Casey Anthony is reportedly partying more and trying to put her past behind her now that it's been eight years since since she was acquitted for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, a source told People magazine. (Photo by Joe Burbank-Pool/Getty Images) (2011 Getty Images)
Casey Anthony is allegedly partying more and trying to put her past behind her — eight years after she was acquitted for murder, according to reports.
The 33-year-old Florida woman had been accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee but was acquitted in 2011.
Until recently, she had been living a quiet life in South Florida, a source reportedly told People.
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The magazine said the source is close to Anthony, who reportedly remembers her “old life” — Caylee’s disappearance, the trial and her relationship with her parents — as a “nightmare.”
“She lives in denial a lot of the time, pretending that everything that happened, didn’t happen,” the source said.
“She believes she has done her penance,” the anonymous person added. “And now she’s partying. She’s dating around, meeting new people, and finally creating a social life.”
Though she had been dating someone for a while, the source alleges Anthony isn’t looking to settle down.
The source also claimed Anthony is fighting back to people who confront her about her past.
“She used to avoid people, but now she calls them ‘psycho haters’ and is defiant about them,” the source alleged. “She says things like ‘ugh, they just need to get over me.’”
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Anthony first made headlines in 2008 after Caylee vanished.
The child was reportedly last seen June 16, 2008 — but was first reported missing by her grandmother on July 15. The following day, Anthony was arrested on charges of child neglect. She told police at the time her child disappeared with a babysitter. Caylee’s remains were found in a wooded area near the family home on Dec. 11, 2008.
Following a high-profile 2011 trial, prosecutors proved Anthony, the prime suspect, was a liar — but they couldn’t convince the jury she was a murderer. The government failed to establish how Caylee died, and they couldn't find her mother's DNA on the duct tape they said was used to suffocate her. After a month and a half in court, the jury took fewer than 11 hours to find Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.
She was convicted of four counts of lying to police, though two counts were later dropped. She served about three years in prison while awaiting trial.
Anthony now works as a researcher for Patrick McKenna, a private detective who was the lead investigator on her defense team.
Fox News’ Kathleen Joyce, Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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