JACKSONVILLE (ActionNewsJax.com) -- For the first time since their daughter was acquitted of charges that she murdered her toddler daughter, the parents of Casey Anthony are opening up about the trial and their ordeal.
The two spoke to Dr. Phil McGraw during a nine-hour interview session that will air Tuesday at 4 pm on FOX30/WAWS-TV to mark the talk show's tenth season premiere. It was the first time that George and Cindy Anthony have spoken publicly about their daughter and the sensational case since she was acquitted and released from jail two months ago.
"When I sat down with them I was very surprised and pleased that they were as open as they were," Dr. Phil said Tuesday during an interview with WOFL-TV, an Orlando station. "They gave me no rules or restrictions whatsoever."
During the interview, the two said they knew nothing about their granddaughter's disappearance in the days before she was reported missing.
"All I know is that Caylee is not with us anymore," George Anthony told Dr. Phil.
Casey Anthony's murder trial for the slaying of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, sparked national media coverage and an enormous amount of attention and scrutiny. She is now considered the most hated person in America, according to a recent poll that tracks public perceptions of U.S. celebrities.
Cindy Anthony has said that they felt the Dr. Phil show would be a good platform for them to explain their recent struggles.
"We knew that we'd want to speak at some point, and we figured there was no better place than with Dr. Phil. We are hoping that by doing this interview, we will be able to help other people who may be experiencing struggles of their own."
"They have never gotten to tell their story," Dr. Phil said during the interview with WOFL-TV. "They have never gotten to explain what happened from their point of view. This was their chance to do that and they stepped up to it in a very big way."
The little girl's body was found in December, 2008 in a plastic bag near the Anthony's home in the Orlando area. The case ended up on the national stage, driven largely by around-the-clock coverage on cable news channels and online Websites.
A jury ultimately acquitted Casey Anthony during a trial in which the defense accused George Anthony of trying to cover up the girl's death. The defense also accused him of sexually abusing Casey, abuse that started when she was a young girl. He denied both allegations.
After the trial, Casey went into seclusion and has largely shunned the public spotlight ever since.
George and Cindy Anthony reportedly did not ask for compensation for the interview, but asked that a donation be made to a planned charitable organization that will honor their granddaughter.
ActionNewsJax.com Staff Writer Alfred Charles contributed to this report. He can be reached at acharles@nptvgroup.com.
