Casey Anthony trial: Where are they now?

ORLAND, Fla. - The trial of Florida v. Casey Anthony – the Florida mom once accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee – gripped the nation in 2008 and 2011. There were frantic searches – and hope – of finding Caylee alive. Tragically, that was not the case. Caylee's skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near the Orlando home of her grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony, six months after she was last reported to be seen alive.

Casey Anthony – then the girl's 22-year-old mom – was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and providing false information to a law enforcement officer regarding a missing person. She was acquitted of murder, child abuse, and manslaughter, and found guilty of lying to law enforcement – a controversial decision among many watching the trial.

It was a made-for-TV trial that was streamed minute by minute across TV networks, streamed online, and brought hundreds of so-called trial watchers to Orlando for a chance at watching the trial unfold in real time.

This week, Casey Anthony re-emerged on TiKTok to "reintroduce" herself to the world as a "legal advocate" and to advocate for herself and her late daughter. She also touted her new business venture – a Substak where she intends to share tips and resources for people navigating the legal system.

 Here's a look at where some of the key players in the trial – state prosecutors, defense, and Casey Anthony – are now:

Casey Anthony Trial: Key Players - and where are they now?

Jose Baez

Jose was the lead attorney on Casey Anthony's defense team. He withdrew from her defense in 2012, following Anthony's acquittal. Jose is part of "The Baez Law Firm," and has officers in Orlando and Miami. He still holds an active license, according to the Florida Bar website. He is also part of Harvard Law's faculty, according to an online bio.

James Cheney Mason

James Cheney Mason served as co-counsel on Anthony's defense team. Mason has a family law practice in Winter Park, according to his website. He still holds an active license, according to the Florida Bar website.

Judge Belvin Perry Jr. (retired)

 Belvin Perry Jr. served as the trial judge during Casey Anthony's trial. He retired from the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on Aug. 31, 2014, three years after Casey Anthony's case. In 2024, he was appointed to the Florida Agriculture and Mechanica University (FAMU) Board of Trustees. in Jan. 2025, he was voted out as chair of Bethune-Cookman University's Board, but would remain on the board. He also serves as an expert in media interviews regarding major trials.

Dig deeper:

• Casey Anthony Trial: Jury delivers verdict (July 2011)
• Casey Anthony trial judge reacts to Kissimmee Police credibility allegations: '5-alarm dumpster fire'
• Casey Anthony murder trial investigator speaks 15 years after discovery of Caylee's body

Linda Drane Burdick

Linda Drane Burdick served as lead prosecutor in Casey Anthony's trial. She still works for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as an Assistant State Attorney, according to her Florida Bar profile. It does not appear that she has done many press interviews following the trial.

Jeff Ashton

 Jeff Ashton served as the co-prosecutor in the Casey Anthony trial. He then joined the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as a judge. He was accused of inappropriate behavior in the courtroom by the Judicial Qualifications commission, who dropped the case in Jan. 2025. Ashton lost his re-election bid. Frank George was also on the prosecution's team. 

George and Cindy Anthony

Casey Anthony's father and mother – and Caylee Anthony's grandparents. George was accused by the defense during trial of abusing Casey – and of hiding Caylee's body. He has repeatedly denied both those allegations – and has not ever been charged related to those allegations. George and Cindy have done several interviews since the trial and appeared in various documentaries, including interviews with Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Investigation Discovery. In 2024, A&E aired a TV special where George and Cindy underwent lie-detector tests related to Casey Anthony, the case, and the death of Caylee.

Where is Casey Anthony now?

According to a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, Anthony had moved to South Florida, where she was reportedly working for a private detective who had worked on her defense team. In that interview, she denied knowing what had happened to her daughter.

In 2020, Casey Anthony participated in a docuseries, "Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies," which streamed via Peacock. She also, according to state records and FOX News, filed documents to start her own private investigation business.

On March 1, 2025, Casey Anthony posted a 3-minute video to TikTok to "reintroduce herself" as a "legal advocate" for herself and her late daughter, Caylee.

"I am a legal advocate. I am a researcher. I have been in the legal field since 2011, and in this capacity, I feel that it's necessary if I'm going to continue to operate appropriately as a legal advocate that I start to advocate for myself and also advocate for my daughter," she said in the video, pushing people to her Substack, which charges $10 a month to subscribe to.

"My goal is to continue to help give a voice to people. To give people tools and resources that they can utilize so they actually know where they can turn to," she said.

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