Once upon a time in AMerica before TV, before DNA, and before even a body was discovered people were convicted of murder on strong circumstantial evidence. The prosecution did not fuck up in this case. Based on what they presented I could vote guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There was compelling evidence there for me including the fact that Casey lied to her mother and purposefully tried to throw her off the track when her mom was actively looking for her little girl. Casey wasn't looking, know why? cause she knew she'd already killed her.
She's lucky I wasn't on that jury.
Circumstantial evidence is a powerful tool and could warrant a conviction in many cases. But just because you might have thought it sufficient in the Anthony case does not mean that it was invalid (or stupid) when the Anthony jury concluded that there was still a lack of sufficient proof.
In that case, the circumstantial evidence warranted concern and genuine suspicion. It remains a judgment call, however, whether it sufficed as proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Normally, the jury gets a charge in "circumstantial evidence" cases that instructs them that the INFERENCE that flows from the circumstances must be consistent ONLY with guilt. They get further directed that any inference OTHER THAN "guilt" MUST be granted to the defendant....
Either way, I still say it is unfair to attack the intelligence of that jury OR the professionalism of the prosecution.
It was a really tough one. You know in your gut that Casey killed Caylee. I know in my gut that Casey killed Caylee. But at the end of the day there was no murder weapon found, no DNA, no finger prints, or any other absolute evidence tieing anything at the scene to Casey, no eye witnesses; no cause of death, time of death, or place of death established. All we have is an unlikable, probably sociopathic, and clever liar of a mother that we wanted very much to be found guilty and to be punished for what most of us believe she did. But did the prosecution prove she did it beyond any reasonable doubt. I don't think they did. And the jury didn't have benefit of all the stuff we all were seeing on TV during the trial.
So, after thinking it through and hearing the comments of some of the jurors, including the foreman, since, I think they followed the law even though I think most of them also believed she was guilty.
It's one of those terrible conundrums in which justice was not served, but the system worked.