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Cindy Anthony, Casey Anthony’s mother, was the first to report her granddaughter missing in July 2008. At the time, Caylee had been missing for 31 days.
Just six months after the devastating phone call, 2-year-old Caylee’s remains were found in a wooded area near the Anthony home. Tonight, Cindy will open up about her first conversation with her daughter after her arrest, as part of ID’s new docuseries Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery.
Read on to lear more about Cindy Anthony.
1. Cindy Was the First Person to Report Caylee Missing
In July 2008, Cindy was the first to report her granddaughter, Caylee, as missing.
In June, Casey left the family’s home for a work assignment, taking her daughter with her. Cindy claims she asked to see Caylee multiple times over the month, but Casey came up with excuses to keep her from doing so.
On July 13, 2008, George learned that Casey’s car was in a tow yard, and when he and Cindy picked up the car two days later, they said they smelled what they believed was the odor of a decomposing body.
That same day, Cindy called and reported Caylee as missing to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time when Cindy made the call, Caylee had been missing for 31 days.
2. Dr. Phil Says He Believes Cindy Is In Denial
In 2011, George and Cindy Anthony appeared on Dr. Phil in what was their first TV appearance since Casey’s acquittal. According to People, the couple collected $600,000 for the interview.
During the conversation with McGraw, Cindy revealed that Casey suffered from seizures growing up and that “perhaps” Casey had a brain tumor or suffered from postpartum schizophrenia. George also admitted that he will likely never speak to his daughter again.
At the end of the interview, McGraw described Cindy as “a mother who is desperately reaching for any reason to excuse her daughter for her role in this tragedy.”
3. She Was a Key Witness for the Defense
Cindy was a key witness for the defense, and in trial, said that she, herself, was the one who searched for “chloroform” on the family’s computer (a major point raised by the prosecution).
“I searched for chloroform,” said Cindy Anthony. “I was searching for ‘chlorophyll’ because I was worried that it might affect my dogs. I was worried about them eating bamboo.”
Cindy also had an explanation for why the term “chest injuries” appeared on the Anthony’s home computer. “A friend of mine was in a car accident, and I looked up certain injuries,” said Cindy. “I did not search for neck breaking, but there was a pop up for a YouTube video of a skateboarder doing a ‘neck breaking’ stunt.”
4. Cindy and George Are Still Together Despite the Rumors
According to an April article in Life & Style Magazine, Casey’s parents are still together despite rumors that they had separated.
The couple is believed to be living in Florida, and according to Radar Online, they were forced to sell their $85,000 family home in 2013, though neither George nor Cindy has confirmed that.
5. She No Longer Speaks to Casey
According to Life & Style, Casey has been estranged from her parents since her trial. Last July, a source told People that while she’s spoken to her mother a few times, she hasn’t spoken to her father at all.
Last month, George and Cindy released a statement to People following Casey’s interview with the Associated Press that had gone public just days prior. Through their attorney Mark Lippman, Cindy and George stayed that their daughter was preventing them from moving past a dark period in their lives.
“After years of silence, Casey Anthony has decided to complete an interview and has once again pointed to George Anthony, her father, as a suspect in the disappearance and death of his granddaughter, Caylee. George, who has continued to try and move forward from this tragedy and who was vindicated on multiple occasions, is once again forced to relive the hints, rumors, lies and allegations that are being made by Casey Anthony,” her parents said. “He has specifically stated that ‘his heart hurts even more now.’ ”
