>>>
good evening. as trials go, the
casey
anthony
case blew up before our very eyes, becoming an ongoing obsession of the summer of
2011
. for whatever reason, millions of people followed the case of this
young woman
, who waited over a month to report her 2-year-old daughter was missing. later found dead. and who was caught in a number of lies along the way. after a trial that lasted just over a month, when the jury came back with a verdict after just 11 hours of deliberations, a
guilty verdict
was assumed by the experts. but that is not what happened in the courtroom today because, of course, guilt must be proven. we begin here tonight with nbc
kerry sanders
in
orlando
, good evening.
>> reporter:
good evening, brian. it took the 12-member jury just under 11 hours to reach their verdict -- not guilty on all three felony counts.
>>
will the defendant rise, along with council?
>> reporter:
25 yooerd
casey
anthony
stood in the courtroom, no color in her face as the clerk read the verdict.
>>
as to the charge of first-degree murder, verdict as to count one, we the jury, find the defendant not guilty.
>> reporter:
on the charge of aggravated
child abuse
.
>>
we the jury find the defendant not guilty.
>> reporter:
and on the charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.
>>
we the jury find the defendant not guilty, so say we all.
>> reporter:
casey
anthony
took a deep breath and then began to cry as the clerk announced the jury's decision on four counts of providing false information to a
law enforcement officer
.
>>
we the jury find the defendant guilty.
>> reporter:
she could face four years in prison on those charges but today,
casey
was celebrating, embracing her legal team.
>>
oh, my god! oh, my god!
>> reporter:
the "not guilty" verdict stunned those watching this case.
>>
this system has failed miserably.
>> reporter:
angry because those who tuned in to all or part of this 36-day trial expected a different outcome.
>>
it's not right. this is wrong. this is bad.
>> reporter:
the trial verdict was watched around the world, and even at 24,000 feet, a verdict won by lead
defense attorney
, jose baez.
>>
there are no winners in this case.
>> reporter:
who said 2-year-old caylee
anthony
's death should not be lost in her mother's acquittal.
>>
caylee has passed on, far, far too soon.
casey
did not murder kay.
>> reporter:
she could face --
>>
i know i can go home and my daughter will ask me -- what did you do today? and i can say -- i saved a life.
>> reporter:
prosecutors jeff ashton and linda drane berdick.
>>
and their boss --
>>
i never, ever criticize a jury. theirs is the task of decide what can to believe.
>> reporter:
the lead prosecutor in this case, jeff ashton, announced this will be his last case. he is now retiring. the jurors were given an opportunity to comment. they chose not to. they are, tonight, on their way back home to st. petersburg, florida. about 100 miles from here. they've been sequestered in
orlando
. cindy and
george anthony
released a statement from their attorney that reads in part -- while the family may never know what happened to caylee marie
anthony
they now have closure for this chapter of their life. brian?
>>
kerry sanders
starting us off in
orlando
, thanks.
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