best answers possible.
So I want to start with Sunny Hostin and Jean Casarez. They are both from "In Session" on truTV.
Jean, let me begin with you, because you sat through the entire trial. And the question really is here, having seen all of this, could you possibly believe that Casey Anthony would be a free woman in a week's time?
JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV: I was shocked at the verdict. I truly was. As an attorney and someone that has covered so many high-profile trials, many, many times, I feel there is reasonable doubt.
I may not say it to the viewing audience, but I inside would say to myself, I would not convict in this situation. But in this case, I studied every bit of that testimony. I knew it. And I really felt that, with this circumstantial case -- and that's what it was -- the computer searches, plus the car, plus that she drove the car, I felt there could have been a conviction in this case.
And I think we all can learn from this, learn that there is a Constitution, there are rights, and even though you may believe that someone is guilty, someone else may see it far different. And that is our judicial system. And we can't forget that even before trial to look at both sides of the issue.
SAVIDGE: Sunny, you were convinced that Casey was going to take the stand. So the question now is, of course, she didn't. If she had, how would that have affected the outcome at all? For better, for worse?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think there's no question it would have affected the outcome. And, historically, when defendants testify, it is for the worst. Most convictions come after defendants testify.
But, Martin, this case was so very different in so many ways. And we heard that Casey Anthony, I mean, she was convicted of lying. She's a prolific liar, an expert liar. Many people are thinking, had she taken the stand, perhaps in her own defense, she would have done a pretty good job.
And so who knows what would have happened, but certainly I thought because of the opening statements that this defense made, and it was very clear that the evidence that they proffered to this jury could only have come in if Casey Anthony took the stand, I was very surprised that she did not.
SAVIDGE: Jean, you spoke with defense attorney Cheney Mason. And I'm wondering, what did he have to say to you?
CASAREZ: He said many things to me. He said that he's concerned for Casey's safety. Plans are being made for her protection. He would not say what.
He doesn't think that she can live in Orlando and wonders where she can live in this country without somebody recognizing her, knowing her and hating her. He thinks the only thing would be plastic surgery and possibly coloring her hair.
But he wants Americans to step back and realize that a jury has spoken. They have spoken that she is not guilty. They need to accept that and move on.
SAVIDGE: And, Sunny, what do you think we can expect from Casey as far as book deals maybe, movie deals, another "If I Did It"?
HOSTIN: Well, that's the question everyone is asking themselves, because where does she work? Where does she live? What does she do?
Her attorney Jose Baez says that she has a future ahead of her. But I think that people want to know her story. They want to hear from her. And I think the only other person that is perhaps similar to Casey Anthony would have been O.J. Simpson.
And remember, when he got out, he was vilified. There were restaurants that would not serve him. There were helicopters following him around. Everyone -- I think it's clear that he never really led a normal life after this. And I think that the same is going to come to pass for Casey Anthony.
SAVIDGE: And, Jean, the question of what actually happened to Caylee remains pretty much unanswered, doesn't it?
CASAREZ: And I asked Cheney Mason, people want answers. Will they ever get answers? He told me they most likely will not get answers and will have to rectify and reconcile within themselves that reality.
SAVIDGE: Jean and Sunny, stick around.
Up next, we will show you more key moments the jury saw in the six-week trial full of key moments, including this one intended to show premeditation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that a Google search?
BRADLEY: Yes, it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For?
BRADLEY: The words neck breaking with a space in between, head underscore injury. Ruptured spleen. Chest trauma. Hand-to-hand combat. A search turned up internal bleeding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many times was that site visited?
BRADLEY: According to the history, 84 times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: That's coming up.
Also, a huge question that still hasn't been answered: Who is Caylee's father? And did that question help the defense win its case?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Judge Belvin Perry has yet to make public the names of the jurors who acquitted Casey Anthony of murder, but two have already spoken out about their decision. One of them, juror number two, strongly suggested that he believes Casey Anthony was somehow responsible for her daughter's death.
His words? "I wish we had more evidence to put her away."
That's about as strong as you can get. But he simply didn't see it. Did you?
Tom Foreman has the trial's key moments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The jury took less than 11 hours to hand down a verdict, but sat through 35 long days of arguments, alibis and shocking allegations, starting with the defense's opening statements.
BAEZ: And shortly thereafter, George began to yell at her, look what you have done. Your mother will never forgive you.
This child at 8 years old learned to lie immediately. She could be 13 years old, have her father's (INAUDIBLE) in her mouth and then go to school and play with the other kids as if nothing ever happened.
FOREMAN: And from the prosecution?
BURDICK: Casey Anthony went to a club with her boyfriend Tony Lazzaro and entered or participated in a hot body contest. Caylee Anthony wasn't there. Caylee Anthony wasn't at home with (INAUDIBLE). Caylee Anthony wasn't with her grandmother Cindy. So where is Caylee?
FOREMAN: At the start, it looked like the prosecution had a clear edge. The jury saw pictures of Casey out partying, getting a tattoo, enjoying the wild life even as her daughter went missing. The state said this was evidence enough that the young mom did not want to be a mother any more and planned her child's murder on a home computer.
John Bradley is a software expert. LINDA DRANE-BURDICK, PROSECUTOR: Is that a Google search?
JOHN BRADLEY, SOFTWARE EXPERT: Yes, it is.
DRANE-BURDICK: For?
BRADLEY: The words "neck breaking" with a space in between. "Head underscore injury" "ruptured spleen" "chest trauma" "hand-to- hand combat. The search turned up "internal bleeding".
DRANE-BURDICK: How many times was that site visited?
BRADLEY: According to the history, 84 times.
FOREMAN: Central to the case was that Casey used duct tape and chloroform to kill Caylee. The defense struggled to explain her often contradictory stories to investigators and friends. But then came a bombshell from Casey's mother, Cindy Anthony.
JOSE BAEZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you recall in March of 2008 you doing any types of searches for any items that might include chloroform?
CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY'S MOTHER: Yes.
FOREMAN: Suddenly the prosecution was scrambling, forced to prove that Cindy was at work when those computer searches were done from the Anthony home.
JEFF ASHTON, PROSECUTOR: When you first opened it, what was your reaction?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I essentially jumped back a foot or two.
ASHTON: Did you immediately recognize the odor that was emanating from the piece of carpet in the can?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I recognized it as human decomposition.
FOREMAN: But Casey refused to take the stand herself.
BELVIN PERRY, JUDGE: And it is your decision not to testify?
CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: Yes, sir.
FOREMAN: Letting her lawyers portray her as a victim, too. Picking away at the prosecution's story.
CHENEY MASON, CASEY'S ATTORNEY: Can you from the evidence, sir, rule out accidental death?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
FOREMAN: They called Casey's father, George Anthony, the culprit behind an accidental drowning death in the family swimming pool, who then forced his daughter into a cover up. They accused him of sexually abusing Casey as a child. He denied it.
GEORGE ANTHONY, FATHER OF CASEY: Sir, I never would do anything like that to my daughter.
FOREMAN: The defense also claimed Casey's only brother Lee tried to grope her. Her mother slapped that accusation down.
BAEZ: Do you recall several years back when there were -- there was an incident involving your son Lee going into Casey's room at night?
CINDY ANTHONY: No.
FOREMAN: But most of all, Casey's defense team pounded away on the fact that precisely when and how Caylee died remains unclear to this day.
BAEZ: You have to have an abiding conviction of guilt. That's what you have to have inside of you. You have to know that this case was proven.
FOREMAN: And in the end, it was enough. The once seemingly sure case for the prosecution crumbled, and so did the murder charges against Casey Anthony.
Tom Foreman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: Back now with our panel, Sunny Hostin and Jean Casarez.
Jean, what sticks out for you as the most emotional moment in this trial?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, TRUTV'S "IN SESSION": The most emotional moment? That has to be Cindy Anthony on the stand. To hear her 911 calls, especially when she realized her little granddaughter was gone. And sitting in that courtroom and you couldn't even see her face anymore, just the top of her head because of her sobbing. That, without doubt, the most emotional moment in the case.
SAVIDGE: and Sunny, what do you think were the biggest turning points in this trial? Either mistakes made or points scored?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CONTRIBUTOR, TRUTV'S "IN SESSION": You know, I think this case was changed at opening statements, at the defense's opening statement. Because before this trial began, everyone was saying, "How do you defend a case like this? How do you defend a mother accused of murdering her child who behaved so oddly for 31 days? Not reporting."
And I think when the opening statement was made, and we heard about alleged sexual abuse, we heard about an accidental drowning, we heard about this dysfunctional family, that was the game changer. The other, I think, crucial point was when George Anthony took the stand. Because in opening statement, George Anthony was made to be the villain here. He took the stand not once, not twice, but several times. And when he denied having an affair with Krystal Holloway, and then Krystal Holloway got on the stand and was quite credible when she said, "No, we did have an affair," under the law, Martin, the jury was instructed that, if they did not believe a part of George Anthony's testimony, they could disregard all of his testimony. They could find him not to be credible.
And when we're now hearing from some of these jurors, a lot of them are saying they felt odd about George Anthony. They felt something was amiss. They felt that this was an accident that spiraled out of control. And those were the words that Krystal Holloway said when she was on the witness stand.
So I think that was certainly a game changer. George Anthony's testimony and the defense's opening statement.
SAVIDGE: And Jean, how do George and Cindy Anthony pick up the pieces now? The sexual abuse allegations, obviously very damaging to both George's reputation and to the family. So how do they mend things?
CASAREZ: You know, it's a good question. Because the allegations that were made in this trial by the defense were criminal allegations, truly, that George Anthony had committed a capital felony of abusing his daughter. No evidence to that at all in the trial.
I think psychologically anybody would need help in resolving those issues. Cheney Mason said that he does not think there is a relationship to be saved between mother and father and Casey, believes that there is one with Lee that will be salvaged and will go on. I guess maybe we'll never know. But I think all of them will have a tough time.
SAVIDGE: Sunny, here's a question for you. You know, there was plenty of criticism of attorney Jose Baez, the lead defense attorney. And in the end, the jury delivered, really, what some say was the best verdict that his defense team could have hoped for. So here's the question. Was he a star defense attorney or did he simply just get lucky?
HOSTIN: Oh, I don't think it was luck at all. And you know, I have been saying all along, people really vilified Jose Baez. They said he was ineffective. They said that he was unsophisticated. Well, his sweet spot certainly was speaking to the jury. We saw it in that explosive game-changing opening statement. And we saw it in his closing argument. I think this case was won by the defense in opening and in closing.
And so I think he probably has quite a career ahead of him. People are calling him the new Johnny Cochran. So he certainly wasn't ineffective. And when you listen to what the jury is saying, they are saying yes, that prosecution didn't prove its case, but they are also spouting a lot of the things that Jose Baez said in opening statement and closing argument.
SAVIDGE: Sunny Hostin, Jean Casarez, thanks very much.
Still ahead, the jury has spoken, but the court of public opinion isn't listening. What's fuelling the ugly backlash against Casey Anthony's acquittal? Is her life in danger?
Also ahead, how does Casey Anthony's family really feel about the verdict? Her parents showed zero emotion in the courtroom. Do they believe that justice has been done? Can they forgive their daughter for dragging their reputations through the mud? You'll hear from their lawyer ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK LIPPMAN, ATTORNEY FOR ANTHONYS: There's so much that happened this week that they're just soaking it all in and trying to figure out where they go from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: One of the most amazing aspects of the entire case was the elaborate web of lies that Casey Anthony spun. The defense freely admitted that Casey just made up dates, facts, places and people. Here's a look at some of those lies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: I as a mom, I know in my gut there's feelings a parent, you know certain things about your child.
SAVIDGE: This is Casey Anthony in October of 2008, three months after 2-year-old Caylee Anthony was reported missing. Listen to what she tells investigators.
CASEY ANTHONY: You can feel that connection. And I still have that feeling, that presence. I know that she's alive.
SAVIDGE: But she wasn't. Little Caylee was already dead, and Casey knew it. She later told her defense attorney she was lying in this interview with police, just one of many she told throughout the whole saga.
This jailhouse visit from Casey's parents was taken in July of 2008, a month after Caylee died.
CASEY ANTHONY: In my gut I know she's still OK. I can feel it, mom.
FOREMAN: In this video, also taken in July, Casey even gives her brother Lee some clues on where to search for Caylee.
CASEY ANTHONY: Check things locally, Lee, in all honesty. Places that are familiar to us, to our family.
FOREMAN: Casey's biggest whopper came when she blamed her daughter's disappearance on a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez, who she says kidnapped Caylee while babysitting for her.
CASEY ANTHONY: They never searched by her full name, Z-E-N-A-I- D-A. And I know she went by both last names. She always has since she was younger since her mom remarried.
Victor and Gloria are her parents.
CINDY ANTHONY: Victor and Gloria are her parents.
CASEY ANTHONY: But I know she has a lot of money. That's where she got the car from. She has his last name and her mother's last name.
CINDY ANTHONY: Oh, he adopted her?
CASEY ANTHONY: He adopted her. He legally adopted her, yes.
FOREMAN: No, he didn't. That's because Zenaida Gonzalez, the woman who Casey called Zanny, was never a babysitter for Caylee. She was a fictional character made up by Casey Anthony.
CINDY ANTHONY: What message do you want me to give to Zanny and to Caylee?
CASEY ANTHONY: That she needs to return Caylee. I forgive her.
CINDY ANTHONY: What do you think her reasons are?
CASEY ANTHONY: Mom, I don't know.
CINDY ANTHONY: OK.
FOREMAN: Casey Anthony didn't lie just about Caylee's whereabouts. She also made up stories about herself. In July of 2008, Casey told investigators that she was an events planner at Universal Studios.
DRANE-BURDICK: Detective Melich, do you recognize that?
URI MELICH, INVESTIGATOR: I do.
FOREMAN: Casey Anthony even took investigators to the Universal Studios building in Orlando.
MELICH: We walk into the building, she turns left, starts walking down this hallway. And about halfway down the hallway she stops, turns, looks at us and says, "I don't work here."
FOREMAN: Detectives believed early on that Casey was not telling the truth. This audio recording of an interview with Casey was played in court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're tired of the lies. No more lies. What happened to Caylee?
CASEY ANTHONY: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You do know. What happened to Caylee?
CASEY ANTHONY: I don't know where she is. That is the God's honest truth.
FOREMAN: The lies Casey Anthony told throughout this case were undisputed by her attorneys. But in the end, the jury determined that telling lies isn't enough to prove murder.
Tom Foreman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: But what is waiting for her on the outside? Will she be able to have any semblance of a normal life? John King talked to Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of HLN's "Dr. Drew."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: We expect her to be free very soon. Then what? How does she -- we don't know of a home. We don't know of any resources. We know of a severely dysfunctional family. How does this most infamous defendant reintegrate herself to civilian life?
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, HLN'S "DR. DREW": It's a great question. And not only is there a dysfunctional family, there's a family that has been thrown under the bus and shattered by the proceedings of this case. I don't see her going home maybe ever. I mean, I don't see how this family reconciles. They're just so much blood that's been drained out of the system. It's almost impossible to heal something like this.
The other issue is that I think she's physically in harm's way. I've seen -- if you check YouTube today and look at people's outrage and the kind of incredible fury and frenzy that people are worked up into now, I actually think she's going to have to probably go into hiding for awhile.
Then there's the issue of how she makes a living and how she pays back the state for whatever she owes for the trial. Unfortunately, I think that's kind of a disgusting part of this story which is that she is likely to capitalize on this -- these proceedings.
KING: Let's walk through this then. Because you say likely to capitalize. There will be a financial opportunity for her book, selling her story, because of how dramatic and how fascinating and how much of a capture of the imagination here she has had. But you just mentioned, she needs psychological help. I think you can believe that without a doubt. She's going to have to deal with perhaps fear of threats against her. If you were counseling her, what would you tell her? What would the steps be?
PINSKY: You know, it depends what's going on with her. You know, one of the interesting parts about this case has been the mystery. There's so many empty sets, so many unanswered questions. One of which is, what is going on in her head that she is such an outrageous, consummate liar? How could she have no empathy for a child that has died and behaved as a mother in the fashion in which she has?
And it adds up to either sociopathy or severe borderline kinds of syndromes. I've talked to her ex-fiance, who said who said she had a seizure disorder. There may be neurobiological processes. I mean, this is somebody who's profoundly impaired and may not be particularly amenable to traditional kinds of treatment interventions. Everyone I've talked that knows her talks about how severely impaired she is and how you come to realize that when you meet her.
And her focus for the past three years has been on all the lies, trying to escape the law system here. What happens when your out? Is there a letdown in some ways? The proceedings are over, she's back on on the street, the case is behind her. Then what?
PINSKY: What you see is one of two things. If she is indeed primarily a criminal is you will see more criminal behavior. I mean, O.J. Simpson, I hope, has taught everybody that. These people go out and do the same thing all over again in some fashion. They're their own worst enemy.
If this is primarily a sick person, which as we begin to hear more about this case and people begin talking now that case is over, there's a lot of impairment here. Very, very clearly. If she's a sick person, she will continue to create the chaos and vortex that we've all gotten sucked into.
I mean, think about it. One young woman's behavior has sucked hundreds of lives into her vortex. She is capable of a lot of damage, whether or not she's a murderer. So we will see more of that kind of chaos.
KING: We just saw some images there of her in prison talking to her mother and her father. You don't see any reintegration of this family. Some blockbuster allegations she made against particularly her father during the trial.
PINSKY: Yes.
KING: But what about them? We saw them walk out during the verdicts being read. What about the pieces of that family? Can that be put back together? The husband and the wife?
PINSKY: Possibly. What we don't know is whether or not -- a marriage under stress is at risk. And God knows this is a situation of just profound stress. Sometimes people pull together in situations like this and feel like one another is a lifeline. They feel more attached to that person. Or the whole affair pulls them apart.
KING: Potentially more bizarre to come. Dr. Drew Pinsky, thanks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Coming up, a lingering question in the case. Who is Caylee Anthony's father? Some of the theories just ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: We'll never know what she would have grown up to be, what she might have accomplished. And we still don't know who her father was or whether he's even alive. It was a big question mark going into the trial, and the defense tried to use it to their advantage. Here's Randi Kaye.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the other question in the Casey Anthony trial. Who was little Caylee Anthony's father? To answer that question, it's best to start with who we know it isn't.
We know it's not Casey's own father, George, nor her brother, Lee. The FBI DNA tests ruled that out. But that didn't stop the defense from suggesting it during one of the most explosive moments of the trial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you asked to conduct a paternity test for Lee Anthony as to Caylee Anthony -- being the potential father of Caylee Anthony?
KAYE: Jesse Grund, Casey Anthony's ex-fiance, isn't the father, either.
JESSE GRUND, FORMER FIANCE OF CASEY: I got a paternity test done to prove that I was not Caylee's biological father.
KAYE: Grund says a pregnant Casey told him the baby was his. But when Caylee was born less than seven months after the couple had met, he knew it wasn't true. Even so, Grund wanted to be a father to her.
NANCY GRACE, HLN ANCHOR: Did you love little Caylee like she was your own child?
GRUND: A piece of paper couldn't tell me not to love her like she was my daughter.
KAYE: But Casey Anthony told different things to different people. According to this deposition by Brittany Sheiber, an old friend, Casey told Brittany she didn't know who the father was. Brittany goes on to say that Casey's best friend told her Casey said it was just a, quote, "random one-night stand." Another old friend, Melina Calabrese, said to detectives -- Casey, at first, said her fiance, Jesse Grund, was the father.
But after the couple broke up in May 2006, Casey said Caylee's real father was a one-night stand named Josh. Casey gave no last name but said he was from Georgia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she tell you how old he was?
MELINA CABRESE, FORMER FRIEND OF CASEY: Actually, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did she describe him to you?
CABRESE: No. She said he was really hot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did she say what happened to Josh?
CABRESE: Josh passed away in a car accident shortly after Caylee's second birthday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would have been 2007?
KAYE: And here's what Casey apparently told her mother after revealing that her ex-fiance wasn't the father.
BAEZ: Who did you think Caylee's father was?
CINDY ANTHONY: She gave me a name of Eric Baker.
BAEZ: And did you ever meet anyone by the name of Eric Baker?
CINDY ANTHONY: No, sir, I have not.
BAEZ: Did Casey -- what did Casey tell you about this Eric Baker?
CINDY ANTHONY: He was two years younger than her, and he was an old friend. And she had seen him about the time that she had started seeing Jesse. He was in town and upset about a girlfriend or such. And I guess they got together. It was one night. And Eric lived out- of-state.
KAYE: However, Cindy said Casey had talked to her about Eric Baker in connection with other friends who later turned out to be fictitious people. And although investigators did turn up a death certificate for an Eric Baker who died in a car accident, they don't know whether he had any connection to Casey, only further adding to the mystery and the tragedy of the story of this little girl.
Randi Kaye, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: We may never know who is Caylee's father. But we know that there will always be outrage over this case. That does it for me here in Orlando.
Now back to Anderson.
COOPER: Thanks, Marty. We'll continue to cover this case, of course. As Marty mentioned, Casey will be released from prison on Sunday the 17th, and her legal woes are far from over. Will she have to reimburse the state? And there's the defamation suit filed by the woman who Casey claimed was Caylee's nanny and kidnapped her little girl. Like I said, this is far from over.
I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. I'll see you Monday on 360.
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