Casey Anthony has finally been indicted for the first-degree murder of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. Casey is a sociopathic, superficial sensationalist. To a mental health professional, she fits the description of someone with an antisocial personality disorder - just a fancy name for "sociopath."
The disorder is recognizable by a lack of concern for others, as evidenced by her behavior after Caylee disappeared. She did not call 911 to report her daughter missing; that task was left to her mother, weeks after Caylee disappeared. While her daughter was missing, Casey was out ”clubbing”, buying lingerie and other sundry items for herself from Target, and cooking dinner for her boyfriend and his roommates.
Casey has consistently displayed contempt towards authority figures, masked by a thin veneer of civility. Listening to the police tapes, it is easy to see that Casey appears to be quite respectful to the police interviewers. She portrays herself during these interviews as one who has been wronged by a (fictitious) babysitter named Zanny, who, according to her story, kidnapped her beloved Caylee. Casey has been, according to her and to her family, maligned, misunderstood, and martyred.
In reality, Casey believes she is above the law. She presents herself as a mother who is only interested in finding her child. Yet she has done nothing but lie to the police and fabricate stories.
Everything she does is designed to protect herself by outwitting and outsmarting the legal authorities. She continues to display a great disdain for law enforcement, as evidenced by her unwillingness to tell the truth or be in any way helpful in locating her daughter.
Psychopaths are superficially charming in their ongoing attempts to get their own way. Casey has the capacity to read others quickly and recognize their vulnerabilities. Once recognized, she knows how to exploit others' weaknesses. She seems to have no qualms about violating the rights of others. Casey stole her friend's checkbook and wiped out her bank account, and not a cent of the money was spent on Caylee.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Tish
I saw a clip of her either going to the police station or her lawyer's office. Boy, was she really strutting her stuff like she was Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. She seemed to be trying to look serious, but at times unable to keep from breaking a smile. She was really enjoying the attention. If my child was gone, I'd be so sick with worry, I'm not sure I could even walk.
2 - Tresa
Everything you describe here, is my daughter. What can I can do? She is 17 and I have no control of her. She is being enabled by her father, with whom she lives with. How do I protect society? I have tried for yrs to get her help and for yrs, all my efforts were thwarted. Do i just look the othe way now and let society deal with her?
3 - Mindy
Tresa, not all sociopaths are criminals, and certainly not all of them are murderers. Is your daughter violent? Has she committed a crime or crimes? Most likely, the havoc she will wreak in others' lives will be emotional and pscychological. If she has committed a crime you need to turn her into the police. If she has not, you have responsibiilty for her until she is eighteen and then push her out the door. Don't let her poison your life.
4 - Tootie
WoW! So we got a professionals point of view from a professional, diagnosing Casey, just from watching her on TV. Very well done. (I Guess)
5 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Hi Everyone
Tootie--The great thing about living in the US is that we are all allowed to have our own opinion. Please feel free to disagree with what I have written. I did write this Opinion piece from more than just watching television. There are hundreds of documents related to this case that are available to the public. But most of all thanks for reading and commenting.
Tresa--It must be so challenging to be in your shoes. I would suggest you talk to a professional in your community. A forensic psychiatrist might be the most helpful as they deal with sociopaths all the time. Once you shared with them what was going on with your daughter they could give you the best advice. I know this must be very distressing for you.
Mindy--Thanks for commenting. I completely agree that not all sociopaths are murderers however many commit some type of crime such as shoplifting, petty thefts, etc. Sociopaths are also found in business, the military, and politics and these are people who appear to function at a high level with many responsibilities for other people's lives.
Tish--I think that most mothers can relate to that sick feeling if their child were missing. This case seems to hit a lot of nerves with many people. The sad thing is that Caylee has still not been found.
One gentle reminder to all who read this piece I did not say Casey was a murderer, that is for the courts to decide, I said she was a sociopathin my opinion.
Thanks for everyone's comments. All of your thoughts are what makes the piece much more interesting.
Juliann
6 - W
Ok seriously, I'm not proclaiming Casey's innocence here at all, and I don't think anyone other than the prosecutors or police have a factual based idea well enough to honestly say that she is guilty, but can we just think about some of the things the media has used to drive her guilt into our minds?
Casey called her daughter a 'little snot head'. Okay, so who in this world that has had a child or a sibling at that age has not referred to them at one point something similar to snot head? That is possibly one of the nicer things that has been said about a 3 year old by many of us, and most of us meant nothing by it and it only came out of our mouths out of frustration probably. Think about how frustrated a young mother at the age of 22 feels sometimes, calling your daughter a snot head a month before she went missing is not a death threat.
Another thing that the media has blown out of proportion is DNA samples of Caylee in the infamous car. Once again, I'm not saying that Casey is innocent, however are forensic scientists trying to tell me that there is not going to be DNA samples of a 3 year old girl all over the car that she has riden in before? Seriously. I have gotten DNA all over my friends car, and I don't even ride in that vehicle other than maybe twice a month, just by looking for my sunglasses that had fallen under my seat while we were driving to the grocery. And Nancy Grace is trying to tell me that because a little girl, who let's say dropped one of her little toys and crawled all over the car to find it, has DNA inside the car must have been killed by her mother. Now how substantial is that?
We all hope that Caylee is found unharmed or as safe as possible and if she happens to have been killed then we all hope for justice for the 3 year old whether it be her mother, a mysterious babysitter, or a random psycopath who may have killed her. Whoever is responsible for the whereabouts of this missing toddler should be punished according to the full extent of the law. However, it's about time that we don't let nonsense blasted by the media affect our opinions. As the general public, we should all keep in mind that we have opinions of our own, and we shouldn't look to attention seeking news reporters to inflict their own personal opinions on us. The last thing we need in this country is for everyone to have the same frame of mind.
7 - Laurie
Perfect evaluation of Casey. Doctor, can we take it one step further and discuss what you think will happen. I think Casey tried to keep Caylee sleeping as much as possible so she could live her life - and she accidentally died from however she was keeping her out of the way. But I don't think she will ever tell anyone, because she is enjoying being the victim, and also it would be admitting to her parents that she has been lying and manipulating them all along - and I don't think she wants to loose that control - as long as Caylee has been kidnapped and her parents agree, she is the poor wrongly accused greiving mother. And you are right, she has only shed tears when her freedom was a stake.
What do you think would finally get her to admit to anything? Those parents need to have closure so they are not looking the rest of their lives for Caylee - and maybe, finally have a life not being controlled by Casey.
8 - gb
Is everyone prepared for the "Multiple personality" defense,,it's coming!.
9 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
W.--Please note I have never said Casey was a murderer. I said she was a sociopath.
Nor did I address Casey calling Caylee "snot nosed." That comment is in no way indicative of sociopathism.
I also made no comment on the DNA found in the trunk. But I might ask who puts their child in the trunk of their car? Yes I do have a child that was once three and no I never put her in the trunk of any car.
Again W. thanks for your post. Variety of opinions is truly the spice of life. I appreciate your sharing your thoughts.
Juliann
10 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Hi Laurie,
Please call me Juliann.
I truly dont know what is going to happen in this case only that there is going to be a trial. It is up to the court and/or the jury to decide her fate.
It is not my place to say what Casey is guilty of. Let the evidence collected determine her guilt or innocence.
I do agree that knowing where Caylee is would provide closure. Not knowing must be gut-wrenching and like living in a nightmare every day. So far all we do know is that Caylee has not been found --alive or dead.
Thanks for posting Laurie! I appreciate your stopping by.
Juliann
11 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Hi GB,
The Mulitple Pesonality Disorder is currently called Dissociative Identity Disorder in case you are interested. This would be a real challenge to prove. But a very interesting observation on your part--guess we will see in the upcoming months.
Thanks for your post!
Juliann
12 - Radio Coach Sam Weaver
Casey, she is an alleged piece of sh*t. Someone should put her in a trunk until trial. And by the way, I do not have anger issues, nor am I a low grade sociopath.
13 - K
Hi Julianne,
I'm sure that Casey Anthony is what most people would call "damaged goods" in terms of doing and being (note, I'm not calling her a murderer, that is for the state to decide after a trial. Hopefully some weird thing did happen and everything will be as her defense team suggests, become clear and understood by all when it is told and the child will reappear in an unharmed state. But it doesn't seem likely from what has been put out by what is in the media.). And I think that you are point on about her having "joy", and that she speaks and acts with a "thin veneer of civility".
I disagree that she believes herself to be "above the law", as that presupposes that anyone should have the law (or anything else other than themselves) interfere in their chosen way of being. I think in this case, it would probably be fairer to say that she thinks nothing of the law, doesn't put anyone above, below, or on a par with the law, or that it should or should not be applicable to her or others, but that the law is simply something to be outsmarted, and only because the law tends to prohibit or punish actions. She thinks her actions should not be prohibited or punished, ever. (My supposition). Like any other thing or being in her path, if it is not usable to her or favorable to her, it is to be ignored, eliminated, or neutralized (or whatever else takes care of it). Things and beings are only useful for her in the moment or for cultivating future gain, and she is the only being on this earth that she considers worthy. She also exploits any feelings of love or loyalty from others, but cannot put out the same true feelings. She doesn't have them and cannot understand them. She may get "joy" from that too, as it frees her to do things without a guilty frame of mind.
I would like to say that the way you framed that most sociopaths are bisexual intimates in the wrong way that being bisexual is a product of their being rather than the choice it is to humans. I also believe that it is damaging to link that behavior to a "named" psychosis because human sexuality is linked only to being "human", not a disorder or otherwise. A person such as a sociopath is an equal-opportunity person, not a person who "favors" bisexuality over either homosexuality or heterosexuality. I think if you can understand this, then perhaps you will have better success understanding people who are (most likely) unlike yourself.
14 - lm
TRESA, I was also concerned about my daughter. She was diagnosed with Obstinate Disobedient Disorder. Try looking that one up before jumping to this horrifing conclusion. (I made the same one!) Good luck! My daughter IS doing much better with the correct diagnosis and treatment! There is a lot of support out there.
15 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
K.,
Thanks for taking the time and energy to write your well thought out post.
Please understand that I am making no judgements on Casey's sex life. This is the quote,
"Their sex lives are most often impersonal and chaotic, and frequently they are bisexual."
Because someone is bisexual DOES NOT in anyway mean they are sociopathic. But someone who is a sociopath could be bisexual.
Thanks for providing me with the opportunity to clarify what I meant.
Juliann
16 - pamela
Can being a sociopath be hereditary, because Cindy Anthony seems to be just as bad if not worse than Casey, the apple does not fall far from that tree. Everyone talks about Cindy being in denial but after reading some of the hundred of pages of documents, she is not in denial, denial is when you don't believe what is going on, she knows what is going on she is just changing her story and trying to cover up for her daughter she has been doing this for years, she went from a dead body to stinky pizza, cmon give me a break, the things that disgusts me the most about Cindy and also Casey's attorney is the fact that they continue to insult our intelligence. Maybe they start to believe their own lies like Casey. All I know is, I have a son Caseys age and if he had a child that I even suspected he had murdered I would go to jail myself because I would hold him down and be in his face until he told me the truth, instead of enabling him to continue with the lies, but obviously I raised my kids different than Cindy Anthony because my son didn't have a child out of wedlock, he doesn't have to lie to me about where he is working, he is a pharmacy tech and is a senior in college studying to be a psychologist, I don't know of anyone who has a kid that tells everyone they are going to school and working and then two years later you find out that is a lie, wow, I blame a lot of this on the parents, mainly Cindy but George should have stood up to that woman a long time ago, God be with them.
17 - Dr. Juliann Mitchell, PhD
Sam,
If you really have an interest in how sociopathism is identified. Check out the link below from Hare's website. He is well known and respected in the mental health field for his work related to sociopaths.
Also Antisocial Personality Disorder aka sociopath is not a Psychoses but a Personality Disorder and there is a big difference. Schizophrenia is considered a psychoses, personality disorders are not in the same grouping as psychoses, in our diagnostic manual the DSM-IV TR
Juliann
18 - Kathleen
Pamela you took the words right out of my mouth. Please Dr Mitchell comment on Cindy Anthony.
19 - Charlie
Casey and her Mom are both NUTS.One is going to prison, the other needs a check-up from the neck-up!
20 - emg
Great opinion piece, Doctor J! You nailed it! What some folks don't seem to realize is that Casey was indicted based on presence of body decomp fluids and chemicals found within the trunk-not simply on a random piece of hair from Caylee that may have blown into the trunk at some point or media speculation! This is a forensic investigation! Good work - this is very interesting and educational!
21 - Denise
Pamela, Interesting comment about Cindy, I feel the same way...when she's questioned she not only doesn't answer the question directly, she takes off on excuses for her daughter and goes off topic to have her opinions heard. I can understand this approach with the media and trying to do damage control, but she's done this repeatedly with police, bails bondsman, search teams. More concerned about herself and her daughter than providing good info in order to find her granddaughter. She has an eerie, robot-like demeanor and her facial expressions, I think, don't show the appropriate emotion, except for anger.
22 - Deb
Hi Dr J! What a chilling portrait! 1) Have you ever know of a sociopath that was "treated", or re-programmed? (I guess that would assume of finding one who wanted to be). 2) Does Cindy strike you that way as well? (George mentioned they have similar personalities). She seems to thrive on contention.
23 - Kate In NC
Thanks so much for the excellent article and insight, Dr. Mitchell.
I agree with you - not all sociopaths are murderers. But they are, at the very least, highly distructive and chaotic to those around them.
And most people get away with crimes (up to and including murder) long before they are actually caught, convicted and officially given the name "criminal." So that arguement, by some people, just doesn't fly. These people don't have *relationships* - they leave human debris in their wake.
I'm looking forward to reading more from you on this subject.
24 - Denise
Hi Juliann ! What is known about childhood development of a sociopath? I think I read about lack of emotional support or that one or both parents could have been emotionally distant and excessive controlling?
25 - Denise
Hi Juliann ! What is known about childhood development of a sociopath? I think I read about lack of emotional support or that one or both parents could have been emotionally distant and excessive controlling?