Body Language Expert Tells Us How Casey Anthony's Outward Appearance Is Hiding Inner Turmoil

Casey Anthony, who was at the time 22 years old and a single mother living in Orlando, Florida, shook the world in 2008 when she was charged with the murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee. According to Biography, the incident began on June 16, 2008, when Casey took her daughter and drove off after a family argument with Caylee's grandparents Cindy and George Anthony. Cindy reported Caylee missing, after a full month without contact, to law enforcement on July 15, 2008, which led to Casey's arrest on July 16, 2008. Caylee's skeletal remains were found on December 11, 2008, not too far away from Anthony's house, leading to one of the most publicized and highly controversial court cases of the decade. 

It was on July 5, 2011, a full three years after her daughter died, that Casey was found not guilty of the murder of Caylee to the shock of everyone who had been following along — as well as the judge presiding over the trial. This verdict led to a slew of outrage, with many unable to accept it, and to this day, it is not entirely known who really killed the little girl (via NBC News). A Peacock-produced documentary called "Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies" revisits the case and Casey herself speaks her side of the story. 

Jess Ponce III, body language expert, communication coach, and author of "A.W.E.S.O.M.E" analyzed Casey's body language in the YouTube trailer for the documentary and told Grunge what he noticed during the short clip.

The documentary "Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies" is a three-part series airing exclusively on Peacock, streaming starting November 29th. A very brief YouTube teaser trailer for the documentary was released on November 8, 2022. It features a very pained-looking Casey on camera being interviewed and asked the question, "Why talk to me now when you're not getting creative control?" by someone off-screen. Casey Anthony doesn't speak at all during the trailer, but she did provide plenty of non-verbal communication, so we had Ponce, a body language expert, take a careful look at what she did during the 60-second trailer. As it turns out, she did a lot. "Casey is definitely nervous," he told Grunge. "It is like watching someone who just got on the witness stand and is about to testify."

There are a few more things to note from the teaser as well: there is a mixture of both anxiety and resolve here. Ponce explained that her fashion signifies both professionalism and polish, though they alone cannot hide some clear-cut signs of inner struggle. According to Carolyn Mair, Ph.D., a fashion psychology expert who was a guest on a podcast for the American Psychological Association (APA), fashion can say a lot about a person. "The clothes we put on every day tell a story about who we are to the world and can have a major impact on our emotions and mood," Dr. Mair said. This psychology could help explain the inherent divide between what Casey's clothes say vs. what her body says. 

According to Ponce, the Peacock teaser is packed with emotion. "NBC's Peacock chose a brilliant clip!" he told Grunge. "It has a lot of emotion, with very little words. In what you do hear actually reinforces the mood of the room." The YouTube teaser accomplishes its goals of reeling the audience in with trepidation and suspense. One key aspect of Casey's body language in the teaser is the way she plays with her hair and checks her teeth. As Ponce says, these are often a sign of nervousness in someone being interviewed. As the Independent states, this is a common form of body language that many people might do on a daily basis, which can often suggest something emotionally deeper at play. 

Another thing to notice about her body language is her eyes, which Ponce explains are saying a lot. "She is looking for different places, yet she has a steady gaze, as if she is thinking intensely," he said. "Right before the interview is an intense glare straight forward. It's raw, yet behind those eyes is someone ready mentally to go to battle." According to Psychology Today, rapid blinking is often a sign of nervousness, which Casey seems to be avoiding in the clip, signaling a kind of determination. The world will have to wait until November 29 to find out what's really on Casey's mind.