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LEGALLY the car belongs to the parents...not Casey. They could have called it in stolen and people have certainly done this for lesser reasons. GA, being a cop, knows what could have been done to find Caylee. The only logic to be used is they both suspected/knew Caylee was probably gone...forever. There is no excuse for their behavior. GA should no better but he is so far up Cindy's behind, he is blind.
Let me propose a bit of a different angle on this, sadly from personal experience.
I do feel that Cindy had enabled her daughter over her lifetime until just short of Caylee's death. I have watched this very VERY similar dynamic in a close relationship. In our case, the mother was a combinatation of inattentive to her daughter when she was VERY young and then jealous of her daughter when she became a teenager having typical teenage fun: attention from boys AND attention from the father (HER husband) as he exercised his parental responsibility to monitor behavior and levy consequences. This mom constantly called the father out for doing his fatherly duty, such as grounding her for lying about her whereabouts. The daughter watched this 'fighting' between her parents and learned to use it in masterful manipulation. When the daughter's behavior spiralled downhill into calls from the police due to criminal actions like shoplifting (with no financial need, plenty of money), the mother, started blaming the FATHER :what: because he had not "trusted" the daughter. No chit. I think that was a deflection on the part of the mother to avoid accepting any responsibility. Anyway, eventually, too many other people stepped in insisting on intervention and the daughter was eventually hospitalized involuntarily, diagnosed, and treated. The mother STILL blames the father, even though he was never even allowed to parent. I've heard it from her own mouth. NPD, imo.
I think Cindy reached her limit with Casey. Up 'til that time, I think Caylee had been an object of manipulation between Cindy and Casey. I think George felt stripped of his role as a father and had somewhat turned to his own methods of self-comforting in a passive-aggressive way toward Cindy. But I do believe he felt love, REAL love, for his granddaughter.
I believe when Cindy threatened Casey that one last time, which even the neighbors overheard, she determined, finally, to not allow Caylee to be "used" and held over her head as barter to fulfill Casey's selfish agenda. I believe she allowed Casey to walk out with Caylee and start her own independent life.
As time passed and Casey did not "let" her mom talk to Cindy, I think Cindy felt that Casey was STILL trying to USE CAYLEE AS A MANIPULATIVE TOOL. And for the first time in her life, she held her ground, thinking that, in time, this would mature Casey, give Caylee a real mother, and be for the highest good for them ALL in the long term.
And it migt have worked out that way had Casey not been sociopathic.
I don't like Cindy's history as a mother, but I do feel very deeply for her. I think she just might have finally been stepping up to the plate and letting Casey deal with the natural consequences of her own behavior.
No one, but NO ONE, no matter how much they disliked Casey up to that point, would have dreamed that she was capable of murder.
I truly wish for deep healing for everyone concerned. We have all done things we shouldn't have at some time in our lives. Cindy didn't murder Caylee no matter how dysfunctional the personalities and family dynamics. Casey will be living the kharma for that for eons to come, IMO, even if she holds fast to superficial denial and blame In the face of the public. As to the rest of the family, how do you get past something like this and go on with your life? My heart goes out to them all.