Caylee's smile/behavior

[gitana1]

I would really really hate for anyone to analyze all my photos and videos of my kids. I can't count the number of times when one of them were doing something cute and I grabbed the camera or video and of course they stopped doing what they were doing. I have pictures of my kids with forced smiles, laughing, tired, frustrated, crying, the look of I can't believe your making me stand here so you can take a picture, happy you name it I have it.

To me the fact that they took the time to video and take pictures of her show just how much they loved that little girl. I think because of what has happened people are looking at these pictures and trying to find some kind of answers, if Caylee was still with us I can't help but say people would look at the pics and videos and say awww how cute.

You know, I tend to agree with you. I do think we tend to read things into everything we see now that we know what happend to Caylee and I have posted as much in the past. I never saw anything sinister in the photo of Caylee and Lee, or the video of her with her great grampa. Nothing out of the ordinary. I don't see anything sinister in the forced smile photos either. I know that happens ALOT with kids. As a former pre-school teacher, none of these behaviors alarm me. However, I do find something wierd and uncomfortable in the videos casey took of Caylee. Especially when the child is trying desparately to get her attention and is completely ignored. Does the fact that casey bothered to take the video or the photos show that she cared? I don't think so. casey apparently viewed herself as a budding photographer. Hey, she didn't work. She was bored. So, she practiced her filming techniques on "the little snothead". Doesn't show me she was that into her kid. But, that's the only thing that ever jumped out at me as indicative of any sign things were not right. In general, I believe Caylee was loved and well cared for until casey decided to murder her.
However, my mom's comment got me thinking. The thing is, MOST of the photos of Caylee released by her family for the public are of her with a forced smile or sad look. Perhaps that was because they felt we needed to see what she would like like unhappy as most kidnapped kids are not smiling. But, I don't know and I would think that out of the thousands of photos they supposedly took of Caylee, many would be of genuine, happy smiles and a good number of those would be released. I don't recall any. There's only one video tape where her mother is playing with her, where Caylee is atually laughing.
When I talked to my mom about this, she felt that Caylee was not a very happy child because she could sense that her mom did not love her. She could sense the emptiness in casey and perhaps the resentment. I would add that the dysfunction and yelling in the house did not help.

 

[yolorado]

Plus, Grampa is singing in a sing-songy off-key way the "you are my sunshine" song that Caylee obviously knew and liked. It looks to me that she was entirely comfortable, safe, enjoying being quietly held, maybe it's getting close to naptime and she's drowsy. This is not a child who's afraid of Grampa but posing in fear of getting yelled at if she doesn't hug and kiss him. When I was itty-bitty like Caylee, I remember being so comfy and happy in the presence of some people that even if I'd just met them I liked hugging. But others who were mean and nasty I didn't want to be around, and those I'd never have hugged and sat in their lap quietly and contentedly like Caylee does here. On this day, her probably last on earth, small comfort that it is, she was for this little while held and safe and loved and cared for.

Who would ever have thought that within 24 hours this happy vibrant child would be murdered? This video will someday be CA's most treasured thing, but I bet today it breaks her heart.

When Caylee hugs her Grandpa at the Nursing home, I don't see a sad or afraid child, I see an empathetic one. I see her sensing that Grandpa is old and tired and needs a hug and snuggle. I see her comforting him. One of my children has always reached out to reassure others, particularly the old, the weak and those who need comforting, and I see the same countenance in Caylee in that vid.

 

[Memphis Belle]

Wow. I missed this thread but I must comment. My mom, who is 72 and very wise, very intelligent, very with it and sort of an earth mother who all little children and animals (really, just everyone) loves and adores, has been forced to learn about this case when I'm at her house and put in NG. She doesn't like the show but made one significant comment: "You know, that child never really looked happy. Her smiles all seemed forced or she wasn't smiling. The little girl seemed sad to me." I looked closer and thought that what my mom said was true about most of the photos we usually see. Now, I hear someone else thought the exact same thing. Interesting. I trust my mom's instincts. I'e never known her to be wrong.

Gitanni1,
That's exactly why I started this thread. My friend, like your mother, who had no real interest in the case, but great instincts about children, mentioned this to me. And then I started to take notice.

I really am so interested and respect everyone's opinions on this. But I hope everyone realizes this is not ANYTHING against beautiful Caylee. I don't think we're disrespecting her by searching for clues in pictures. I really feel Cindy and George loved her and are devastated by the loss. I just think the family dymamics really impacted this sweet, sweet soul and there may be clues to that in the photos and videos.

Also, IMO, I think the picture in front of the motel probably is the most REAL picture of the bunch -- and epitomizes the relationship between KC and Caylee. Look at their faces.

 

[ecs5298]

Well Im gobsmacked !

That is the first photo I have ever seen of Casey NOT smiling and not showing her teeth

It could be that she is not at the motel but that a public pool is opposite the motel complex.

I believe this pic is from the same set as the beach pics. So this is probably the public parking area to the beach. The motel is on the other side of the fence.

Here's another of the beach shots.

 

[Lil Miss Sleuth]

I believe this pic is from the same set as the beach pics. So this is probably the public parking area to the beach. The motel is on the other side of the fence.

Here's another of the beach shots.

I have always been curious with these beach pictures as to who the other people are that are there with her. Who is taking these pictures? And who is the other person in this picture specifically. Just always bugged me.

 

[cjk2009]

You know, and I'm sorry if this has been brought up before, but in the video with Caylee reading the book, near the end, when Casey apparently shows up, she closes the book and mutters "ohhhh.....nooooo....." and just gets the saddest little look on her face.

How nobody gives an answer for Caylee's cute little crayon offer ("Want this?") in the 1...2...3... Cheese video is just incredibly saddening.

It just creeps me out that her mom's apparently treated her that badly that her reaction is to stop having fun when KC comes around. Also notice on the video that's 48 seconds long, near the end, Caylee throws a toy and all of a sudden the camera turns off! I didn't notice until someone pointed it out on Youtube...

 

[SL_Zero]

You know, and I'm sorry if this has been brought up before, but in the video with Caylee reading the book, near the end, when Casey apparently shows up, she closes the book and mutters "ohhhh.....nooooo....." and just gets the saddest little look on her face.

do we know that is when KC arrived? i was not sure that she had picked caylee up AT the nursing home...

 

[ThoughtFox]

I cannot agree more! A 2 year old who's able express EMPATHY for others is such a good and postive thing! I like to believe that Caylee would have broken the (psycho)cycle set up by CA and KC. I see most of her smiles in photos as genuine. I see one smart cookie of a little girl!

Both of my kids went through this ackward phase around age 4 where they were genuinely happy, smily, but the minute a camera was pointing at them, they froze, and the camera captured a "fake" smile like in the one very well published photo of Caylee. My take, Caylee had a camera shoved in her face a whole lot more than either of my two kids ever did! If digital cameras had been invented then, and I had one, I bet I would captured fake smiles earlier. JMHO.

I quoted your post because I was going to say the same thing about my two boys, who were camera shy. Even my daughter would pose and do a fake smile if she was getting impatient and wanted to get away.

What I see in Caylee is an only child who is the focus of a great many photographs. It gets tedious - think about when you were a kid on holidays with relatives telling you to say cheese.

In order to avoid fake smiles, I had to learn to click fast when my sons weren't looking. It's really a common thing. I understand this personally because I have pictures of myself as a child when I was smiling, but I don't look happy, and that's only because I wanted to get away from the camera. There was absolutely no abuse going on at my house, either.

 

[Amil]

Well Im gobsmacked !

That is the first photo I have ever seen of Casey NOT smiling and not showing her teeth

It could be that she is not at the motel but that a public pool is opposite the motel complex.

That looks like Lorie Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach which is next door to the Holiday Inn.

 

[Angelonline]

I believe this pic is from the same set as the beach pics. So this is probably the public parking area to the beach. The motel is on the other side of the fence.

Here's another of the beach shots.

This is not the same day or even the same month IMO. In the shot posted above by Find'her- KC's hair is shorter and her skin is pale. In this shot you posted Kc has long hair in a ponytail and her skin is darker.

 

[FightTheOstrich]

Bottom line, this was not a happy family. The Anthony's are not the Cleavers. I'm sure she didn't have the greatest childhood. Her mother is a monster. CA and GA bought her lots and lots of toys but that doesn't amount to anything. All show-no go. A great way to describe this family. They talked about looking for her but never actually did. They probably talked about taking her to the park, beach etc... Most of the pics of Caylee are very posed. They put sunglasses on her, "how cute, snap a pic"(she was an infant-not like she was playing dress-up). It is disgusting, a child is not a prop.

 

[darcedarce]

I believe this pic is from the same set as the beach pics. So this is probably the public parking area to the beach. The motel is on the other side of the fence.

Here's another of the beach shots.

I don't know though, in the first pic Casey's hair looks shorter and in the beach pic it's in a ponytail pulled straight back.

 

[ecs5298]

This is not the same day or even the same month IMO. In the shot posted above by Find'her- KC's hair is shorter and her skin is pale. In this shot you posted Kc has long hair in a ponytail and her skin is darker.

You're right. The pic I posted probably pre-dates the first one posted. Caylee looks to be about the same age in both.

 

[ecs5298]

Bottom line, this was not a happy family. The Anthony's are not the Cleavers. I'm sure she didn't have the greatest childhood. Her mother is a monster. CA and GA bought her lots and lots of toys but that doesn't amount to anything. All show-no go. A great way to describe this family. They talked about looking for her but never actually did. They probably talked about taking her to the park, beach etc... Most of the pics of Caylee are very posed. They put sunglasses on her, "how cute, snap a pic"(she was an infant-not like she was playing dress-up). It is disgusting, a child is not a prop.

Not trying to defend KC, but she is certainly not the first to dress up her infant/toddler with props and take "cute" pictures. In this age of digital cameras, people snap thousands and thousand of shots and may only print one or two "good" ones out of that. In the days of film, people were more cautious with their shutter fingers. It makes me chuckle that so much is being made about a pic where KC isn't smiling or that people are micro analyzing the very few pictures we have seen and making determinations about whether Caylee was a happy, well cared for child. If that's the case then I would dread anyone looking at the 20,000+ digital shots of my DD. Heck, in a couple of them she's absolutely pouting. There may even be a pic or two of her crying and, Lord forbid, there might be a shot or two where she looks bored. There are even pics of her that show the bruise she got when she wiped out while running through the house in stocking feet or a pic or two with a scratch on her arm from the cat.

My point is, we are seeing only a microscopic slice of Caylee's life. The only thing we are really sure of is that her life ended horribly. Pictures capture a 1/125th of a second in time, when viewed out of the context that they were taken in, they become meaningless.

JMHO as always.

 

[elementary]

A child of a sociopath, which Casey shows textbook, classic symptoms of having, is abused in ways that no "normal" person could possibly understand-and it does not always leave any outward marks. Casey has been shown time and again to be a cold and unfeeling person. There is a special language which MOST mothers speak to their children and it is called motherease, and it is a soothing and soft and sweet melody to her childs ears and comforts the child immeasurably. I cannot for the life of me see Casey speaking in the warm language of motherease to Caylee, nor can I see her being soft and cuddly with her. I would be willing to bet the farm that what Caylee experienced when she was ALONE with her mommy and what she experienced when their were others present would be like night and day treatment. I have no doubt that Casey would have mistreated her in various and mostly invisible ways that might not show anywhere else but in her smile and in her sweet innocent sad eyes. Caylee was only 2 years old and had no doubt already experienced levels of abuse that most of us would find despicable if we saw the proof of it. I can SO see Casey staring at Caylee as if she were a bug and making Caylee FEEL uncomfortable.

Respectfully Jane, you do have a right to your opinion, as does everyone, but I would have to agree with the Caylee was abused camp as a survivor of abuse myself I see too many signs of it in this sweet little soul. The insignifigant becomes a mountain when a child is murdered at her mother's own hands, and every miniscule detail becomes a piece of a grand puzzle being worked with pieces missing. Something about Caylee when she was with her mother was almost false, and whatever THAT was is likely what Casey caused in her by her mistreatment. Nonetheless, what child could be MORE abused than a murdered one? Or even one who was overdosed accidentally on chloroform or adult narcotics or sedatives?

I agree with everything you said. This happens to children of people who are not sociopaths as well. A silent murder of the spirit. And there are no obvious wounds to show.

IMO, the perp was indifferent to Caylee except when it suited her purposes. And when she was not indifferent, I shudder to think what slow, silent torture there was for this baby. From the perp's behaviour now, it is reasonable to believe that it is likely that Caylee was emotionally and mentally abused. We will probably never know the degree.

Your post was eloquent, resounds with grave truth. I need a hug smilie to send you.

 

[St3phanie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tTAHDuDiqk&NR=1

She is getting NOTHING in return for her cute little "1 2 3 cheese!" even tho she keeps trying to engage the videographer...no doubt her mother. C & GA videos are much different, they engage with her.

This video sadden & angers me. How hateful & jealous Casey was......

RIP Caylee

Exactly!!!!! (bolded part, by me) I kept thinking.. how could the camera person not laugh or answer her!!!!! It really bugged me!

 

[itsyourworld]

someone else brought up the breakfast with Caylee video. i remember they didn't like it too much.

 

[FightTheOstrich]

For me, it is not the smile. It is the lack of sparkle in her eyes.

 

[wonderer]

I looked at that 123 Cheese! video, and then started watching all the other home videos of Caylee. I have this really weird feeling now. In the majority of the videos, NO ONE is interacting with that little baby. KC is just filming, and generally not saying anything, even when little Caylee is asking questions or trying to get some sort of a reaction. She gives a pretty smile to try to get mommy to turn off the camera and play with her, but KC just keeps filming. ):

In fact, the only one I watched where there was any sort of major interaction is when CA is filming, or when CA is coaxing KC to play with Caylee.

As for the breakfast clip... I hear KC say, "Caylee" or "CayL," really quick which, on a crappy little digital camera mic, sounds similar to "kill." But I don't hear this other stuff people are saying.

 

[claudicici]

....I admit...the "1,2,3, cheese" video and the breakfast with caylee video has been haunting me...in the 1,2,3, cheese it almost seems like Caylee is thinking "ok,she's got the camera so she must want me to do the smile thing",Caylee seems angry and almost rebellious as she is giving casey what she wants when all caylee wants to do is color...I have made many videos of my daughter where I tried to be quiet and just capture her in the moment but when she tried to engage me ,naturally,I couldn't help but respond...casey seems cold making those videos,like a predator,it gives me chills.....but anyways I am very greatful that all this material ,all the pictures,all the videos are out there,to show the world what a sweet,beautiful,empathetic little girl caylee truly was...I have never met her yet I think of her every day and truly love her,there are so many precious baby's we will never get to know who are suffering in silence.....