George Anthony: Loving Grandfather, or Lying, Cheating, Child Molester?
Defense Attorney Jose Baez went for the gold yesterday, asking George Anthony if he’d ever molested his daughter Casey. Of course, Mr. Anthony denied the allegation. Then Baez asked if he’d admit to the horrible act if he did indeed commit it, and he added the fact that life in prison would be motivation for not admitting to the unspeakable act. Again, Anthony denied the allegation.
During this line of questioning, Casey Anthony’s image was also displayed onscreen. When Baez asked Casey’s father the question regarding molesting her, and he denied it, Casey shook her head slowly from side to side and tears filled her eyes. Now, it’s unusual to see Casey Anthony display her emotions. To me, as a former police investigator who relied heavily on reading body language, this display by Casey Anthony was important. Telling, even. George Anthony’s denial clearly struck a nerve with his daughter.
Obviously, I can’t and won’t say this event(s) occurred during Casey’s childhood, but Mr. Anthony clearly displays signs of guilt about something. What that guilt is about we may never know.
So what do we know about the father of accused murderer Casey Anthony?
1. The defense has accused him of discovering his granddaughter’s lifeless body in a swimming pool and then covering up that death. To do so, he’d have had to physically place the child’s body inside three bags and coldly discard her in the woods like yesterday’s garbage. Keep in mind, though, that someone, if not Mr. Anthony, actually was heartless enough to do just that.
2. George Anthony is a former police officer, someone trained to recognize details of crimes and crime scenes. He’s also testified that he knows the smell of death from his experience as a police officer. If the defense’s drowning theory is true, why would Mr. Anthony not attempt to revive his granddaughter? After all, police officers are trained as first responders and most, if not all, are certified in CPR.
3. The accusations are out there that Mr. Anthony had an affair with River Cruz/Krystal Holloway. In fact, Jose Baez asked Mr. Anthony if he’s ever been intimate with Cruz. Anthony’s response was no, and that he thought the notion was funny. But, Mr. Anthony doesn’t deny, well, he can’t deny that he’d been to Cruz’s home on several occasions to “console” her. And these visits were without the presence of Mrs. Anthony. All during the time the family should have been focusing on locating their granddaughter. Mr. Anthony was a trained police officer, right? Perhaps he should have put those skills to work instead of “consoling” Cruz behind his wife’s back.
Also, Cruz says that Mr. Anthony told her that Caylee’s death was an accident that snowballed out of control. Normally, this would be a very damaging statement when introduced. However, Ms. Cruz seems to have quite the reputation as someone who’s less than truthful.
4. Anthony purchased some beer and went to a hotel room. He says it was his intent to commit suicide by drinking the beer and taking some prescription medication. Prior to doing whatever it was he maybe intended to do, Anthony called several members of his family and texted others of his intention. Soon after, police found Anthony at the Hawaii Motel in Daytona Beach. They knocked on the door, which Mr. Anthony opened, and, after speaking with the officers, he walked with them to their police cars. An officer then drove Anthony to the hospital where he was admitted for mandatory observation. Almost immediately after his release from the hospital, Mr. Anthony and his wife flew to California to appear on several TV shows. Upon their return, they were booked into the Ritz Carlton hotel, a stay paid for by media.
5. When Casey Anthony was first allowed out of jail on bond, corrections officials met with the family to instruct them on the rules of house arrest, and there are several. For example, there can be no alcohol in the house, including shaving lotion and mouthwash, no drugs, and no weapons. And no weapons means NO GUNS. Any violation of the rules could send Casey back to jail. So what does dear old dad do? Well, he immediately goes out and buys a gun. He claims he was going to use the firearm to threaten people into telling him what happened to his granddaughter. Oddly, the corrections officials show up at the Anthony home a couple of hours after dad bought the gun. And they were there BECAUSE he’d bought the weapon. Pretty fast and coincidental timing, huh? How’d they know so quickly? It’s almost if dad himself tipped them off so they could remove Casey from the home. Not saying that’s what happened, but it’s an extremely bizarre coincidence. But bizarre is a word that goes hand-in-hand with this family.
Well, the defense is about to wrap up their case. Will Casey testify that her father helped dispose of Caylee’s tiny body? I suppose we’ll never know the truth surrounding this family. How could we? Their stories are as squiggly as a bucket of worms.
So what do you think? Is George Anthony a loving grandfather. Or, is he a lying, cheating, child molester?
Caylee Anthony
I agree George is not being all truthfull. There are thoughtful discussions here (unlike nancy grace and crew). I suspected the father was back when he seamed so straightface. He was cheating on his wife,he had a suicide attemp at the oddest time when it was his daughter who has the problems, U R right he didnt even care when her not guilty verdict came in he just got up and walked out, U R right he didnt answer Baezs questions with a direct response,
@JanJ – “I also question his suicide attempt. From what I’ve learned, a person who is seriously thinking of ending their own life, does not call anyone, they don’t want to be stopped from accomplishing their goal.”
That is patently untrue, and to discover that truth for yourself, I suggest you work for a suicide hotline.
Victims of physical and psycholgical abuse (especially those who’ve suffered through for many, many years since early childhood) behave differently than the primary populus… It’s just a very sad fact of life. With such scant evidence brought to the fore during the trial, my gut (and personal experience) tells me that there was far, far more going on in that household than the average person can ever wrap their brains around.
I just pray that they all get help with their issues that will afford them some modicum of a ‘good life’ from here on in.
I am with willow burke on this one. I was molested by my own father too, and had no memory til I started marriage counselling and the counsellor realized I avoided any discussions about my childhood. When I remembered, I disowned him and made sure my kids would not connect with him. My older sister who received more abuse than me has no memory of her life up to age 12 when she confronted my mither who packed suitcases but then believed he would stop…which I think he did….but still blame her. My sister doesnt. My marriage counsellor told me I am very normal for someone who had suffered so much abuse but diagnosed me with mild dissociative disorder. I cant watch scary movies because they seem to real to me. I wonder if Casey has a problem with scary movies. Also if I imagine having done something or think too hard about telling someone something, I feel like it happened so I have to write things down. And I space out and dont hear what people are saying sometimes especially if it is negative news. I noticed how sad Casey looked when Baez talked about George having no paternal instinct and truly not loving Casey. I think Casey’s father tried to frame her as I saw no relief at all when Casey was found not guilty. Buying the gun could hqve been a way to further threaten Casey or make sure she went to jail. I think as a homicide detective he could easily frame her…first telling her that Caylee was kidnapped and Caylee could get hurt if she called police. Who makes up a story that kidnappers took your child because you’re a bad mother? She also said something about “protecting this family” ? After enough time passed not to see the sexual abuse, George admitted an accidental pool drowning to Casey but talked her into lying for him. Now it is all done, it will dawn on Casey that her dad did this. Now he will do whatever he can to keep her in his house under his CONTROL. Who uses the word “control”? “an accident that snowballed out of control” was he the one using chloroform to molest his daughter/grand daughter. My father would only molest me while I was sleeping. He thought it coukdnt hurt me if I didnt know…but the mind is conciuos even asleep. It ruined me. Other things about my father: he gives to childrens charities, vegetarian for not wanting to hurt animals, and is very proud of me. He built a house for our dog, right next to our swingset he bought and assembled. But no college fund…since we were girls…who shouod be dependent on men. Btw i called the fbi and told them he has child porn (taken of me when I was a child..but I didnt tell them that part) but they didnt care. He walks the streets and lives near a public park.
I believe George molested his daughter. Why hide an accident? I know of a man who started giving his adult daughter his prescription pain medication. Why? To get her addicted to powerful narcotics that he had easy access to so that he could resume molesting and raping her as he had done throughout her entire childhood. So does it make sense to hide this accidental death to regain control over a victim who is pulling free of you?
Victims of molestation that goes unreported are clearly taught that when bad things happen you should lie, pretend nothing is wrong, and it will be almost like the bad things never happen. In fact, that’s what a lot of parents teach their kids to do by asking them to lie about whatever bad things happen in their lives. But molestation of your own child causes serious psychological damage that is often marked by the kind of totally unrealistic lying we see from Casey.
And who here sees Casey being able to force herself to carry a decomposing body through the swamp in order to dump it? She doesn’t strike me as the type to get anywhere near either of those two things. She caries her trash to the dumpster in the trunk of her car, that doesn’t sound like someone who is going to just come up with the idea of hiking through the swampy woods with the rotting, reeking body of her child in her arms. She seems pretty girly and lazy, I think she would have found some other way to deal with the remains if left to her own devices.
And finally, if she wanted to keep up her care-free life, keeping Caylee safe and happy would have been the best and easiest way to ensure that.
By the way, If you don’t know the name of the child who was killed, your opinion will be dismissed as uninformed and invalid.
Looks like Leland Palmer. Maybe BOB had something to do with this.
I DO NOT think Casey was molested or abused by ANYONE!! Why do people find it so hard that this girl can just be sick!! I think she was spoiled and enabled her entire life until Kayla was born. Once Kayla was born, she was not longer the center of attention and her parents finally started requiring her to be responsible!! There is NO WAY that selfish, princesses sat in jail for 2 years if she knew the whole time George killed Kayla.
And people, what family would not be considered ‘dysfunctional’ if you had a whole police department tearing it apart. Good god, my family would look like the masons. Before you call any family dysfunctional, take a look at your own.
Well I guess we are never going to know the real truth of this child molester George Anthony. I wonder how people can act so violently with their own blood relations. Shame on you George Anthony; we know you will get yourself out of the case by bribing your judge but when will humanity touch your nerves..!! If our elders can do such shameless activities then what can we expect from the rest mankind.
Having been molested by a neighbor and my pastor, I know that one does not volunteer that she/he has been molested until after much thought. In my book: “Molested-Why Me?”, I tell what all agony I went through before I told about it many years later, and people still say to me, “Well why did you let him do it?”
It took me a long time of practicing self-control not to yell, “LET HIM DO IT! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?” I have counselled many girls and women who kept their molestation hidden until they thought it was safe to come out. Perhaps Casey realized it was safe to come out, since she was incarcerated.
Although I can loathe Casey when I consider that she might have killed that beautiful child, I have to feel pity for her where the molestation is concerned. I have a hard time feeling any pity for her father. nor having any doubt that he cheated on his wife or had a hand in Caylee’s death. I feel that if you would molest a young lady, you would do anything. I hope I find that I’m wrong about George Anthony, but I don’t think I will.
Laura
It’s simpler, if less sensational, if George & his wife are caught between hating their daughter for killing their granddaughter, and loving her and wanting to help her no matter what she did.
It does seem clear that boundary issues are rife in this family, but it’s not credible that someone as self-absorbed as Casey Anthony would have hidden the abuse until the trial.
Villains drive stories, and it’s natural to wish that someone like Casey is made, not born, but I’d be cautious about imposing a satisfying story arc on this tragedy.
Sorry–forgot to include I was the visiting writer-in-residence at the University of Toledo. I’m still in contact with the student who told us her story and she’s made two more attempts since then, nearly succeeding each time. The last I talked to her she was working successfully toward resolving her issues (with her father), and working with a therapist who K. told me monitored her handwriting for signs she was heading again for a suicide attempt. She looks for her handwriting to start becoming more and more “perfect.”
Interesting comments and differences of opinion. I would have to respectfully disagree with JanJ in the statement: “For someone having a nervous breakdown and thinking of ending his own life, he sure wrote a neat looking letter with paragraphs and all. I would be more apt to believe a scribbled ranting note with errors and smudges.” Actually, as being a certified handwriting expert, I would very much disagree with that assessment. One of the biggest warning signs in handwriting is when an individual’s handwriting becomes more and more “perfect,” approaching copybook style. Especially if that’s not their “normal” handwriting. The reason is that when a person approaches suicide, they’re out of control in their lives. The one thing they can control is their handwriting, and many deserately do just that when writing suicide notes. Years ago, I had a student in one of my classes as Visiting Writer-in-Residence who held up her hand after I’d told the class that–suggesting that if they had a friend whose handwriting suddenly became perfect, to talk to that person and possibly get her help, as this was a sign of mental distress–and she told me and the class that this was exactly right. This young lady had a long history of suicide attempts (8!) and she told us she’d always kept a journal all of her life, and she said that was one of the things that always happened to her when she got near a suicide attempt. Her handwriting became increasingly perfect and on the day she attempted suicide it was like reading a copybook. She brought in several of her suicide notes the next day to show us and they were absolutely perfect. I had examples of her “normal” writing in class and it was those samples that were messy.
This is a common misconception about handwriting analysis or graphology. Perfect writing–unless it is due to the person’s occupation, i.e., a grammar school teacher who is currently teaching cursive handwriting, is considered a negative sign. It is also a sign of average or even lower intelligence unless it is occupation-related when seen in a person’s everyday writing. A person of higher intelligence uses “shortcuts” (one of the signs of intelligence is finding quicker ways to do things) and their handwriting is often much sloppier.
From a class I took in statement analysis, I remember the instructor saying if someone says “I would never…” they are lying. If they say “How could you think I would…” they’re lying. We were taught that unless the person directly says “I didn’t do it,” they probably did. I don’t know that it’s always the case, but when George Anthony said, “I would never do anything to harm my daughter that way,” it certainly made me remember what that instructor said.
Lee has invited me to comment on the Anthony family’s handwriting here on Monday. George’s handwriting was quite a surprise. Stay tuned 🙂
Wow, I have to say that I disagree with most of the comments thus far. I think the entire family is dysfunctional, and lying seems to come naturally, but not without torment for some. George may or may not have molested Casey (I don’t feel he did), but I cannot see any way, if he was there when Caylee died, that he would not have called the police/fire department. And I don’t think he could have put that child, that he clearly adored in trash bags and left her in the woods. Unfortunately, I think they have a sociopathic, if not psychotic child, and she may have accidentally killed her own daughter, but she was out partying within days, which is about as cold-hearted as someone can be. George may have had an affair, but that has zero bearing on anything. I think it’s always hard for us to accept that a mother can kill her own child, but this girl is narcissistic and people are disposable to narcissists. it’s a tragedy, but I think the fault lies on Casey and Casey alone, and I hate to see people punishing the parents, who are in absolute hell. In my opinion, she destroyed her entire family, hurting them in the worst way possible, and then attempting to blame them. Anyway, my two cents.
There are three things I believe about this case. I do believe Caylees death was an accident, I believe George Anthony knew all the details from the begining and I do believe George Anthony is a child molester.
What I can’t figure out is why the accidental death was covered up. Could it be that Caylee drowned by accident in the family pool, Casey paniced, her own mother had accused her of being an unfit Mother and look what happens when she has Caylee in her care. But what about George, why the cover up of an accident?
Does Florida do an autopsy on accidental deaths? Could his years of molesting his daughter Casey have him worried that he may just be the father of Caylee and an autopsy might possibly disclose this?
This is just a thought, but it would explain a lot of the families weird behavior. Even Cindy’s mothering care of Caylee and Casey’s jealousy of that relationship.
It would also explain George’s “staged” suicide attemped & letter where he blames himself.
In my earlier comment, I errored that the suicide letter was written to Caylee. I was misinformed.
George Anthony is a liar and an incestuous child molester. What if…. as he was molesting his granddaughter, while in or near the pool, he accidentally killed her while she struggled and began to cry for help. Immediately after accidentally killing her, he began to cover up his actions by pretending she drowned in the pool. He HAD to dispose of the body and NOT call 911 and pretend to search for a missing Caylee, because if her body had been found before decomposing there may be evidence left showing that he had molested her, showing that he killed her.
Of course I have no idea what the truth is, but I heard something strange yesterday in his testimony. When questioned on the stand about molesting his own daughter George Anthony said the SAME sentence my father said when he was confronted about sexually abusing me for the first 12 years of my life…”…I would never do anything to harm my daughter in that way.”
My father can say those words honestly because he BELIEVES that molesting children is a “way parents show children they are loved”. My father doesn’t believe that he did what he did to harm me, he doesn’t believe it harmed me. He believes he was doing it out of love. I believe George Anthony is equally sick and twisted.
And then there is the fact that I had dissociative amnesia and had repressed all of the memories of my father’s abuse for over 20 years. The memories started returning shortly after my daughter’s birth. But I couldn’t see my abuser’s face in those memories until two years later. During those two years my father had full unsupervised access to my baby girl simply because I couldn’t remember he was the person I needed to protect her from.
And then there is the fact that the world of a women molested by the one person in the world whose job it is to protect her lives in an odd space. Nothing makes sense. Everything is upside down. Lies are spoken mainly to try to make sense of an existence that resembles a fun house mirror. When painful events occur dissociation begins instinctively. Instead of dealing with life, the self harming behaviors (excessive partying, sex, alcohol/drugs, tattooing, etc) begin because those are the only coping skills you were ever taught as a child. It doesn’t make sense to anyone else, but it’s reality for so many daughters molested by fathers and never saved by their mothers.
There is so much more, but I’ll end there.
George Anthony is a child molester. He’s the only one who knows what happened to Caylee. Casey’s story has changed so many times
because reality eludes her. She doesn’t know what reality is, in this situation or in any other.
I’ve felt from the very begining that George Anthony is not being truthful. Unlike most everyone else, I didn’t fall for his tearless breakdown on the stand. Where were the puffy swollen eyes, running nose and quivering chin?
I also question his suicide attempt. From what I’ve learned, a person who is seriously thinking of ending their own life, does not call anyone, they don’t want to be stopped from accomplishing their goal. George Anthony called almost everyone in his family.
And his letter to Caylee, think about it, wasn’t little Caylees remains already found at the time he wrote this long letter to her? George Anthony wanted that letter read by a living person.
That letter was staged as was his so called suicide attempt.
For someone having a nervous breakdown and thinking of ending his own life, he sure wrote a neat looking letter with paragraphs and all. I would have been more apt to believe a scribbled ranting note with errors and smudges.
Unless someone confesses and they can back up their confession with hard evidence, I doubt if we’ll ever know the truth. What I think will happen is that a combination of factors will influence the jury’s decision. I think that with the Fourth of July weekend approaching, many in the jury won’t want to be in deliberation and miss that, so I think there will be intense pressure to come to a compromise and that will take the form of reducing the charge to a lesser one that they can all agree on so they can go home.
The defense looks inept at times, but then their job is to simply introduce enough into the case that they help create a reasonable doubt, and it looks as if they may have done that. They aren’t under any burden to prove her guilt or innocence at all–it’s the prosecution’s job to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and I don’t think they’ve succeeded, at least not to the point of Murder One.
The holidays may determine her outcome. We don’t like to miss out on our barbecues…