Casey Anthony’s Jailhouse Videos: The Mind and Manipulations of a Malignant Narcissist

On August 14, 22-yr-old Casey Anthony met both of her parents, face-to-face, through a sheet of security glass and the use of hand held phones at the Orange County Corrections Center in Orlando, Florida. Casey had been incarcerated at the Corrections Center since July 16, the day after she reported her toddler daughter Caylee missing. The Sheriff’s Department recently released a series of five videos of the 25 minute meeting between Casey and her parents, George and Cindy Anthony. The videos gave the public a rare view into the mind and manipulations of a malignant narcissist, Casey Anthony.

Some of the behavior traits of malignant narcissists according to Dr. Sam Vaknin:

* Feels entitled. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her unreasonable expectations for special and favorable priority treatment;

* Is “impersonally exploitative”, i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends;

* Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others;

* Constantly envious of others and seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his or her frustration. Suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions as he or she believes that they feel the same about him or her and are likely to act similarly;

* Behaves arrogantly and haughtily. Feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, “above the law”, and omnipresent (magical thinking). Rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior to him or her and unworthy.

Casey and Caylee Anthony

Prior to Casey agreeing to seeing her parents on August 14, her father had visited her on August 3. After the visit George Anthony claimed his daughter had given her attorney, Jose Baez, a letter which contained information about Caylee’s disappearance. Baez denied he had received the letter and that his office hadn’t requested one.

Cindy and George Anthony

On August 7, Casey’s parents were allowed to meet with their daughter via video conference. Her mother had this message for the media from Casey regarding Caylee and her “captors”:

“She forgives you, and just please bring Caylee home, where she belongs,” said Cindy Anthony. “And the message for Caylee is, Mommy loves you with all her heart. You’re the most important person in her world, and wants you to stay brave. Very soon you’ll be home with all of us.”

By August 14, little three-year-old Caylee had been purportedly missing for over two months. Searches for Caylee were carried out with thousands scouring the surrounding Orlando area where Casey and Caylee lived with Casey’s parents. The media focus was intense while Casey Anthony continued to maintain that her daughter had been “kidnapped” by her “nanny”.

George and Cindy Anthony were caught up in a maelstrom of emotions: the love for their incarcerated daughter versus the love and fear for their missing granddaughter and her safety. Casey had been arrested and charged with “child neglect, interfering with a criminal investigation, and lying to the police”. The presiding judge had denied bond, citing a “woeful disregard for the welfare of her child.”

In the videos it was apparent that Cindy Anthony was the one who was the most distraught. At times she stared at her daughter through the plate of jailhouse glass as if she no longer recognized who or what Casey was. Cindy would alternately cry, or lay her head on the table, while George stroked her arm or back. She would also get up and walk around then return to her chair. George looked tired and sad while Casey’s demeanor changed from initially friendly to angry, manipulative, and defensive.

Casey was in jail because of her own machinations. She hadn’t told anyone that her daughter had been missing for a month. A month during which her parents had become increasingly frantic as to the whereabouts of Caylee. Casey was ultimately forced to file a missing persons report after her mother made a series of 911 calls on July 15.

Casey was also in jail for lying to the police on her initial police report. Lies about being employed, lies about fictitious coworkers, lies about a nanny whom police were unable to find, lies about the address where the nanny purportedly resided: investigators found the apartment had been vacant for months.

Casey didn’t tell “basic” lies, she had compiled a complete novella around the mysterious “nanny” named Zenaida, supplying the nanny with “friends”, “relatives”, “prior residences”, and “anecdotes”. Casey had also constructed a cast of characters relating to her place of “employment”, Universal Studios.

Casey had also stolen her mother’s credit card and charged thousands as well as stealing money from a friend. Casey was arrested the day after she filed the police report, July 16, charged and incarcerated on the 17th.

On July 22, a two hour hearing was held before a judge to set a bond for Casey. Both Cindy and George testified, as well as Casey’s brother, Lee. Prosecutors contended that Casey was a flight risk.

After the hearing Cindy Anthony told reporters that she was “upset” because her daughter “hadn’t been charged with anything” but remained in jail on a bond of $500,000.

Judge Strickland set Casey’s bond at $500,000 with the provision if Casey were released she’d have to wear a GSP monitoring device.

Casey Anthony cried several times during the hearing when her family was testifying.

The Anthony family is likely to be expected to come up with 10 percent of the full $500,000 bond, or $50,000, to have her released from jail, but this is up to the bonding agency.

Strickland said he was constitutionally bound to give Casey Anthony bond. At one point, he said that she was using her silence as leverage to get out of jail.

By August 14, George and Cindy Anthony had yet to post bond for Casey.

According to Casey, Caylee had been “taken” by her nanny, a woman named Zenaida Gonzales. Casey claimed she hadn’t told anyone other than two fictitious coworkers that Caylee was missing because she feared for Caylee’s safety. Casey claimed that she had seen movies where kidnap victims were harmed when their families contacted the authorities. This seemed to imply that Caylee was in the hands of someone who might harm her. Yet Casey also claimed that Caylee was “okay” because she had gotten a phone call from “Caylee” the day she reported her missing. Investigators later confirmed that Casey received no such phone call. Casey also claimed that she did not report her daughter missing because she wanted to “find the child herself to spare her parents the sadness of their grandchild being missing”.

During the month long period Casey claimed Caylee was missing, Casey had told friends that Caylee was with her nanny at Busch Gardens, Disney World, and Universal Studios. Casey spent the July 4th weekend celebrating with friends, the same time stretch when she was allegedly “searching” for her daughter. Casey also “moved” in with her most recent boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro, a young man from New York who was attending classes in the Orlando area. During a police interview, Lazzaro stated that he had no idea Caylee was missing. He also stated that he would do whatever he could to help in the investigation.

The day after Casey was arrested she phoned home from the Orange County Corrections Center. A phone call whose contents were released to the public. The intent or “focus” of Casey’s call: to get Tony’s phone number from her mother.

”

Casey?” Cindy Anthony said to begin the call.

“Mom,” Casey Anthony said. “I just saw your nice little cameo on TV.”

“Which one,” Cindy Anthony said.

“What do you mean, which one?” Casey Anthony said.

“Which one?” Cindy Anthony said. “I did four different ones, and I haven’t seen them all. I’ve only seen one or two so far.”

“You don’t know what my involvement is in (inaudible)?” Casey Anthony asked.

“Casey,” Cindy Anthony said.

“Mom,” Casey Anthony said.

“No, I don’t know what your involvement is, sweetheart,” Cindy Anthony said. “You are not telling me where she’s at.”

“Because I don’t (expletive) know where she’s at,” Casey Anthony said. “You are kidding me?”

“Casey, don’t waste your call screaming and hollering at me,” Cindy Anthony said.

“Waste my call sitting in the jail?” Casey Anthony said.

“Whose fault is it you’re sitting in jail?” Cindy Anthony said. “Are you blaming me you are sitting in the jail? Blame yourself for telling lies. What do you mean it is not your fault? What do you mean it’s not your fault, sweetheart? If you would have told them the truth and not lied about everything…”

“Do me a favor and just tell me what Tony’s number is,” Casey Anthony said. “I don’t want to talk to you. Forget it.”

“I don’t have his number,” Cindy Anthony said.

“Well, get it from Lee,” Casey Anthony said. “I know Lee is at the house. I saw Mallory’s car was out front. It was just on the news. They were just live outside the house.”

Casey’s intent was obvious, she wanted her boyfriend’s phone number and she wanted to snipe at her mother for talking to the press.

Casey spoke with her brother Lee:

“Hello?” Casey’s brother Lee said.

“Hi,” Casey Anthony said. “Can you get me Tony’s number?”

“I can do that but I don’t know what good it’s going to do you at this point,” Lee Anthony said.

“Well, I’d like to talk to him any way because I called to talk to my mother and it is a (expletive) waste,” Casey Anthony said. “By the way, I don’t want any of you coming up here when I have my first hearing for bond and everything. I mean don’t even (expletive) waste your time coming up here.”

Lee pointed out to Casey how her actions were making it “tough” on everyone:

“You know, you are having a real tough year and making it real tough for anybody to want to try to, even if it is giving…” Lee Anthony said.

“See that is just it, every…” Casey Anthony said.

“You are not even letting me finish,” Lee Anthony said.

“Go ahead,” Casey Anthony said.

“First, you are asking me for Tony’s phone number so you can call him and then you immediately want to start pressing toward me and don’t even worry about coming up here for all this stuff and trying to cut us out,” Lee Anthony said.

“I’m not trying to cut anybody out,” Casey Anthony said.

“I’m not going around and around with you,” Lee Anthony said. “You know, that is pretty pointless. I’m not going to put everyone else through the same stuff that you’ve been putting the police and everybody else for the last 24 hours and the stuff you’ve been putting mom through for the last four or five weeks. I’m done with that. So, you can tell me what’s going on. Kristina would love to talk to you because she thinks you will tell her what’s going on. Frankly, we are going to find out, whatever is going on is going to be found out. So, why not do it now?”

“There is nothing to find out,” Casey Anthony said. “There is absolutely nothing to find out. Not even what I told the detectives. I have no clue where Caylee is. If I knew where Caylee was, do you think that any of this would be happening? No.”

Lee also handed the phone to a friend of Casey’s:

“Hello,” Kristina said.

“Hi,” Casey Anthony said. “I’m glad everybody is at my house but I’ll have to call you later or I’ll have to call to get somebody to get your number. Do me a favor and get my brother back because I need Tony’s number.”

“OK,” Kristina said. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“I’m sitting in jail,” Casey Anthony said. “There is nothing anybody can do now.”

Kristina asked Casey why she wanted to call her boyfriend and if Tony had anything to do with Caylee’s disappearance:

“Does Tony have anything to do with Caylee?” Kristina asks.

“No,” Casey Anthony said. “Nothing.”

“OK, so why do you want to talk with Tony?” Kristina asks. “You probably don’t want to tell me, do you?”

“Tony had nothing to do with Caylee,” Casey Anthony said.

“Oh, then why do you want to talk with him?” Kristina asks.

“Because he is my boyfriend and I want to actually try and sit and talk to him because I didn’t get a chance to talk to him earlier,” Casey Anthony said. “Because I got arrested on a (expletive) whim today and because they are blaming me for stuff that I would never do. That I didn’t do.”

What’s interesting to note is that Casey claimed she was arrested on a “**** whim” and that the police were “blaming” her for “stuff” that she “would never do”.

When Kristina brought up Caylee, the reaction from Casey was highly illuminating:

“Well, I’m on your side, you know that?” Kristina said.

“I know that, I just want to talk with Tony and get a little bit of…” Casey Anthony said.

“Casey, you have to tell me if you know anything about Caylee,” Kristina said. “If anything happened to Caylee, I’ll die — you understand, I’ll die.”

“Oh my God,” Casey Anthony said. “Calling you guys (was) a waste — a huge waste. Honey, I love you. You know I’d never let anything happen to my daughter. If I knew where she was, this would not be going on.”

“Then how come everyone is saying that you are lying?” Kristina said.

“Because nobody is (expletive) listening to anything that I’m saying,” Casey Anthony said. “The media misconstrued everything that I said. The (expletive) detectives pulled (expletive) (expletive). They got all of their information from me but at the same time they are twisting stuff. They already said they are going to pin this on me if they don’t find Caylee. They’ve already said that. They arrested me because they said…”

“They said that the person you left Caylee with doesn’t exist,” Kristina said.

“Because, oh look, they can’t find her in the Florida database,” Casey Anthony said. “She is not just from Florida. If they would actually listen to anything that I would have said to them, they would have had their leads. They maybe could have tracked her down. They have not listened to a (expletive) thing that I’ve said.”

“You know that whoever has Caylee, nobody is going to get away with it,” Kristina said.

“I know, nobody is going to get away with it but at the same time, the only way they are going to find Caylee is if they actually listen to what I’m saying and I’m trying to help them and they are not letting me help them.”

Once Kristina mentioned her fears about Caylee, Casey responded angrily and claimed that calling home was a “huge waste”. Casey claimed that she hadn’t lied but that no one had “listened” to her, that what she had said was being “misconstrued” and “twisted”. There’s a likelihood that this wasn’t the first time in Casey Anthony’s life that she used the “not listened to” defense when caught lying. And this “defense” would be used by Casey at a later date, on August 14, when her parents visited her at the corrections center.

Casey told Kristina, “You know I’d never let anything happen to my daughter”. And yet, something horrible had happened to 3-yr-old Caylee while under Casey’s “care”.

By August 14, Caylee had been missing for two months. I wondered, in the videos, would Casey be like other mothers, frantic and half-crazed, whose children had been abducted? Would the videos show a Casey who “worked” with her parents and searched her mind for clues that she may have remembered during her long stay in jail? Clues which would ultimately prove her innocence? The videos gave insight into Casey Anthony’s true demeanor and “focus”:

Partial transcript of Casey Anthony’s August 14 meeting with George and Cindy Anthony:

Casey: Good morning.

George: Good morning, beautiful.

Casey: Why is she (Cindy) crying already?

George: Because we haven’t seen you.

Casey: I know! Hey, hold on one second. Calls out, “Ms. Baker?” I’m trying to get this turned up a little bit.

George: So how’s your day starting out so far?

Casey: (laughs) I was asleep. So that’s alright, I woke up at five, stayed up for about an hour, then went back to bed for a little bit. My eyes are red. I’m tired.

George: Okay. So what else is going on with you?

Casey: (laughs) Nothing. The usual. I guess waiting around. Those are new shirts. I like those.

George: Yes, those are the “Never Lose Hope Foundation”. They did these for us so….

Casey: Well I like those a lot, those are really nice.

George: Yeah, those are really sweet. Really, really sweet. Can you read what they say?

Casey: Ummm… “Fly home baby” and I don’t see the bottom.

George: It says “Fly home baby we miss you”. (Cindy puts her hand over mouth and begins to cry)

Casey: Those are nice shirts, I like those.

George: Let me have you speak to Mom, okay? She’s right here, she’s pulling at the phone. Hold on.

Casey: Hi.

Cindy: (Crying) Hi sweetie.

Casey: Hi Mom. (rubs eyes) Well I lasted a minute. How are you feeling?

Cindy: (shakes head, visibly distraught) We’re not doing well, Casey. None of us. Lee’s (Casey’s older brother) been sick. Dad’s blown up at the media.

Casey: Yeah, I heard.

Cindy: Well someone just said this morning that Caylee was dead this morning, that she drowned in the pool. That’s the newest story out there.

Casey: Surprise, surprise.

Cindy: So it’s very hard…

Casey: Well, yeah, I… trust me, I know that, someone just sent me some of the stuff that’s been online. Comments that people have been leaving off of certain articles, I guess that have been written and it was very upsetting last night to see that but…

Cindy: It’s terrible Casey. The hate mail, threatening letters…

Casey: Well I haven’t gotten anything like that, thankfully… all the letters that I have gotten have been positive, even the letter that she had attached was still very positive. Everyone’s certain that she’s (Caylee) okay, offering help. Couple of people have said they called and talked to Dad or left him messages so…

Cindy: We need to have something to go on…

Casey: (Demeanor changes instantly, becomes angry) Mom, I don’t have anything to go on. I’m sorry, I’ve been here a month today. Do you understand how I feel?

I mean, do you really understand how I feel in this? I am completely, completely out of the loop with everything. The only information I get is when I see my attorney. Outside of that, I have nothing to go on. Everyday I have to sit here and wait and wonder. I wonder if something is going on. I wondering if there’s something new.

Cindy: Did they ask you about which one of us you want to meet with?

Casey: Yeah, I wanted to see Dad. I want to see everybody but I had to choose, and I wanted to see Dad.

Cindy: Alright. Then here, talk to your Dad. (Hands phone to George)

The first words out of Casey’s mouth weren’t about her daughter, whether there were any new leads concerning Caylee, instead Casey was “tired” and doing “nothing” but “sitting around”.

She noticed the matching t-shirts her parents wore which should have been a visual clue to Casey that her daughter was still missing. Instead, Casey called the t-shirts “sweet” and that she “liked” them but failed to elaborate on their significance. When Casey asked her mother how she was doing, Casey didn’t empathize with her parent’s plight. It was obvious that Cindy and George were suffering yet Casey turned the conversation back to herself.

When Cindy talked about someone saying that Caylee might be “dead, drowned in the pool”, Casey responded with a sardonic “surprise, surprise”. She didn’t talk about her daughter, where Caylee might be, or how she might faring, or how much Casey missed her. Instead, Casey talked about “comments” that she had read.

When Cindy told Casey that they “needed something to go on”, Casey responded with anger and accusations loaded with guilt. Her parents didn’t “understand” that she’d been in jail for a “month”. Casey never mentioned that Caylee, her little 3-yr-old girl, had been in “limbo”, missing for two months. Nor did Casey empathize with her parents obvious concern for Caylee. Instead she angrily pointed out that she was one who was “suffering”.

The next time Casey mentioned Caylee was during a conversation with her father:

Casey: Dad, I’ve told Jose.. no, I’ve given him the information to give you guys. We’ve given the information, you guys have given everything to the police. They’re not helping us, it’s obvious. We know their intentions so I’m sorry, I’ve helped in every way that I possibly can since the day I got here. They didn’t even give me 24 hours to help them, the police, without putting me here. So it’s obvious where everybody’s intentions lie. I know you guys want Caylee, I want Caylee more than anybody can understand, but I can’t do anything, I can’t do anything from where I’m at.

While Casey claimed she wanted “Caylee more than anybody” she also played a “guilt” card. According to Casey, she couldn’t possibly “do anything” because she was in jail. Which implied, “get me out of jail, and then I’ll help”. Casey also claimed that the police “were not helping us” and that she and her parents “knew” what their “intentions” were.

George talked to Casey about “focus:

George: I want you to realize something. Number one… or at least number 1.1 and number 1 should be you and Caylee. That’s the way it should be. It shouldn’t be Jose, then you, then Caylee then everything else has fallen in line. It has to be you two, you know, you and your daughter has got to be the ones who have to be focused on.

Casey Anthony: Well he’s focusing on Caylee. You guys are focusing on Caylee. I know I’m still part of your focus but she’s your main focus and I understand that. Dad, I know where everybody’s priorities lie, I knew that the day that I got here.

George Anthony: Well then again I want to bring up about, you know, you being the boss. You’re the one who can control everything, you’re the one who..

Casey: Dad! Please! I’m completely…

George: I’m not trying to get you upset…

Casey: I am upset Dad. I’m completely upset. The media is going to have a frikkin field day with this. I wasn’t even supposed to take this.

George tries to speak…

Casey: (Demanding) Let me speak first. Dad, I’ve let everybody talk. They’re not releasing, well I hope not. I’ll keep saying whatever I have to about the police.

Casey told her father that she knew everyone’s focus was on Caylee and then on her. Watching the videos it was apparent, that like a laser beam, Casey’s “focus” was only on herself.

George: Okay. (hands phone to Cindy) Here’s your mom..

Casey: (Visibly angry) Can someone let me… Come on!

Cindy: Casey. Come on, sweetheart, settle down.

Casey: Nobody’s letting me speak. You want me to talk then give me three seconds to say something… I’m not in control over any of this because I don’t know what the hell is going on. I don’t know what’s going on. My entire life has been taken from me. Everything has been taken from me. (Crying) You don’t understand, everyone wants me to have answers, I don’t have any answers because I don’t know what’s going on. I have no one to talk to. Jose, when he comes is the only person I can talk to right now because I can’t even say anything to you guys besides telling you that I love you. I want Caylee. Things like that and that’s not even being put on the air (tv news) which it should be. It’s everything else, everything that I’m not saying. That’s why I haven’t been calling. That’s why I haven’t been taking calls because haven’t I said that we weren’t going to do that because I have been trying to make sure that I’m not going to give anybody anything else to throw against me. Even with me giving them nothing they’re still doing it so…

Casey claimed that “nobody’s letting me speak”. Yet Casey took ample opportunity to speak during the visit, it was clear there were certain subjects she wasn’t going to discuss, such as giving her parents any new information that may help find Caylee. Instead she claimed it was her “life” that was over and that she hadn’t called her parents because she didn’t want to give anyone “anything to throw against me”.

Cindy: You’ll be fine once Caylee’s found.

Casey: Mom, I understand that. Do you understand my position on this? You guys expect me to have a thousand answers and I have nothing. I’ve been here a month. I’m out of contact with everybody except you guys on the rare occasion that I get to see you and my attorney. Do you understand, what am I supposed to learn from that? What am I supposed to learn from that? At the first week and a half, yeah, I tried to help you guys backtrack, again, that’s all I could do, backtrack. I can’t backtrack on anything. A month I’ve been removed from the situation, you guys are not understanding my side on this, I’m sorry.

Casey claimed she had been “out of contact with everybody” yet it was Casey who refused to talk or meet with her parents. Her exile was “self imposed”. She was angry that she had “lost control” of the “situation”. Sadly, the “situation” she referred to was her missing daughter Caylee, who had been relegated to “less than 3rd person” status by her own mother.

Casey then spoke about what her “focus” was:

Cindy: No, I understand.

Casey: No, you don’t because you’re still asking me if there’s anything I can tell you that’s going to help. That I’m the one that can do this. I can’t. The opportunity was there that I probably could have helped. I’m trying! I was trying… there’s nothing more that I can say or do until I’m home and even then I don’t know what I can do from that point but I can at least do something other than sit on my butt all day and read or look up stuff for my case because that has to be my focus right now. That has to be my focus right now.

According to Casey, her mother asking her questions about Caylee was a breach of “understanding” the “duress” Casey was under, that she “couldn’t” help solve the mystery of where Caylee was, as long as she was in jail, and that Casey’s focus was on her “case”.

Casey claimed an “opportunity” had been missed where she could have helped and that she was “trying” or had “tried”. Casey heaped guilt on her parents shoulders, the implication being that since her parents hadn’t bailed her out of jail then it was impossible for her to “help” find Caylee.

In a soft voice, Cindy once again mentioned Caylee:

Cindy: The focus has to be on Caylee.

Casey: Mom, if that’s my focus, which it is, I can’t do anything from here. I don’t have access to the internet. I can’t make phone calls, I can’t go anywhere.

Casey had a month prior to reporting that Caylee was missing. A month that Casey claimed she was trying to find Caylee. Yet here she was, claiming that if she were released from jail she could once again put her “super” sleuth powers to work.

Cindy: Well what can I do?

Casey: I’ve already told you Mom, I told you everything..

Cindy: I’ve thought about everything that you told me over the last month…

Casey: You’ve thought about stuff and you’ve done what you can, I’m sorry that’s all I can do, the only knowledge that I have.

Cindy: I was in Lake County two days ago, is there anything there?

Casey: Mom! Jesus! I’m sorry, I love you guys, I miss you…

Cindy: Alright sweetheart, here’s Dad.

Casey: No! I’m going to hang up and just walk away right now because…

Cindy: Please don’t…

Once again, Casey claimed she couldn’t help because she was in jail. When Cindy dared to push the envelope and asked if there was anything about Lake County that rang a bell, Casey threatened to hang up the phone and walk away. Casey now had her mother literally begging her to stay and on Casey’s terms of guilt and manipulation:

Casey: I’m frustrated and I’m angry and I don’t want to be angry, this is the first I’ve truly been angry this entire time but I’m so beyond frustrated with all of this. I can’t even swallow right now it hurts.

Cindy: Just so you understand, we’re all going in so many different directions we just want to go in the right one.

Casey: Well I can’t point you in that direction when I’m literally at a standstill.

Cindy: (soft voice) Okay.

Casey: I’m just as removed from the situation as somebody who has no clue to what’s going on, at least even random people, that we’ve never met have more of an outlook on this than I do right now. It’s really sad. It’s really, really sad that I literally have nothing right now.

Casey claimed that she was at a “standstill” and could not possibly “point” her parents in the “right direction” in regards to clues which might help locate Caylee. According to Casey, what was “sad” wasn’t Caylee missing, but that Casey was stuck in jail.

Yet just how did Casey “know” she had “nothing” to offer anyone by way of clues? Clues are often small pieces of information or evidence which, when put together, can help solve a puzzle or crime. Yet, because of Casey’s actions, there was more than one “puzzle” to solve.

Casey’s refusal to even discuss potential clues seemed to indicate either someone who firmly believed they knew better than anyone else what might be a clue, or someone who feared any new clues might lead to more evidence being procured against them. Either way, it was clearly an issue of control. Casey had no desire to speak about the “situation” regarding Caylee other than how it affected Casey. Whenever her mother broached the subject, Casey responded with anger and accusations which were designed to foster feelings of guilt in her parents and to shut off any discourse about Caylee.

It was apparent her parents felt they had little room to maneuver when dealing with Casey. They desperately sought answers from their daughter which might lead them to Caylee. One wrong word, or failure to acknowledge Casey’s perceived suffering over being incarcerated, could lead to Casey cutting them off from communication. Communication they felt they needed to keep open, however tenuous.

Once again, Casey took the opportunity to remind her parents how it was Casey who was the one who “suffered all alone”, while they “had each other”:

Cindy: Well none of us have anything right now Casey.

Casey: You guys have each other. You’re sitting next to Dad, you still have Lee, you have access to our community, to our family and friends, to our house. You’re taking for granted the fact that I have no one to comfort me but myself and the occasional visit which has to be business for the sake of finding Caylee. So yeah, it may look like I’m in charge… wrong! I’m completely pushed away from everything.

Casey never acknowledged that it was her actions that led to her incarceration. She continued to pile on the accusation that her parents not posting bail was detrimental to Casey, that refusing to bail her out was not “helping her help” herself:

Casey: Mom, I know what I’m honestly up against. You guys understand what I’m honestly up against and with keeping me here you’re not helping me help myself. I’m sorry to say that.

Cindy: We don’t have the means to get you out anyways, sweetheart, we don’t.

Casey: I understand that but the opportunity was there and it wasn’t taken advantage of.

Cindy: We didn’t have an opportunity, I don’t know where you’re hearing this.

Casey: Give Dad the phone please I don’t want to get frustrated, just give the phone to Dad.

Cindy Anthony on Larry King Live

Casey admitted to her parents that while in jail she had been following the news coverage of Caylee as well Casey’s incarceration. On July 25, WESH Channel 2 had the following article: Casey From Jail: “I Wouldn’t Let Anything Happen to my Daughter”.

In the article WESH reported that authorities had released a taped phone call conversation between Casey and members from her family on July 16. The article also reported that Casey’s brother Lee had met with Casey and that Casey wanted to speak to the FBI and the police. Lee had also gotten Casey’s version of what happened to Casey.

Further down in the article was a reference about Cindy being on the Today Show. WESH was able to ask Cindy whether the Anthony family was “still trying” to get Casey out of jail:

WESH 2 cameras caught up with her after the interview. When asked if the family is still trying to get Casey Anthony out of jail, Cindy Anthony said an appeal has been filed. However, she said the focus continues to be on finding Caylee.

She also said if they want to bond Casey Anthony out, finding $50,000 wouldn’t be a problem.

Which seemed to imply that Casey’s parents could have bonded their daughter out of jail if they had chosen to do so. An implication that Casey Anthony was unlikely to overlook.

On July 25, CFNews 13 reported that Casey’s parents had set up a “Caylee Call Center”. According to George Anthony, the center had contacted over 100,000 people with a prerecorded message from George. George also spoke about the ongoing investigation:

“I’m not going to impede the investigation, what might be going on at the moment, in which I hope there’s one going on. All I can do is tell you that there’s been some credible things that have been passed on to us, that we feel credible, anyhow in our heart — not speaking emotionally, but common sensewise and gut feeling — that there’s something going on in another state that we believe needs some attention drawn to it,” George Anthony said.

On July 28, CFNews 13 reported that the Anthony were offering a $125,000 reward for Caylee’s safe return.

The article also contained a quote from Cindy which seemed to more than infer that Cindy had bought into her daughter’s claim about why she hadn’t contacted the police for “31″ days that Caylee was missing:

“No one can imagine why you wouldn’t go to the police. Well, I can imagine a reason,” Cindy Anthony said.

According to Cindy Anthony, her daughter’s behavior, including her lack of emotion and conflicting stories, all support the idea she is holding back information to either protect Caylee or the family.

Or, perhaps to protect Casey. It was the police who only took less than 24 hours to expose Casey’s web of lies that had begun months, even years ago to friends and family. Even more bizarre was a report from CFNews 13 on July 21 where Cindy claimed that Casey “knows” where Caylee is and that Casey may be trying to send “clues” to her family “but isn’t able to tell the whole story to investigators”.

“Her plan was to get us all back together, and I think her plan has changed and I think that’s what happened,” said Cindy Anthony. “Her plan changed halfway through, and she doesn’t know where it’s at right now. I truly believe Casey knows who has Caylee but it’s code name. That’s why they can’t find that person just yet.”

On July 28, WESH Channel Two published an article: Media Attention Takes Toll on Anthony Family. In the article Cindy Anthony was quoted about a possible scam where a man claiming to be George Anthony had contacted a viewer. The viewer claimed that the man had said that he was trying to raise money for Casey’s bond:

WESH 2 News received a call from a viewer who said they got a call from a man who identified himself as George Anthony and that he’s trying to raise money for Casey Anthony’s bond, asking for donations.

Cindy Anthony said it’s not legitimate.

“We haven’t even set up a fund for Casey. We’re not worried about that. We’ve set up a fund for Caylee, so I have no knowledge of that,” Cindy Anthony said. She said she’s sure it’s a scam.

What’s interesting to note is that Cindy admitted that while they had set up a fund for Caylee, they hadn’t taken the same steps for Casey. Which seemed to intimate that Cindy and George Anthony either didn’t trust or believe her. If they had, they could have immediately bonded their daughter out of jail.

The article had yet another quote from Cindy, this time about not being an “investigator” when she visited her daughter in an upcoming visit scheduled for the next day:

Cindy and George Anthony will visit their daughter in jail on Tuesday.

Cindy Anthony said she will not go to the jail as an investigator and ask her daughter a bunch of questions. She said she’s going to go there as a mother.

On July 30, WESH Channel 2 reported that the Fifth District Court of Appeals had denied Casey’s request to lower her bond from $500,000 to $10,000. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum had responded to Casey’s appeal:

McCollum said that he opposes the bond being lowered, arguing that Strickland did not abuse his discretion by setting a $500,000 bond.

He also pointed out the “numerous lies” Casey Anthony told law enforcement, and talked about the prosecution’s belief that Caylee Anthony “may have been murdered.” McCollum pointed out the possible smell of human decomposition in her car, the suspect hair and stain in Casey Anthony’s car and the fact that cadaver dogs alerted on her trunk and the family’s back yard.

The appeals court also ordered Casey Anthony’s psychiatric evaluation sealed. The judge reviewed it before making Wednesday’s decision.

WESH also reported that Cindy had been a guest on Larry King Live. While on Larry King Live Cindy claimed that Caylee was with her nanny:

Meanwhile, Casey Anthony’s mother, Cindy Anthony, appeared on “Larry King Live” Tuesday night. She said the baby sitter who has Caylee loves the child and wants to keep her.

Casey Anthony said at the beginning of the investigation that she left Caylee with a woman named Zenaida Hernandez-Gonzales.

“They told us there was one person in Central Florida with that name, in fact there’s nine in Central Florida,” Cindy Anthony said while on “Larry King Live.” “I just got a phone call on my way here that there’s four in Ft. Lauderdale and my daughter said that this girl had a Ft. Lauderdale phone number and has connections in Ft. Lauderdale and New York and New Jersey and in every state there’s people by this name.”

Cindy had bought into Casey’s story, because in this version, Caylee was now with a nanny who “loved” Caylee and “wanted to keep her”. This version was far different than the prior story where Casey claimed she didn’t report Caylee missing because she feared Caylee might be harmed by her captor, the nanny Zenaida, if Casey contacted the authorities.

It’s apparent that Cindy desperately wanted to believe the “kinder, gentler” version her daughter told regarding the nanny’s intentions because to do otherwise would mean that something horrible might have happened to Caylee. It was also obvious that Cindy Anthony was “playing” by her daughter’s rules.

This was quite interesting as you have a young woman who did not report her small daughter was missing for month. Who was forced into filing a police report by her mother. Who then lied profusely and repeatedly in her police report. Who now sat in jail. Yet Casey’s mother was handling her with “kid gloves”.

Cindy’s behavior in regards to her daughter seemed puzzling: if Cindy, after all her daughter’s lies and strange behavior, still believed her daughter, then this bordered on the bizarre. A more realistic scenario would be Cindy “playing” along with her daughter in order to “glean” more information to help find Caylee. Yet the stakes were so high, a missing little three-yr-old girl, it seemed the time of playing games, at least in regards to Cindy, should have ended.

It is my opinion that Casey Anthony exhibits the behavior of a malignant narcissist. Malignant narcissists crave attention, drama, and being the center of attention. For Casey to have to sit in the Orange County Correction Center cooling her heels while her mother appeared on such popular television shows such as The Today Show and Larry King Live would have angered and frustrated Casey. After all, in Casey’s mind, it was her daughter who was missing. It was Casey who claimed she had searched for Caylee and Zenaida for four weeks. Casey was the “misunderstood hero” while her mother was now on national television. It wouldn’t occur to Casey that it was her own machinations that led to her being incarcerated. It wouldn’t occur to Casey that Cindy was on television because she was using every tool available to try to find Caylee. Nor would it matter to Casey that her mother also had to face the tough questions being asked about her daughter’s behavior, of not reporting Caylee missing for a month, of telling a pack of lies to the police, of getting arrested. Or whether Caylee could be dead by the hands of her own daughter, Casey.

There is nothing more maddening and frustrating to a malignant narcissist than to be shunted aside, especially when an ongoing “drama” is related to them. Malignant narcissists are adept in maintaining that their, in most cases, bizarre version of what occurred is true, even when faced with proof that they are lying. When this occurs they are masters of maniacal persuasion: they’re the one who is being persecuted. They didn’t lie, it is the fault of the “listeners”, they failed to “listen” to what the malignant narcissist was trying to say. Their version, built on shadows and fog, can change in the blink of an eye, leaving the “listener” in a maelstrom of conflicting details.

Another weapon of the malignant narcissist is the “you just don’t understand”. If one just “understood” then one would realize the malignant narcissist is telling the “truth”, at least as it pertains to the bizzaro world they inhabit.

Part of a malignant narcissist’s arsenal is the warped view of how the world has “conspired” against them. In Casey’s world, it was police who were out to get her as well as her mother who had refused to post her bond and who now “basked” in the limelight on The Today Show and Larry King Live.

After Casey’s mother “frustrated” her, Casey started to “work” on her father. According to Casey, this was the first time “she’s become angry” and now she was, “sorry to say, hurt by everything”.

George: Hey sweetie.

Casey: This is seriously the first time that I’ve been angry. That I’ve been this frustrated to where I can’t even think straight at this moment. Throughout this entire thing I was pissed off that day at the police station, I was mad when all that happened but I tried to look at things objectively, and this entire time I haven’t sat in my room for the entire month and not been mad, not once. Not one time. But right now this is the most agitated and frustrated that I’ve been when I sat with Jose and I watched that episode of Nancy Grace and stuff that was being said about Mom and being said about me and him and everybody else and stuff that I’ve heard, it frustrated me but I let it go. Right now I’m so hurt by everything I don’t even know what to say. And I hate to say that.

George: Well I’m not trying to upset you and neither are Mom, we’re not trying to and if we are I’m sorry for that.

Casey: I know that’s not your intention. You have to understand where I’m coming from in this and obviously none of you are. By expecting me a month literally out of the loop to have some sort of new insight on stuff? I mean, really?

After George apologized, Casey learned that she could effectively coerce her parents into not inquiring about the circumstances surrounding Caylee’s disappearance, using guilt as at tool. What’s interesting to note is that the judge who set Casey’s bond on July 22 stated that Casey “was using her silence as leverage to get out of jail”.

Casey continued to pound her parents with accusations that they haven’t suffered because “they have each other to lean on” while Casey was “all alone”:

George: Okay. You know it’s just hard for you, I know it’s hard for us cause none of us have ever been through any of this kind of stuff. None us, you know?

(Cindy Anthony has leaned over and placed her head on the table)

Casey: Well obviously not and we need to stick together in this and it’s hard for us to at this point.

George: Well, we are sticking together, we are.

Casey: For Mom to say you guys have nothing what I told her you guys have each other to lean on. I don’t have anybody. I have myself and the occasions that I can see my attorneys who are trying to do whatever for myself and for Caylee. So you guys at least have the crutch or multiple crutches throughout the community with everybody.

This was far from true, George and Cindy faced the outrage and wrath of some in their community. They received threatening phone calls and letters. The media camped out in their front yard and followed them.

Rather than talking about Caylee, Casey managed to speak about how miserable she was on Saturday, and how she spent it “reading her bible”:

George: Okay, I’m going to do this on my own and I’ll do this very quickly, okay? So how did you get through last Saturday?

Casey: I didn’t. I spend the day almost completely by myself, with my head under the covers. I read my Bible almost the entire day, it was miserable. It was completely and utterly miserable. Just like I have been the entire time it was the first time outside of our visits that I’ve really shown any emotions. I was open and I didn’t care because I couldn’t hold anything back. I broke down. It was the first time that I truly, truly broke down. And it hurt and I’m still recovering from that. Hearing about the fact that Mom was making chili but there’s probably a bunch of people at the house.

Casey even referred to the Bible when her father spoke about a young man who showed up at their home:

Casey: Bible says to love thy neighbor.

George: Yeah.

Casey: To share the things you have. To give unto others. You did exactly what you should do and by all means. I know that that meant more to him than any of you guys could possibly imagine.

The Bible also says “do not kill” but I digress.

Casey: There are other people, I know a lot about all of them surprisingly now. (Cindy gets up and walks off) I didn’t want to upset Mom but for once, I let you guys talk, I wanted to hear what you guys had to say and more but at this point I can only hold so much back now, I can hold only so much in and not show my little bit of frustration with stuff because I’ve been very good about not doing that. About staying calm.

George: I’m very thankful you took the time to talk to us today, I really am. When we first got here I thought well maybe we might be turned away. I’m glad you talked to us, I really am, I’m glad. Got a chance to see you.

Casey claimed she “let her parents talk” and that she wanted to “hear” what they had to say yet it’s apparent watching the videos that the exact opposite occurred. It was Casey who monopolized the conversation. It was Casey who squashed certain topics, namely anything having to do with Caylee. It was Casey who used manipulation in order to achieve what she wanted. It was George and Cindy who apologized to Casey. It seemed, to this observer, that if anyone should be profusely apologizing it should be Casey.

It was Casey’s actions that led to Casey being incarcerated in jail. It was Casey who refused to cooperate in the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance. It was Casey who had effectively destroyed her parent’s life, and perhaps, at that juncture, had a hand in her daughter’s disappearance. It is was Casey who now sat on her jail chair and royally received the apologies of her parents. The very same people who now paid for her attorney.

The prior excerpts that I posted were the only time Casey mentioned her daughter. At no time did she express any sadness over missing her daughter, at no time did she inquire about the investigation and whether there were any new leads. At no time did she mention “praying” for her daughter’s safety and safe return.

On August 21, Casey’s bond was paid for by California bounty hunter, Leon Padilla. She was later re-arrested on August 28 for “uttering a forged instrument, fraudulent use of personal information and petit theft”. The bounty hunter had a change of heart, rescinding his offer to post bond. Orange County authorities filed additional charges of check fraud and theft.

On September 5, an anonymous donor posted Casey’s bond. Her freedom was short-lived: she was once again arrested on September 15 on additional theft and check fraud charges. Bond was posted for $1,250 and Casey was once again released from jail.

On October 14, Casey Anthony was indicted on first degree murder charges:

The 19 grand jurors — 10 women and nine men — deliberated for about half an hour after hearing from police, a cadaver dog handler, an FBI agent and the missing child’s grandfather.

Authorities were quick to remind the public that, despite the indictment, Caylee’s whereabouts remain a mystery.

“Despite the charges against Ms. Anthony we have not achieved our objective,” he said. “We have not found little Caylee Anthony.”

Before her arrest, Anthony’s lawyer continued to maintain her innocence.

“She has been living a nightmare,” the attorney added. “She has a missing child. She’s also a child.”

A 22, Casey Anthony was no longer a child. She had lied to her family, to her friends, and to the authorities. She had stolen credit cards and cash. She didn’t report her daughter missing for four weeks and only reluctantly filed a missing persons report. It was her family who were living out the nightmare unleashed by their daughter. The only “nightmare” Casey faced: the consequences of her actions.

On October 15, Casey was arrested during a traffic stop:

Anthony, 22, was arrested Tuesday in a traffic stop after officers observed her switch cars on a highway and pulled her over, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.

She had promised to surrender if indicted. Late on Tuesday afternoon, a grand jury returned the indictment charging her with seven counts, including capital murder, in the toddler’s disappearance.

“She’s not running from this,” attorney Jose Baez said Tuesday as his client wiped tears from her eyes during an impromptu media briefing before the charges against her were announced. “She’s doing her best to stand strong, to stand up to the powers that are working against her. And they threw the kitchen sink at her a long time ago.”

After the indictment, undercover officers followed Anthony as she traveled in her mother’s SUV. The officers saw the SUV stop under a highway overpass, at which point Anthony got into another vehicle and drove off. Officers made the traffic stop after she entered the second vehicle, the spokesman said.

Prosecutors are asking Anthony be held without bond.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of providing false information to police.

Caylee’s remains were discovered in a wooded area less than a 1/2 mile from the Anthony’s home on December 11.

On December 17, WFTV reported George and Cindy released a statement pertaining the small human remains found near their home:

“The last six months have been the hardest six months of our lives and we understand that the ongoing investigation and prosecution of our daughter, Casey, will consume our lives with conflict,” Conway read from the statement. “Based on recent developments we are realistic but continue to hope and pray that these remains are not those of our precious granddaughter Caylee Marie.”

WFTV reported that a childhood friend, Kiomarie Cruz, had told deputies about a wooded area close to Anthony’s home where she and Casey used to “hang out”:

In an interview, Cruz told detectives she and Casey, “pretty much used to hang out there most of our time,” would “snack on food for hours,” and went there to “get away from our parents.”

A judge denied a request by Casey’s defense team to “examine material” gathered from where the remains were recovered:

Anthony’s defense team had asked for an emergency court hearing Tuesday afternoon to force investigators to turn over photographs, video and sketches of the scene. The lawyers also requested a second autopsy be performed on the remains.

Judge Stan Strickland denied two motions and put aside one.

“Part of this is just pure folly,” said Strickland. “I just can’t do some of what you’re asking for.”

Judge Stan Strickland ruled that the defense had “no right” to “interfere” with detectives working a crime scene:

“There’s no time clock on an investigation and if law enforcement doesn’t do an exhaustive job, defense will argue it was shoddy and inadequate,” said Strickland.

On December 19, Orange County Medical Examiner Dr. Jan C. Garavaglia found Caylee’s death to be “listed as homicide by unknown means” and that the “manner of death” was “homocide”.

The Anthony’s released a statement:

“They now know that their precious granddaughter is safe and hope that she will serve as the angel that protects thousands of missing children and their families,” he said, adding that the Anthonys want “the same answers as everyone who has been assigned to investigate and prosecute this case” and will be available to authorities.

“As you can imagine, the Anthonys are grieving deeply over this loss,” he said. “Please respect their privacy and understand they will stand together as a family in order to get through this. … This is a tragic moment in the lives of good and honorable people. Please treat them respectfully so they can grieve with dignity over the loss of this precious child, Caylee Marie Anthony.”

Casey’s attorney, Jose Baez, was incensed that he wasn’t allowed to inform Casey of the news that her daughter’s remains had been positively identified:

“That courtesy was not given to us,” he said. “That lack of professionalism, I’m really at a loss for words … She’s innocent and we are moving forward and again you really don’t know half of the story,” said Baez.

The jail said it follows a strict protocol when notifying inmates about a death.

On December 23, WFTV reported that the Anthony’s plans to set up a trust fund for donations for Caylee’s burial had changed due to backlash from the public:

Eyewitness news reported the trust fund on Monday. Since then, hundreds of bloggers wrote that they were outraged with the idea. George and Cindy’s attorney Brad Conway said he received numerous angry emails.

Luke said the Anthonys have now changed their mind because do not want the public to think they are misusing any funds.

“It is suspended indefinitely because what they are trying to avoid. They are trying to avoid this cloud of impropriety,” said Luka.

The Anthonys say they will have a private and public service. A date and time won’t be set until the second autopsy is completed.

In the same article it was reported that Casey would not be allowed to leave jail for Caylee’s funeral or viewing:

A jail spokesman said Casey Anthony will not be able to attend a funeral or viewing for her daughter, Caylee, due to her first-degree murder charge and because of the security risks.

The attorney for the family says a public memorial service will be held for the little girl.

It was also reported that Casey would be spending Christmas “alone” as none of her family had signed up for a visit.

The Anthonys are now intent on providing a defense for their daughter in her upcoming trial of first degree murder charges. Their focus has now changed: from finding Caylee to defending their daughter.

Casey continues to claim that the “nanny” was the one who “took” her daughter. George, Cindy, and as well as Casey’s brother Lee will most likely be called as witnesses for the state as well as witnesses for the defense. At this juncture it’s impossible to decipher as to whether they will ever be able to untangle themselves from Casey’s manipulations as they are bound and shackled by their love for their daughter. The same love that Casey has used, and continues to use to against them.

Many have condemned the Anthony’s “behavior” regarding their daughter Casey. The Anthonys have had to deal and are still dealing with the months long agony of not knowing where Caylee was or what had happened to her. They also had to deal and to continue to deal with a daughter who exhibits the behavior of a malignant narcissist. Malignant narcissists can literally destroy a family over mundane events, the disappearance of Caylee was catastrophic.

Yet parents, unless faced with concrete, iron-clad evidence of their daughter’s guilt, will continue to cling to the hope that their child is innocent. To do otherwise would mean the almost impossible step into a world of insanity, that one’s child had murdered their own flesh and blood.

By LBG

Image - Casey and Caylee Anthony
Image – Cindy and George Anthony
Image - Casey Anthony – Larry King Live
Image – Nightmare

Tags: Casey Anthony, Caylee Anthony, child, Cindy Anthony, Florida, George Anthony, malignant narcissist, missing, murder, videos