Good Question: Are Casey Anthony's Seizures A Defense?
By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, Cindy Anthony floats a new theory about her daughter, infamous murder defendant Casey Anthony.
Cindy Anthony says in the interview that aired yesterday and continues at 5 p.m. today on WWJ-TV that Casey Anthony has a history of seizures and seems to infer that explains, at least partially, her behavior. She said she's not sure if the condition had anything to do with her granddaughter Caylee Anthony's death.
"I'm not making justification for (Casey's lies), but there's a cause for that," Cindy Anthony told McGraw in the first part of the interview. "You just don't have a grand mal seizure."
A massive manhunt began for little Caylee after she was finally reported missing by Cindy Anthony. Casey Anthony maintained at the time that her baby, who was last seen more than a month before, had been kidnapped by a nanny. The nanny was later determined to be ficticious.
Casey Anthony held fast to that story until Caylee's decomposing bones were found in a bag near her parent's home in Florida. After the discovery, but without a determined cause of death, Casey Anthony was tried and acquitted of killing Caylee this July.
Lie upon lie were discovered during the trial -- Casey Anthony invented a job, created a fake babysitter, stole money, forged checks and told her parents various tales about Caylee's whereabouts during the time the toddler was missing, and apparently dead.
The Anthonys broke their silence for the first time sime the trial with the Dr. Phil interview. The interview portion that aired Tuesday focused on what was going on in the family before and immediately after they discovered Caylee was missing. McGraw asked them if the changing stories raised red flags.
"There's hindsight yes, but not in those 31 days," Cindy Anthony said, according to the Associated Press. "... I knew what I know now I would have called the Army, the Navy, anybody."
Both parents told McGraw they wondered about Casey's calm demeanor throughout that time.
"Well, the last one I saw Caylee with was Casey...In my book, one and one adds up to two," George Anthony said.
He added that while Casey was in jail awaiting trial "I didn't believe two-thirds of what she was telling me. I thought she was keeping her (Caylee) away from Cindy."
The Anthony's were not paid for the interview, according to the Associated Press, but McGraw said the show is donating to a charity in Caylee's name to support grandparents' rights and missing and abused children.
So, do we believe Casey's seizures had anything to do with baby Caylee's disappearance?
