Answers to Questions We May Never Find...

In a verdict that rippled with the same level of shock as the decision in the initial OJ Simpson case, Casey Anthony was acquitted yesterday of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee three years ago. (Given the traffic the verdict received on Facebook yesterday, I can only imagine what the hours and days following the OJ verdict would have been like if social media were around then.)

The jury returned their decision after less than 11 hours of deliberation over two days. While there are many people—including some legal experts—who feel the jury made the right decision given the evidence the prosecution presented, most feel that the tragic end of Caylee's all-too-short life deserves some justice.

Casey Anthony lied to police, even partied and got a tattoo during the month Caylee was missing. She invented an imaginary nanny, whom she claimed Caylee was with, created a fictitious wealthy boyfriend, and even claimed that she and Caylee had been visiting the imaginary nanny after she was injured in an out-of-town car crash. And yet because the burden of proof remained with the prosecution, the defense's only task was to raise one iota of doubt with one juror to successfully protect their client.

While Anthony was convicted of lying, it is expected that she will be released from jail shortly given the time she has served. And while undoubtedly she will have the opportunity to tearfully tell her side of the story to every media outlet, perhaps "write" a book about her ordeal and even authorize the TV movie about the case, there are many questions for which we may never get answers.

What really did happen with Caylee?

Was her death an accidental drowning as the defense suggested, or did the chloroform and duct tape play a role?

What role did Casey's father really play in all of this?

Is Casey simply a sociopath who was able to party while her child was missing, or were her actions those of a highly stressed young woman trying to cope with unbelievable angst and sadness?

In the end, while Casey gets the chance to live her life freely, Caylee is dead. It doesn't matter who killed her or how she died, but clearly her life was not the beautiful one which all children should be entitled to.

And that is the saddest part of all. One can only hope that Casey has the sense to refrain from having another child, who might eventually inconvenience her life much as Caylee did.

Justice was served. Unfortunately, our legal system worked on the wrong person's behalf.