Operation Beautiful at Oxford

on July 5, 2011
in All Posts

As a former urban planner, I must say I was enamored with Oxford, Michigan. 

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It was the perfectly All-American 1950s downtown.  I loved it!  So quaint.  Mostly locally owned.  Walkable!  And near a farmers’ market and park. 

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Fun fact: I used to write Design Guidelines for developers in downtown areas in small Pennsylvania towns.  The downtown of Oxford was exactly what I would’ve recommended – cute architectural articulation, authentic details in renovations buildings, wide sidewalks, ample lighting and seating, streetside parking, and pretty pavers on the sidewalks. 

 

But alas – I wasn’t there to look at design.  I was there to give an Operation Beautiful presentation to a group of Catholic high school girls that belong to a youth group called Challenge.

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It was a lot of fun – I did two presentations and we had interesting and heated discussions. 

 

It was also neat for me to hear the girls talk about how their Catholic faith has strengthened their self-esteem.  One girl said Catholicism has given her confidence because she knows she’s never alone and that God, Jesus, and Mary will always support and forgive her.  I also got to talk to several woman who are my age and chose to become consecrated woman.  They loved their jobs and callings so passionately.  I’m not religious, but I find the communities that form around religion so fascinating! 

 

Grabbed some grub afterwards:

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Just a salad with blue cheese, cherries, and almonds.  Kind of blah.

 

But I got to watch THIS go down:

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SCANDALOUS.  I cannot believe Casey Anthony  was found not guilty.  I was living in Orlando when the case broke, so I was super invested in the decision today!  I know the burden of proof is high (as it should be!), and it’s hard to be a juror, but… you know.  It makes me sad that Caylee hasn’t received justice, one way or another. 

 

Time to board my flight and go home to Charlotte… Some serious travelin’ today!

{ 99 comments }

 

  • Whitney July 5, 2011, 6:06 pm

    I didn’t really follow the case, mostly b/c I figured they would find her guilty. I do wonder now what the jury could have possibly heard or seen that made them think she was not guilty.

    • Courtney @ girl in the pink July 5, 2011, 11:31 pm

      Whitney- I’m in the same boat as you. I did not closely follow, but from everything I heard it sounded like she was guilty. I’m curious about what kindnof holes were in the prosecutions case that left a reasonable doubt. It would be interesting to hear more from the jury.

  • Kelly July 5, 2011, 6:09 pm

    This is just another example of our failed judicial system. Casey Anthony is guily as sin…just like OJ Simpson. I can’t even begin to talk about it because it just makes me so angry.

  • Molly @ RDexposed July 5, 2011, 6:12 pm

    Common sense should be relyed upon when we lack scienfitic support.

    And if you’re going to make up a fake nanny, don’t have her name rhyme. Zanny the nanny…really?

    • lindsay July 5, 2011, 6:15 pm

      At least that nanny is suing Casey and SHOULD get tons of $$ out of it! Haha

      • April @ Grits and Granola Bars July 5, 2011, 10:45 pm

        Can’t get blood from a turnip…Casey has no money. And that lady wasn’t her nanny, btw.

        • Dani July 6, 2011, 4:58 pm

          She can file a lien and garnish whatever wages Casey eventually makes in her lifetime. Might not be much but it’s something!

      • Alicia July 5, 2011, 11:47 pm

        ‘Zanny’ the nanny refers to xanax…

        • Amanda July 6, 2011, 11:26 am

          No it’s the made up name Casey gave to her made up Nanny…

  • Marissa C July 5, 2011, 6:12 pm

    My sister-in-law was in Challenge, and my husband was in the male version. I’m assuming the school was associated with Regnum Christi?

  • Hillary July 5, 2011, 6:13 pm

    I LOVE cute downtowns. We have a main street near my house here in Maryland that the community has tried to keep as true to the original architecture as possible. They don’t allow chain stores or restaurants to open on the street, so it’s about as neighborhood-y as they come!

  • E July 5, 2011, 6:15 pm

    I am in shock that Casey Anthony got off. I thought the prosecution gave a particulary good closing argument (didn’t get to watch much of the rest) and thought for sure she’d get a guilty verdict. I can’t believe they didn’t even convict her for the child abuse charges. What a load of crap… I feel very sad for Caylee not getting the justice she deserves.

  • Natasha July 5, 2011, 6:16 pm

    I love quaint little towns! Our’s used to be one but it has grown and has lost it’s feel 🙁

    I’m still shocked about the verdict too. I believe in Karma though…and she has her’s coming! Poor Caylee.

  • Lisa (Lisa's World of Books) July 5, 2011, 6:16 pm

    I wish I had know you were here in my town! I would have loved to have met you while you were here! This is the town I grew up in and came back to raise my kids.

  • Stephanie July 5, 2011, 6:18 pm

    Oxford really is pretty! I love little towns like that. It’s only the towns who make a concerted effort to maintain their downtowns that can stay so pretty and walkable. Good on Oxford!

  • hippierunner July 5, 2011, 6:19 pm

    If my boyfriend were to read the first half of this post, he’d be so gaga for you! 🙂 He chats my ear off nonstop about that sort of stuff and I love that you just did too.

  • Audrey July 5, 2011, 6:21 pm

    I know! I was so shocked and disappointed as the verdicts were being read. In fitting with this post, my Catholic faith/conscience/guilt is what stopped me from posting something negative about Casey Anthony on the online discussion that was going on on my local news stations FB page.

    • marian July 6, 2011, 11:11 am

      Audrey, I had a similar experience – I didn’t necessarily agree with the verdict, but I think that all we can do about the situation now is to pray for all of those involved, rather than complain or wish harm on anybody. i do think that educated discussion about our justice system is valid (like what is going on in these comments!) but a bunch of people claiming to know what Casey “deserved” simply isn’t increasing the amount of Good in this world!

      • Audrey July 6, 2011, 6:19 pm

        Couldn’t agree more.

  • Sarah for Real July 5, 2011, 6:22 pm

    I had some classes on urban planning in college so I totally appreciate thoughtful little cities like that too.

    I can see why the jury came back not-guilty. It doesn’t necessarily mean she isn’t guilty, just that there wasn’t enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to say she was guilty.

    Unless they were keeping major pieces of evidence from the public, I didn’t think they had a good enough case. Obviously she had something to do with it though, I hope Caylee gets some justice eventually.

    • Jen July 5, 2011, 6:56 pm

      Agreed…not guilty does not mean innocent! She was convicted of lying to the investigators and could get 4 years for that…I have no doubt that she’ll be a huge target if she does serve time for that conviction. Sad for her little girl though, may she rest in peace.

      • Christine July 5, 2011, 7:40 pm

        I have to agree with you, Sarah. They needed more physical evidence. My gut says yeah she was guilty in some way, but if you’re supposed to be thinking without emotion and focusing on the presented facts it gets tough for the jury. If we want to maintain a fair judicial system than we have to remember this. As a teacher, and some day a mother, I have to say that I wish the prosecution would have done a better job and that I wish there was some way to find (legal) justice for that little girl.

      • Amanda July 6, 2011, 11:27 am

        Considering she already served 3 years in jail, she’s likely going to walk.

  • Michelle July 5, 2011, 6:26 pm

    I’m not surprised that she was found guilty. At the start of the trial I told my husband that she would be found not guilty because even though I truly believe she did it, the evidence just wasn’t there to erase ALL reasonable doubt. Regardless, her life is destroyed and so is her family’s life.

  • Michelle July 5, 2011, 6:26 pm

    oops!!!! I meant “not guilty.” typo 🙁

  • Mia July 5, 2011, 6:28 pm

    just because you always thought she did it doesn’t mean she did….the justice system works on the premise of innocent until proven guilty, but obviously most people assume that anyone who goes on trial is guilty by default.

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) July 5, 2011, 6:34 pm

    That looks like such a cute little town! I am in love with quaint downtowns. Too bad there are none near me!

  • Heather July 5, 2011, 6:36 pm

    Can we say, O.J. Simpson all over again? I watched this live and my mouth almost hit the floor when they found her not guilty, but at the same time, I’m not that surprised. Unfortunately, whether she was found not guilty or guilty, it still doesn’t change the fact that a little girls life was taken far too soon. 🙁

  • Baking 'n' Books July 5, 2011, 6:51 pm

    My heart literally broke – shocked – when I heard the verdict. Shocked. I watched the talk show “The Talk” (recorded) – and the women were waiting for the verdict and were laughing and joking beforehand – they really thought it was going to be guilty.

    They were SHOCKED when the announcement came in. Julie Chen and the other hosts actually started crying and had to go to several commercials..

  • Courtney July 5, 2011, 6:52 pm

    Yeah I can’t believe the jury. There is no other explanation except that she killed her. Who doesn’t report their child missing for over a month!!?!?!?

  • Bee Goes Bananas July 5, 2011, 7:02 pm

    What a stunning town! It’s so picturesque!

  • Fit Chick Britt July 5, 2011, 7:03 pm

    I couldn’t believe the verdict, but I also could because of the way our system works. Looks like your day got a lot better. Oxford is pretty!

  • jen @ taste life July 5, 2011, 7:10 pm

    I work with the court system and have also been chosen to sit on the jury two different times for jury duty, so I know that it can be hard to find people guilty, especially since everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. I guess the state didn’t PROVE she was guilty…but I was still absolutely shocked with the outcome. I think about Casey’s safety now, and I think people are not going to be kind to her, and may even be a threat to her when she gets out.

    That town does look super cute! The town where I live has an adorable main street, which I love.

  • Shelley July 5, 2011, 7:14 pm

    This makes me so sad, i can not believe that she got off!!, i totally think she did it and often wonder if there is any justice in the system. I remember the case very well as even though i am rom Australia i was in Florida at the time is was in the news.

  • Sarah R July 5, 2011, 7:14 pm

    I would like to state up front that this isn’t about what I believe happened. Or whether I believe she is innocent or guilty.

    However, I would like to ask – have you ever had to do jury duty? From your reaction, it suggest you haven;t. It’s WAY different being on the inside of the box, then the outside looking in. You hold someones fate in your hands. You have to gather and garner every piece of information so you can make an informed, and weighty decision. And you have no idea what information they were presented, in it’s entirety, and what they were told.

    Personally I’m amazed at the reaction of people. You were not there, you did not see the act being committed so you do not know who is responsible. You only know what the media has told you and if you make your decision on that data, you are foolish. I am surprised at the rage of Americans who glean bits and pieces of a trial from the media, and then are enraged when the jury doesn’t happen to agree with their assessment. I think it is good that Justice errs on the side of caution and mercy.

    • Kelly July 5, 2011, 7:45 pm

      Could not agree more. I do think Casey is responsible for her daughter’s death, but the evidence just wasn’t there. The jury obviously had reasonable doubt. So so sad.

    • R. Chandra July 5, 2011, 8:05 pm

      agreed.

      • Tara July 5, 2011, 9:04 pm

        Agreed. People amaze me. I am a lawyer and have worked in both criminal prosecution and defense. Reasonable doubt is an important thing! I think she probably did it, but sadly, the evidence was not there. The lynch mob mentality of “well who else could it have been” is not enough. “Probably” is not enough. I commend the jury for following the law.

        • Orla July 6, 2011, 3:11 am

          here here

    • Susan July 5, 2011, 11:52 pm

      Amen!

    • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 11:51 am

      Dude, she didn’t report her kid missing FOR A MONTH. How could she NOT have been involved in some way? It’s not like an extra pair of sunglasses that goes missing and you don’t think about it until a super sunny day. It’s a kid. Not reporting her daughter missing, to me, is clearly manslaughter.

      • Sarah R July 6, 2011, 1:15 pm

        First, I wanted to state that when I said “you” in my original comment, I had meant it as a general public “you”, not as in YOU Caitlin. I realized afterwards how that might have sounded, and I really wasn’t trying to be snippy or mean or anything.

        Again, I am NOT saying that I think she is innocent of any involvement. What I am saying is that she was not proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Sure, her actions are highly suspicious. However, what the prosecution had to do was prove that, as you state, not reporting her daughter missing was evidence enough that she killed her. And quite frankly, that isn’t enough evidence. It’s circumstantial, and that is what this whole case was. A ton of circumstantial evidence, and very little hard evidence.

        I mean this sincerely – if you have a chance to be on a jury and serve jury duty – TAKE IT. When I was originally called for duty, I had the reaction of “ugh, not me, I hear it’s boring and I have so much other stuff to do”. I was picked on the jury, and served for a total of 2 days. And I learned SO MUCH in those two days. That when I don’t have to be the official decision maker, its much easier for me to point fingers and say “I totally know she did it, she is guilty” based on the limited facts I know and my emotional response. But when you are the actual juror, you are much more serious and less emotional. You take in evidence, craft your own opinions on JUST the evidence, and make the best decision you can. It might not be popular, but it needs to be right for you. It sounds like to me the jury did just that – they took in the evidence provided, and didn’t think, BASED ON THAT EVIDENCE, that she was guilty.

        If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at the prosecution. They had a weak case, too little hard evidence, and relied on emotions. Quite honestly it’s good they lost. The law should NOT be based on emotions and “lynch mob” mentality. Innocent until proven guilty is how it should be, all the time.

        (I hope I’m not coming off as bitchy or anything – just stating my thoughts and opinions!)

        • AH July 6, 2011, 3:41 pm

          The prosecution did their best with the evidence they had. It’s not like law enforcement botched the case. The reason there was little “hard” (physical) evidence is because that poor child’s remains were not found for 6 months. Of course Casey could have opened her mouth and told the authorities where she was…I guess then everyone would think the prosecution had “real” evidence. People associate circumstantial evidence with being not worth anything. That’s not true. If it weren’t key to linking the accused to the crime, it wouldn’t be allowed in court. Sometimes there is no smoking gun, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a conviction. The case against her was overwhelming. There is no other plausible explanation for the evidence presented by the prosecution. At the end of the day, that little girl was murdered and no one was held accountable.

  • Rebecca July 5, 2011, 7:15 pm

    I think I need to get you back to Minnesota! I know some junior high and high school and even college girls who could use a good OB presentation, whether it’s done through the school or through a church. Maybe I’ll have to see if the church or school leaders around here would be interested…
    I would totally take a day off from school or work study stuff to hang out at an OB event (and make somebody carpool with me to get there…)!

  • cj weaber @ http://cjh002.wordpress.com July 5, 2011, 7:15 pm

    I could not believe the verdict either! Oh my gosh I don’t think I could have been on a jury for her. They would have never selected me anyway because I thought she was guilty way before the official trial even began!

    Oxford reminds me of Main Street USA in Disney World…so classic, so American. I love stepping back in time like that.

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey July 5, 2011, 7:43 pm

    I was shocked with the verdict, but the more I thought about it, I don’t know if the jurors had much choice with it. While I do think that woman is so guilty it’s not even funny, hear me out – my mom and I just had a discussion on how there was no concrete evidence brought forth, which is a failure on the prosecutor’s end. I don’t know – I’m just so so sad for Caylee that justice hasn’t been served for her. And one more thing as well – if she DIDN’T do it, then instead of smiling and being all smug, shouldn’t she be absolutely horrified that they still don’t know what happened to her daughter? Ugh, it makes me sick to my stomach.

  • erin July 5, 2011, 7:44 pm

    your operation beautiful tour is aligning with my childhood! i think you went to kalamazoo, where my grandpa lives. and i grew up in rochester, which isn’t far from oxford (and also where my mom kept her horses and i took riding lessons!). it’s kind of freaking me out. is sturgis next?? ha!

    • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 11:50 am

      Haha no plans for Sturgis!

    • kelly July 6, 2011, 8:07 pm

      erin, i’m in rochester 🙂

      • erin July 6, 2011, 9:28 pm

        small world! i was born there but we moved to houston when i was in 7th grade. boo. i haven’t been back in forever!

  • Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me July 5, 2011, 7:45 pm

    I didn’t really follow the case but it was said that they just didn’t provide enough evidence. The jury wasn’t left “without a doubt.” But like I said I barely followed it so I don’t know too much about it!

  • Jolene July 5, 2011, 7:58 pm

    I love Michigan, we live in one of those quaint little towns and we just love it here! Glad you were able to enjoy the day and it was better than when you went to Kzoo!

  • mm July 5, 2011, 7:59 pm

    How fun that you were in Oxford!! I lived there until I was 15, and always loved it. My mom and stepdad still live in Lake Orion which is the town next to Oxford. 🙂

  • Lauren July 5, 2011, 8:08 pm

    That is so cool that you use to write for PA towns. Any chance you ever worked in Harrisburg? That is where I live.

    • Casey July 6, 2011, 8:13 am

      Agreed!! I’m from the Harrisburg area too, but I’ve been in so many different, little towns throughout PA!!! I wonder if you ever wrote designs for any of them?!?!

      • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 11:49 am

        I didn’t do any work in Harrisburg but I did do a lot of work in the PA Wilds – http://www.pawilds.com/

        • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 12:07 pm

          Here’s the design guide I wrote, for shits and giggles 🙂 http://www.pawildsresources.org/design_guide.html

        • Dani July 6, 2011, 4:59 pm

          this is like my 5th post on this but that’s soo close to my hometown! awesome 🙂

        • Dani July 6, 2011, 5:02 pm

          actually now that i look at the pawilds.com site, that IS my (hometown) county! haha small world!

  • Jen July 5, 2011, 8:11 pm

    I just have to say – for everyone that is surprised that Casey Anthony was acquitted today – I have my own suspicions around her guilt in the case as well, but with the evidence provided there was simply no way to convict her of the crime. Everything was circumstantial… there was no physical evidence linking her to the crime.

  • Victoria (District Chocoholic) July 5, 2011, 8:14 pm

    Cherries on the salad! I hope they were MI cherries.

  • Camilla July 5, 2011, 8:23 pm

    The verdict makes me sick! So horrible! 🙁

  • Judy July 5, 2011, 8:28 pm

    I watched the trial live and though I did feel that Casey Anthony killed her daughter, I said at the end of summations there was reasonable doubt and I was afraid this would be the verdict. It is distressing.

  • Jessica July 5, 2011, 8:34 pm

    I posted this as my FB status when everyone was all pitchforks and torches right after the verdict was announced:

    “‎”Not Guilty” is not synonymous with “innocent”. The burden of proof is on the state; it is the prosecution’s job to prove the guilt of the defendant *beyond reasonable doubt*. Considering ONLY what was presented in the four walls of that courtroom (all the jurors were legally *allowed* to consider), the prosecution failed. Blame them.”

    While I do think Casey has blood on her hands somehow or another, the evidence just wasn’t there. I also believe that if more juries took the reasonable doubt threshold more seriously, there would be far fewer innocents in prisons (and on death row, for that matter). I don’t think Anthony would be one such “innocent behind bars” had that been where she ended up, but the reverse happens SOOO much more often.

    A little part of me wonders if this isn’t a touch of karma for Nancy Grace, as well. Perhaps she will consider that her voracious trial-by-media approach has yielded only increasingly cautious judges and juries, and will back down to a moderate screech 🙂

    Just my two cents. Probably more, ha.

    PS, that town looks adorable – I really wish they would go about renovating the Eastland area similarly. Glad you’re back safely, Caitlin 🙂

    • Amanda July 6, 2011, 11:29 am

      Considering the jury was sequestered and would never had heard anything Nancy Grace had to say, I doubt she had much to do with it.

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife July 5, 2011, 8:52 pm

    What an adorable town! Glad your presentation went well, so fly back safe!! 😉

  • Holly @ The Runny Egg July 5, 2011, 9:28 pm

    I was very surprised to hear the verdict as well!

    Older towns like that are so sweet — it looks so charming there!

  • AH July 5, 2011, 9:30 pm

    It seems as though many people believe that there was insufficient evidence to convict. Has it come to the point where if there is not DNA evidence linking the accused to the victim, there cannot be a guilty verdict? How horrible that our judicial system failed one of the most vulnerable…a two year old child.

    • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 11:47 am

      I agree 100%

    • Dani July 6, 2011, 4:53 pm

      Agreed! I am all for “reasonable doubt,” but in this case… not reporting the child missing for a month, not expressing any sadness during those 31 days, all the lies, etc. goes wayyy beyond reasonable doubt.

  • Laura @ Cookies vs. Carrots July 5, 2011, 9:58 pm

    That town looks adorable!

  • Nicole July 5, 2011, 10:02 pm

    I was also at the airport when I heard the verdict, hard to believe! Also interesting experience to hear several strangers all gasp at once!!

  • Katherine July 5, 2011, 10:23 pm

    Hope your travels go well!

  • Krystina (Organically Me) July 5, 2011, 10:30 pm

    I swear if I hear much more about Casey Anthony I will burst. Mostly because my mom has been on a terror since the verdict was read, haha.

    I don’t really know where I stand on the whole thing, though.

    Safe travels!

  • Karin July 5, 2011, 11:42 pm

    I honestly coulnt believe the verdict either… Didn’t follow the trial on tv last few weeks bc I was just sure there would be no question… Speechless

  • jerri July 6, 2011, 1:15 am

    you are so dedicated! i would’ve given up driving from detroit to flint airport. how did you manage knowing your way?!

    • CaitlinHTP July 6, 2011, 11:46 am

      that’s what the iphone is for!

  • Orla July 6, 2011, 3:08 am

    unless the Jury can make a decision beyond reasonable doubt, they cannot convict. THey followed their direction from the judge and they followed the Law. She was found not guilty by a Jury of her peers and they made the right decision that they could based on the evidence that the state and her defender offered up. While I am in no way defending the actions of someone who partied hard a couple of days after her daughter went missing, shouldn’t there be a presumption of innocent until proven guilty? I am also not suggesting that she is innocent. She lied to the Police which suggests that she had something to hide. Just my thoughts as a complete outsider who has only been privy to newspaper reports of the trial.THankfully, we don’t have tv coverage of court trials here.

  • Amanda July 6, 2011, 4:52 am

    I’m pretty disappointed in how the trial ended as well….. the whole case makes me sick.

    On a happier note: looks like you had a nice presentation! What a cute little town : )

  • Anne July 6, 2011, 5:11 am

    it’s a shame though that the catholic church still holds patriarchal and archaic attitudes towards women.

  • Mary July 6, 2011, 8:44 am

    That’s a really cute downtown! It’s nice that they still keep it in awesome shape regardless of all of the snow they get up there!

  • Christy July 6, 2011, 8:45 am

    I am sad that people see this as a failure of the justice system. I disagree. While I believe she is likely guilty, I also don’t believe, if you actually followed the case, that you could say that the state proved BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT that she committed the crime. The constitution places a HIGH burden on the state for a reason – we should all want our liberties protected. Although I think she likely committed the crime, this is less like OJ (acquitted because of who he is and less because of the State’s case) and more like the State just didn’t have enough physcial evidence to tie her to the crime.

  • Ally July 6, 2011, 8:47 am

    Basically, I was furious she was declared innocent…but there was too much reasonable doubt. The body was too badly decomposed to properly autopsy, which would have been the difference maker. Had the police listened and looked for the body earlier, who knows what the verdict would have been?

    Yes, I believe she did it, but technically she could still serve prison time considering she was found guilty of obstruction, perjury, and lying to police. She was found guilty on 4 counts of those and 1 count = 1 year in prison, so if the judge was particularly mean she could be in prison until she’s 30.

  • Yolie @ Practising Wellness July 6, 2011, 9:22 am

    Oxford looks beautiful! So quaint and picturesque 🙂 I love that you through in all the urban planner lingo…I was like, you-what?! 😉 congratulations on another successful operation beautiful presentation(s)! That’s so nice to hear that people find faith to be so powerful…I’m not a Catholic myself but think it is wonderful for these girls to have such affirming beliefs 🙂 xyx

  • Sarah T. July 6, 2011, 9:45 am

    We just got back from a road trip and we spent part of it in Michigan. They have lots of town that look like Oxford. We really enjoyed it and having the Lake nearby was awesome too!

    I was really saddened by the Casey Anthoney verdict too. I think she is guilty but there wasn’t enough evidence to prove it. They couldn’t show motive or determine cause of death which are big parts of it. I think the jurors made the best decision with what evidence they had (which is their job) but ultimately, poor little Cayley has no justice and we’ll never know what happened to her.

    • AH July 6, 2011, 3:58 pm

      Motive doesn’t have to be proved. We can’t get inside the accused person’s head so sometimes that remains a mystery. They presented that with the lifestlye Casey Anthony lived, her daughter was a hinderance. The prosecution presented a plausible casue of death with the chloroform and duct tape. That supported the evidence more than the drowning that the defense claimed. The county medical examiner could only determine the cause of death was homicide (due to the duct tape over her mouth). Perhaps if she had been found earlier, an exact cause of death would have been known, but in my opinion, what the prosecution presented was adequate.

  • marian July 6, 2011, 10:55 am

    this post made my heart happy! I am Catholic and I find that my faith helps me to overcome my tendency toward insecurity. Thanks for featuring these beautiful young girls on your blog and encouraging people of different faith backgrounds to support and respect each other! Operation Beautiful has such a fantastic message, and I’m so glad you are spreading the word 🙂

  • Sonia (the Mexigarian) July 6, 2011, 11:35 am

    Argh, I am so glad that trial is over. I was so sick of hearing about it and on the news. I always flipped the channel whenever it came on, unless I was too busy to and had to listen :\ In any case, I think she’s guilty as hell but there was little physical evidence to prove that and the whole thing is about evidence and that sliver of a shadow of doubt. I have no doubt that she did it, but the evidence wasn’t there.

  • Jill July 6, 2011, 11:37 am

    I don’t live too far from Oxford! How cool! Oh, and I too am completely shocked at the Casey Anthony verdict.

  • Amber K July 6, 2011, 12:03 pm

    Such a shocking and tragic case. I didn’t follow it closely, but I was absolutely shocked. All that can be done now is sending prayers for everyone involved.

    Wow, heated discussions at an Operation Beautiful talk? Crazy!

  • Johanna B July 6, 2011, 12:44 pm

    The last thing I am going to say on the Casey Anthony verdict is this: when I saw the video of the reading of the verdict and saw the look on her face as she heard not guilty I heard her say in her head as loudly as though she had actually spoken – I got away with it.

  • Shannon @ A Pinch of Ginger July 6, 2011, 3:49 pm

    I think that’s so cool you did urban planning for small PA towns. I live in one and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I have a post all about that scheduled for later this week I’m sure you’ll enjoy if you liked Oxford 🙂

  • Tiffany July 6, 2011, 5:59 pm

    I find the reaction to this case kind of ridiculous. I live in Arkansas, home of the infamous West Memphis Three case. Three young boys who were perceived as “weird” and acting “abnormal” were convicted of murder on highly circumstantial, weak evidence…and people have been rallying for years for them to be freed. Now, we have Casey Anthony who yes, did not react as a “normal” parent would…but the evidence against her was extremely weak and circumstantial at best. Personally, I’m sick of people being tried in the eyes of the public. Trials should remain behind closed doors, without live streams and constant press conferences. THAT is what’s wrong with our judicial system.

  • Jackie @ That Deep Breath July 6, 2011, 8:10 pm

    I think it is so sad there was no justice. Obviously she had something to do with it but there just wasn’t enough evidence. I sincerely hope they continue to look for more evidence to put this woman in jail for the murder.

  • Sarah July 6, 2011, 11:37 pm

    How cool that you were in Oxford! I’ve been reading your blog for about 3 years (although I don’t comment very often) and my husband and I have lived in Oxford for 4 years. It really is a great little town with a great DDA and tons of events and festivals throughout the year. There’s been some local businesses that have closed recently (which I’m sure you saw), the most recent was the Starbucks and a southern ‘soulfood’ restaurant. If you’re ever in town again, there are some really great trails nearby for walking/running/riding!

    Oh and kind of interesting, Oxford/Lake Orion used to be ‘resort towns’ in the 1950’s/early-1960’s as they were at the end of the rail line from Detroit. There are still of ton of then cottages on little ‘lakes’ (old quarries).

    Oh yeah, I think comment somewhere above about how it’s so nice that they keep the downtown area in good condition even with ‘all of the snow’ we get up here is pretty funny! It’s Southeast Michigan, not northern Canada. 🙂

    • CaitlinHTP July 7, 2011, 9:50 am

      <3 haha yay! go oxford.

  • Marieke July 7, 2011, 6:42 am

    Regards the Casey Anthony case, being from the UK I have not been able to follow the whole case in detail. However, just from the facts that she lied to the police several times AND didn’t report her child missing for a MONTH seriously she should have received a much harsher verdict than what she got. Who in their right mind does that?? I don’t have kids, but even if I lost my dog for an hour I would freak out. I really can’t imagine what goes on in such a person’s head. Also, I really wonder if the verdict would be the same if it would have been a man sitting the same trial..

    • AH July 7, 2011, 4:30 pm

      I agree. If it had been the father of the child on trial, I doubt the the verdict would have been not guilty. Same goes for if she wasn’t white. Ridiculous.

  • Dominique July 9, 2011, 3:25 pm

    I haven’t read all the comments here but just wanted to say that I’m not entirely shocked that Casey wasn’t guilty. I’m in Canada and while we didn’t get as much coverage about the trial as in the US, I think the reason she got off was being there wasn’t enough physical evidence.

    With the death sentence looming over the jurors heads, I don’t think they wanted to convict her of a crime they weren’t 100% about. My BF and I were talking about this, about how we thought she was guilty but if you’re a juror and don’t have enough evidence to convict her, it would be hard to do so.

    I also am just thinking that when she gets out in a week or less (I think), she’ll get what’s coming to her. Not that I would wish that upon her but I know that everyone’s reactions to this case have been pretty strong. It kind of reminds me of the OJ Simpson trial which I was totally all over.

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