Yes, I agree...but I also believe our constant throwing around of comments about their "coverup" and all of their "wrongdoing" is in direct relation to the defense that was put on. We don't spend thread after thread after thread talking about FCA and her guilt and how and why, but we do spend an enormous about of time complaining about this family and watching how we are manipulated by the media, who take what they read here and run with it, I think we need to give up on the concept of the family's "guilt".
They are a very imperfect family with a guilty daughter and a dead grandchild. Why must we insist there was more? Because we are outraged about the outcome? Do we really think the LE paid any attention to what this family said? I don't. But I do think the media, the talking heads, and the Defense used it to their advantage..and we are here where we are today.
We are already watching the re-imaging of FCA with the help of Steve Heller and People magazine. I find this process more nauseating than this very damaged family.
Or maybe I am simply reaching my "enough already" limit. My cue to get on with my life. I know I will never be involved with an on line case again as I have with this one. I want guilt to remain where it belongs, with the offender. And I sure don't like being played.
For what it's worth, they did actively hinder the investigation. Maybe it was because they couldn't believe Casey did it, or because Cindy was driving the wheel and George and Lee had no choice but to go along with it. Even at trial, they still had a hard time admitting truths on the stand or giving any respect to the SA or justice for Caylee. What has angered me the most is the disrespect for Caylee in all of this. There's been nothing but love and understanding for Casey, but nothing for Caylee. She has been tossed aside as a nonpart of this tragedy - it's all been made about Casey and her problems now.
That being said, I don't think there's a script they've been following. I think that gives them way too much credit. I think they have just been themselves - mom at the wheel, driving the family; dad as the scapegoat who never did enough; and Lee as the odd good child out who is desperate for attention and his mom's affection. I don't think they actually sat down and came up with a Master Plan to get Casey off. I think they just went with whatever they thought would work at the moment - and George and Lee were convinced to go along with mom because that's how they deal with Cindy and keep the peace in the house, just do what she says even if they don't like it.
The problem is that Casey did get away with this, so everything about it is making a lot of people angry. I bet if she had been convicted, there wouldn't be so much anger around here. But the fact that she got away with murder makes it so hard to accept, especially when we know that the family did indeed try to coverup in the early days, and Cindy was willing to lie on the stand to get the verdict she wanted so desperately. Did that single thing lead to that verdict? Of course not. But the contribution can't be denied either. I don't think that there were specific roles to be played in this trial, but the family played the roles they have always played every other time Casey got into trouble, and that somehow lead the Pinellas 12 to the wrong decision among other things.
As far as guilt goes - none for Caylee's death on any other A than Casey. I think this is getting enmeshed with another kind of guilt I do place on Cindy in particular - enabling Casey and raising her to believe that she should never suffer consequences for her actions. Did Cindy know this would lead to Casey murdering her child? Absolutely not. But it can't be denied that continually showing a child that they can do no wrong and mommy will continue to clean up the messes can't lead to anywhere good, IMO. And something like that can't be fixed overnight, either.
But, we can't change Casey's past, we can't change how she was raised, we can't change what happened to Caylee, and we can't change how the family dealt with it and is still dealing with it. It's over and done with. Casey got away with it, and that family will have to live with that for the rest of their lives. I think that's a huge punishment for all of them. It might not seem like it right now, but eventually the money will run out, and the tragedy of Caylee's death will eat them up and send them to their graves. I sincerely hope Casey does not have any more children, for I only see more heartache for the family down that road.
I guess I'm just tired of being angry at them. It's getting me nowhere. And they just keep showing up for facetime - if it's not the A's, it's Casey on People magazine. They aren't going away, and I'm tired of devoting my energy into hating them anymore. It doesn't mean that I like them, but I think my outrage has finally reached it's limit. They are dysfunctional, unlikable, and disreputable people, and I'm just going to have to live with that.