The parents of “America’s Most Hated Mom” seek to clear their name.
Casey Anthony’s parents, George and Cindy Anthony, agreed to undergo a polygraph test for a two-hour episode called “Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test.”
The A&E and Lifetime program will dive into the 2008 death of their granddaughter, Caylee Anthony. The case made international headlines and caused a split within the family. In 2011, Casey, 37, was prosecuted and later acquitted of the 2-year-old’s death.
The polygraph examination was conducted by retired FBI Special Agent George Olivo, who has performed hundreds of polygraphs over the last two decades. He was not permitted to provide the results to Fox News Digital. Olivo has also not seen the special, which will show George and Cindy reacting to each other’s replies and the lie detector results before it airs on January 4.
“When I met them, they were soon separated, and I tested George first,” Olivo explained to Fox News Digital. “There was nothing that truly struck out to me. On the surface, they appear to be an ordinary couple who have been together for a long time.”
Despite opponents’ claims that the Anthonys’ motivation for coming out was a publicity gimmick, Olivo stated that their motivation was genuine.
“You’ve got your daughter that’s accusing you of some pretty horrific things,” he went on to say. “If they claim they didn’t do anything, as the old saying goes, you’re darned if you do and darned if you don’t.”
If you remain silent, those same critics will say, ‘Well, there you go. They said nothing, so they must be guilty.’ And if they stand up and say, ‘I’d like to reply to it publicly, just like [my daughter] made her claims publicly,’ detractors would say, ‘They’re trying to capitalize on it.'”
“You can’t win either way,” remarked Olivo.
In 2022, Casey Anthony appeared in the Peacock docuseries “Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies.” It was Casey’s first public appearance since being judged not guilty of Caylee’s murder but convicted of lying to law police.
While Casey did not explicitly accuse her father of murdering Caylee in the docuseries, she did strongly suspect him of being involved.
Casey was arrested for Caylee’s disappearance in 2008. While the youngster was allegedly last seen on June 16, 2008, Casey’s mother first reported her missing on July 15. Caylee had gone missing with a babysitter, according to Casey.
Volunteers searched for the toddlers around the country for nearly six months, following up on hundreds of leads. On December 11, a utility worker working in a forested area near Casey’s Florida house discovered bone remains that were eventually identified as Caylee’s. Experts would testify that air testing revealed the presence of decomposing human remains in Casey’s trunk.
Casey was charged with murder, and her trial in 2011 was a media circus. Prosecutors established Casey was a liar but failed to persuade the jury of anything else. The government was unable to determine how Caylee died, and they were unable to locate her mother’s DNA on the duct tape that they said was used to suffocate her.
Casey’s defense team’s lead attorney, Jose Baez, maintained that Caylee drowned accidentally and that her death was covered up, however, Casey has stated that she does not believe her daughter drowned in the family’s above-ground pool. Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed Casey suffocated the girl with chloroform and then taped the toddler’s mouth shut.
Following a month-long trial, the jury needed less than 11 hours to declare Casey not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse. Casey was convicted on four counts of lying to police (two of which were later dropped) and was given credit for the three years she spent in prison awaiting trial.
Casey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. According to a source, Casey “doesn’t give an s–t” about her parents’ desire for a polygraph test.
“She says she knows the truth, and so do her parents,” the insider said. “A polygraph won’t change the truth.”
Olivo claims that when a polygraph is performed correctly, it is “85 to 90% accurate.” There will be pointed questions about whether George molested Casey and whether he was involved in Caylee’s death or in burying her body.
According to Olivo, 19 states admit polygraph findings in court under the stipulation, which means that both parties agree on admitting the results and who performs the test. He stated that while polygraph exams can be used in pretrial and post-trial proceedings to negotiate a sentence or even have a case dismissed before a district attorney files charges, the Supreme Court has concluded that polygraph examinations should not be utilized in front of a jury.
“The Supreme Court – and I agree with them – want the jury to be the final [arbiter] of truth,” he remarked.
Olivo further stated that according to FBI studies, 75% of guilty people will agree to a polygraph exam if properly questioned.
“I taught investigators and agents to ask someone to take a polygraph exam, not in a challenging way but in a more cooperative way,” he stated. “Like, ‘I trust you.'” Let us conduct a polygraph test to verify your statement. That way, you’ll be able to put everything behind you.'”
“People who are guilty have two strategies. They always act agreeable if they believe they can get away with it. Otherwise, you’ll appear guilty if you don’t. However, they frequently begin backpedaling before the test has even begun. ‘I’m pretty nervous’ or ‘I heard these things don’t actually work. ‘Are they not admissible?’ They’ll start getting all their ducks in a row because they’re already expecting things to go wrong.”
Olivo further stated that a real polygraph participant would be aware of the questions that would be asked to them ahead of time. There should be no “zingers” or “gotcha” situations. The purpose of the exam is not to surprise the individual, but rather to capture all physiological data.
“A legitimate polygraph test will have repetition,” he stated. “We ask the same questions over and over. A truthful person may be nervous at first, but they will become accustomed to it after a while. They will exhibit patterns of honesty. Every time they have to lie, a deceitful person becomes more worried. Every time they have to lie, they feel like they are putting their necks out farther and farther. We notice the reverse; a dishonest individual will not become accustomed.”
Olivo is hoping that there will be some sort of resolution, regardless of the outcome.
“In the end, this is still a family,” he went on to say. “… However, some wounds are simply too deep. I’m hoping they can pick up the pieces in some way. There are still a lot of bits spread over the ground.”
“Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test” premieres on A&E on January 4 at 9 p.m. Stephanie Pagones of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this story.