Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty Three Years Ago; Inspiring Teen Plays Soccer with One Leg; Early Social Media Support Fades for Dad Accused of Killing Son in Hot Car; The "Seinfeld" Influence 25 Years Later

Aired July 04, 2014 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: With that unforgettable verdict, this was the last time most of us saw Casey Anthony. It was three years ago. She was found not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Since then, she has remained out of the public eye, but now CNN has obtained exclusive pictures of Casey Anthony.

And you can see her with her defense attorney in one of them. Here she is with Cheney Mason, someone Anthony has remained close with since the trial, and as it turns out, he may be all she has left. Our Jean Casarez looks back at the trial of Casey Anthony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): July 2011, hundreds gather outside the courthouse in Orlando, Florida, to wait for a verdict, in what many say was the death penalty trial of the century. The case against Casey Anthony.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of first degree murder, verdict as to count one, we the jury find the defendant, not guilty.

CASAREZ: The case ended as dramatically as it started, with a call to 911 from a panicked grandmother.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: There is something wrong. I found daughters car today and smells like there is a dead body in the damn car.

CHENEY MASON, ATTORNEY FOR CASEY ANTHONY: We had a missing child that is absolutely adorable and a beautiful young mother, 22 years of age, and the grandmother, screaming that on the phone.

CASAREZ: Suspicion fell on Casey Anthony. Police believed her stories weren't adding up. Her little girl, Caylee, taken by the nanny that no one could find. And pictures like these suggesting that while her daughter was missing, she was partying, sparked public outrage.

Cheney Mason, an experienced death penalty lawyer, was watching from the sidelines, while Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez was coming under scrutiny for his lack of experience. Baez asked for help, Mason decided to meet with Anthony.

MASON: They brought her in the room and I'm looking at a child herself. And I'm saying, this can't be.

CASAREZ: But it was. The state gave notice they were seeking the death penalty against Anthony for the premeditated murder of Caylee, whose skeletal remains were finally found close to the family's home in Orlando, Florida, about five months after she went missing.

(on camera): Could she look you in the eye?

MASON: Yes.

CASAREZ: What was her demeanor?

MASON: She was afraid. Unsure about really anything and what was going to happen. How it's going to happen.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Mason, in his new book, "Justice in America," describes for the first time calling Casey's parents, George and Cindy, to his office late on a Friday afternoon, shortly before jury selection began. Mason had just received word that Casey's hand- written letters describing sexual abuse by her father were about to be released publicly.

MASON: We had them one at a time come into my personal office, and made the announcement and told them, you know, I -- this is going to be a bad day for you, George. And I felt man to man, I'll tell you in advance.

CASAREZ (on camera): What was his reaction?

MASON: Basically, none. He looked at me, and kind of turned sideways a little bit and clapped his hands down on his thighs and let out a big sigh and didn't say anything.

CASAREZ (voice-over): George Anthony never admitted to mason any inappropriate conduct with Casey.

MASON: Then called mom in, Cindy, and told her, and she immediately welled up with tears and emotion and cried and was very upset.

CASAREZ: Once a jury was selected, this death penalty trial began. And Jose Baez turned the case on its head by announcing this bombshell in his opening statement.

JOSE BAEZ, CASEY ANTHONY'S ATTORNEY: It all began when her father began to touch her inappropriately. MASON: I didn't know he was going to say that. I was concerned about that because I knew we didn't have the ability to prove that, unless George got on the stand and confessed.

CASAREZ: Prosecutors made George Anthony their first witness.

UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY: Have you ever sexually molested your daughter, Casey Anthony?

GEORGE ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY'S FATHER: No, sir.

CASAREZ: Testimony in the case continued for weeks, as witness after witness and forensic experts from around the country took the stand in this circumstantial case. While the trial was being hotly contested in and out of the courtroom, secret plea discussions that would have spared Anthony's life were beginning. It was Anthony who shut them down.

MASON: Casey wouldn't have any part of it. She was very angry -- she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to hear it.

CASAREZ: So the trial went on, and then that verdict heard round the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Juror number 12, were these your true and correct verdicts?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

CASAREZ: Anthony was free, but the hatred against her was stronger than ever. The public's opinion of Casey Anthony hasn't changed much. They share these pictures exclusively with CNN.

MASON: She does not have any blood family anymore. She has no contact with them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That's where I want to begin. Here she is, Jean Casarez. What a wide-ranging interview here, but can you just explain this relationship between Cheney and Anthony?

CASAREZ: Well, he and his wife have become close to her. And, of course, he was her death penalty attorney during the trial. So they got to know her way back then, both of them, Shirley also, and they just stayed close with her. And I think it just happened. He says that Casey calls him "the old man." But I think she trusts him and I believe there are very few people she trusts. And she does believe they are there for her best interest which they are.

BALDWIN: What is she up to, generally? What is a typical day for Casey Anthony?

CASAREZ: I would say a typical day, she lives in an undisclosed location in Florida, in a home. She lives with other people. She is not alone. She does household duties, clerical duties, housekeeping duties, and sort of makes her living within that home. She does not come out of that home, because there are still threats against her life.

And she is scared to come out of that home because she knows that she is hated. So she basically stays in there. She can't go to McDonald's or a beauty parlor or shopping center or anything like you and I do. But I think she believes her life will become normal. She hopes that and she believes that.

BALDWIN: Thanks for sharing the interview. I cannot believe it's been three years, Jean Casarez. Thank you so much.

CASAREZ: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, inspiration on this 4th of July. You have to hear from this inspiring young man, born with only one leg, becomes this soccer superstar. We'll talk to him. He is in Rio de Janeiro, taking in a little World Cup. His story, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Yes, the U.S. is out, the World Cup goes on. The next game host country, Brazil plays Colombia, winner advances to the semi- finals there and just this afternoon, Germany faced France in the European showdown. Germany scored in the 13th minute with this header. France could not answer back. The Germans advance with the 1-0 win.

And speaking of soccer, an American soccer star of sorts was cheering at today's World Cup games in Brazil. He is Nico Colabrea and he might be a tad different than any soccer player you have seen before because he was born with one leg. You heard me. Nico plays sports. He plays hard, ice skating, basketball, swimming, and soccer. Let me show his emotional story and his powerful victory when he was just itty bitty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you stand up on one leg? Oops. Up, up. Nikolai.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hop up on your foot. Want me to help you? One, two, three.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think you're going to do today?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Play. I touched it, Mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How old are you now?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Eight.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BALDWIN: Goose bumps, right? So Nico is now playing for the U.S. national soccer amputee team, and the 19-year-old is representing the U.S. at the World Cup for Power Aid. And I caught up with Nico as he was down in Rio de Janeiro.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Nico, it's so nice to have you on.

NICO CALABRIA, MEMBER, U.S. NATIONAL SOCCER AMPUTEE TEAM: Thank you so much for having me.

BALDWIN: So I've seen the video of you from Power Aid. You are, you know, itty bitty playing soccer, ice skating, sinking some hoops, playing basketball. Did anyone ever tell you, you know, the words "no" or "can't" growing up?

CALABRIA: Most of the time people were pretty supportive, I would say. But when moving to Massachusetts and playing with -- playing soccer there, the referees originally said that I was not a -- the crutches weren't safe to play with. But other than that, it's been nothing but positive.

BALDWIN: So at what point did this whole soccer thing happen for you? How old were you?

CALABRIA: Well, I really have been playing soccer since I -- my parents say I was chasing a ball before I could walk. But the whole -- so basically, I've been playing my entire life. It's my passion and what I really love to do and eventually, Power Aid heard about my story, and gave me the opportunity to kind of share with the world.

BALDWIN: And here you are. I don't know if you're, you know, pinching yourself each and every day you get to be in beautiful Rio for the World Cup. What are you doing down there?

CALABRIA: Definitely pinching myself. But so far I've just been spending some time with my dad. I played a lot of volleyball yesterday, going to go do some sight-seeing and tomorrow I'll be at the France-Germany quarterfinal. So pretty unreal especially because I've been watching every game on the TV and now that I'm actually at Americana, it's totally surreal.

BALDWIN: I know that you have hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, kind of incredible. You will represent the U.S. in the amputee football World Cup in Mexico this fall. You start college this fall. What do you want to do with all of this, Nico, with all of your success?

CALABRIA: What do I want to do? I would love to just share my story and hope that each person that reaches possibly can help them out if it inspires them in some way and also just go as far as I can with the United States team and the amputee World Cup and kind of ride that wave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Nico Calabaria, thank you so much.

Coming up, the details are jaw-dropping in the case against this man accused of leaving his toddler to die in a hot car. The verdict, though, already played out in the public eye with such early critical media exposure, the tweets. We'll talk about the media angle of the story, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Early on, when people were starting to hear the details of this tragic story of this father in Georgia whose young toddler had died after being left in this hot car, let me tell you, support for this dad -- I mean, it was everywhere on social media. But here's the "but," in the days following as details trickled out, support for Justin Ross Harris began to wane.

And yesterday as the jaw-dropping testimony was broadcast live, this time yesterday here on CNN, a new picture emerged of this man who was sexting half a dozen women, allegedly including a minor the day his son died, receiving explicit pictures. Again, as his son was baking in that SUV.

Joining me now, Brian Stelter, our senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES" and I'll tell you, watching my Twitter, Brian Stelter, as we were airing and coming and going out of this hearing, I have to say, for the most part, it's pretty damning for this father.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Sure is. I was at home last night flipping between you at 8:00 p.m., you were guest anchoring who was also focusing on this case. I think a lot of other people were too. It took such a dramatic turn yesterday that people had to pay attention, they had to stop and pay attention.

But there's no doubt he's now being tried in the press and we should keep that in mind as we're watching. We're hearing the details. Some of the details may be less damning than the headlines. They may still be quite damning. Don't get me wrong. But it's important to hear some of those details and to keep in mind a lot of this won't be heard at a trial.

BALDWIN: I know. Innocent till proven guilty totally and then as we're learning these new nuggets, Brian Stelter, from this trial, we're learning about his internet habits predominantly on this web site, Reddit. Then as they discussed in court, viewing these sub- Reddits of people dying and surviving life in prison and a page apparently he looked at about what is it like to live child-free. Can you just explain for people who don't understand what Reddit is what it is and can you stumble across something like this or do you have to find it?

STELTER: You know, I've stumbled across a couple of rather odd Reddits. There's a Reddit thread or message board for anything. I heard Reddit described once on another channel as a blog, and it's really so much more than that. It is everything. It's a mini internet unto itself. It can be used for lots of great purposes. If you think of an illness you have or disease or condition I guarantee there's a thread on Reddit from other people who have it as well who talk through it.

The child-free thread that he was allegedly looking at isn't actually all bad either. Here's the description of it. It says it's about people who do not have and do not ever want children. You can imagine some people might find support and sympathy by talking about that life preference.

BALDWIN: Nothing nefarious. Just curiosity.

STELTER: On the other hand of course, as with everything on the internet, there can be a dark side to it, and there are lots of dark holes you can go down on Reddit because it's a miniature version of everything on the internet.

BALDWIN: And again, just to clarify as you pointed out what will be admissible at trial if there even is a trial. We're not even that far yet.

STELTER: I would like to see more from the defense. I think it's worth pointing out that the wife could be out here today talking. I was just talking to Sunny Hostin about this a minute ago, make sure I wasn't wrong about this. We could be hearing more from the defense to try to fix the narrative that is so overwhelming today, but we're not hearing anything.

BALDWIN: Agree. And also a lot of questions about the wife, as sunny and I and Danny were discussing minutes ago. Brian Stelter, thank you. And we make sure we tune in to watch you. "RELIABLE SOURCES" with Brian Stelter on the weekends, Sunday mornings 11:00 a.m. Eastern only here on CNN.

Coming up, it has been 25 years since the start of the show about nothing. Can you believe "Seinfeld" is a quarter of a century old? We will take a look back at some of the most hilarious moments of TV history and "Seinfeld," coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: One of the most popular sitcoms of all time debuted 25 years ago tomorrow. "Seinfeld." eventually dominated primetime as the number one show. And it left a lasting imprint on pop culture, yada yada yada. Nischelle Turner explores the show's lasting influence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: It's "Seinfeld" premiering Thursday right after "Cheers" on NBC.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): July 5th, 1989. NBC debuts a new sitcom built around stand-up comedian, Jerry Seinfeld.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wouldn't it be great if you could ask a woman what she's thinking?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a world that would be. TURNER: First called "The Seinfeld Chronicles," the title later shortened to just "Seinfeld."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The show is about nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's not about nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it's about nothing!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it wasn't about nothing. But it was about the kinds of things that stand-up comedians talked about a lot but that sitcoms generally didn't. Issues of how one eats snack foods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did -- did you just double-dip that chip?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Issues of shrinkage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in the pool! I was in the pool!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Master of your domain. Perhaps the most memorable episode "Seinfeld" ever did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. That was fast.

MARY MCMAMARA, TV GUIDE, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": It changed television in that it gave us a whole new way of looking at the world, a whole new kind of comedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't say anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the start of like the alternative family comedies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who are not roommates, who don't live under the same roof, who aren't related and don't even work in the same place. "Seinfeld" establishes that so that becomes completely the norm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now it's weird again.

MCMAMARA: I think "friends" was obviously a young "Seinfeld."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get out of here!

MCMAMARA: Every successful new kind of show changes television because it makes a whole bunch of other stuff possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name's Louis C.K., and he said to be here around 2:00.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said? The doctor doesn't make appointments. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, see, I know him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Louis" is probably the closest thing we have to a modern-day "Seinfeld."

TURNER: "Seinfeld" ended its run in 1998. There's been no official reunion, unless you count this one. Filmed for "Curb your Enthusiasm," the series developed by "Seinfeld's" co-creator, Larry David.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yada yada yada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

TURNER: "Seinfeld's" characters live on, just as they were in syndication. Still impacting TV and the culture.

MELISSA MCCARTHY, ACTRESS: Not just influences comedy writers, it kind of influenced everything. It's like people's dialogue, people's references.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's just a dentist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, and you're an anti-dentite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abrassiere for a man. The manzere. You get it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything that happens in life turns into like, do you remember that "Seinfeld"? It was just a perfect show. Perfect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When somebody has B.O. The "o" usually stays with the b. Once the b leaves the o goes with it.

TURNER: Nischelle Turner, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: What would Jerry Seinfeld think of this next story, 4th of July. You know the deal. This is what it means. These faces. The annual hotdog eating contest at Coney Island. Just a short time ago Joey "Jaws" chestnut won his eighth competition today. This year he devoured 61 hotdogs in 10 minutes. Folks, that's not the headline. This is. He's getting down on a knee, proposing to long-time girlfriend here on live TV. And she said yes. Match made in hotdog heaven.

And just in case you need a warning about the dangers of firecrackers and sparklers, each and every year the government likes to remind us. But sometimes words are not enough. Yes. It is time for the annual firework demonstration show on the National Mall. Roll it. Poor, poor, poor watermelons. Folks, be safe tonight. Have a wonderful 4th of July. That's it for me. I'll see you back here on Monday. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.