Casey Anthony Release: Parents Unwilling to Be Media Decoys
Casey Anthony’s parents refused to be media decoys on the day of their daughter’s release from prison, just after midnight on Sunday.
Mark Lippman, the Anthony family lawyer told HLN’s Jane Velez-Mitchell that Casey’s defense attorney, Jose Baez, called his clients asking them to help their daughter upon her release.
“Last night we got a call from Mr. Baez ... he had wanted to use my clients as decoys for the media and I, of course, did not agree with that and neither did my clients,” Lippman stated.
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“One, it was risky at best, and two, just in my opinion, something that would not be beneficial to anybody.”
Though his clients refused to participate in Baez’s plans, it did not indicate their lack of interest in their daughter.
When Cindy Anthony tried to contact Casey and see her after the court acquitted her daughter of murder, she was refused.
In an interview with The Examiner, Lippman revealed that Baez had blocked the visitation.
“After the trial Cindy tried to see Casey and again was rebuked,” the family lawyer said. “Now again, even a simple telephone call apparently seems to be too much for either Casey or Mr. Baez, so we’re asking publicly that Mr. Baez at least reach out to me and let me know what’s going on.”
Lippman told Velez-Mitchell that though George did not welcome his daughter back home – likely due to defense lawyers pinning Caylee Anthony’s death on George – Cindy was still concerned about Casey and waited to hear about her daughter’s safety.
After Casey’s release on Sunday, Baez reportedly texted Lippman saying that his client was at a safe location.
Upon leaving the Orange County Jail escorted by armed security on Sunday, Casey was led into a Chevy SUV with Baez, amid shouts of protest from an angry crowd.
She then purportedly boarded a private jet three hours later, headed towards Ohio – her parents' home state.
Relatives in Ohio denied having any knowledge of Casey’s whereabouts.
With the public still in outrage after jurors declared Casey not guilty of three counts of murder, manslaughter, and child abuse – unable to find evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee – many have taken justice into their own hands.
Protesters are avidly boycotting any future media deals with Casey, including TV appearances and book deals, and have gone even further, threatening members of the jury involved in the case as well as Casey’s family.
Defense attorneys also stated that Casey has so far received seven valid death threats, according to ABC.
One such threat included an e-mail photo showing Casey’s head with a bullet photoshopped inside of it, which was forwarded to the police.
As of late, her exact whereabouts are still unknown, and will most likely continue to be so because of the public outcry.
