When we last checked in with former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, she was on the talk show circuit sharing her impressions about Ryan Murphy’s award-winning anthology The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and promoting her crime novel, Blood Defense. Now that the dust from ACS has settled, Marcia is bringing her experience to a new docuseries hoping to shed some light on some of the nation’s most talked-about crimes.
Marcia Clark Investigates the First 48 is a new, seven-part series on A&E. On the show, Marcia takes a deeper look into the cases that have dominated the media over the past few decades, including the Drew Petersen, Robert Blake and Chandra Levy cases. The 64-year-old legal eagle is passionate about the project, telling The Daily Beast that, “my favorite part of being a prosecutor was being an investigator.” She has only the best intentions for the series, explaining,
“My mission in the show is to stand up for the victims, and I mean victims in the broadest sense. Those who have been wrongfully convicted as well as those who were wrongfully acquitted or never charged. Everybody who was done wrong in some way I want to be able to stand up for, and call bullshit where necessary, and get the truth out.”
The first episode of Marcia’s series, which airs tonight, deals with the Casey Anthony case. The show’s investigative team has found some evidence that sheds doubt on Casey’s acquittal in the 2008 murder of her daughter, Caylee. The Orlando Sentinel, who extensively covered the case, reported that Marcia found potentially damning evidence in the 2012 book Presumed Guilty, which was written by Casey’s defense attorney Jose Baez. In the book, Baez blamed Casey’s father for an online search for “foolproof suffocation.” The Firefox searches on the Anthony computer were deleted shortly before Casey’s arrest. At the time of the trial, the time of the search was misstated due to a technical glitch, and the search was conducted when Casey was the only person at home. Said Marcia,
“The timing of this can’t be dismissed. Her search history was deleted only after police had contacted her, driven her around to the addresses where she claimed where the nanny might be found. The nanny was never found. They drop her back at her house. During the time they left her in the house, before she was arrested, was when that browser history was deleted. Context is everything.”
Marcia also plans to address other findings that were uncovered during her investigation and speaks to many of the key players in the case, including former Judge Belvin Perry, who presided over the case; former prosecutor Jeff Ashton; and Cheney Mason, another of Casey’s attorneys. Casey’s lead attorney Jose Baez refused to be interviewed and Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found Caylee’s remains, wanted $1 million to appear, prompting Marcia to add, “He just didn’t want to be involved.”
I lived in South Florida during the Casey Anthony trial and am a major true crime buff, so I am 100% in for this series. Judging from the trailer, Marcia makes an engaging and compelling host, and she’s quite the pitbull as an interrogator. There’s also a companion podcast for the series, which should prove to be quite interesting. This ought to be a good one.
Photos: WENN.com, Getty Images
Interesting how the universe works. Earlier this morning I read in the Daily Mail that Casey’s parents have made mortgage payments for the last 10 years. And now this story
typo sorry….”haven’t”
No one from Florida needs more evidence to her guilt. But as another crime buff I’m super excited for this series
Maybe just those twelve Florida jurors.
I’m not sure any amount of evidence would’ve swayed that jury, ..
That jury pissed me off so much. They essentially ignored Perry’s statement that circumstantial evidence was sufficient to find guilt, but they stupidly thought that real life scenario should have played out like a CSI episode. Fn A.
Or, the prosecutors should have pursued a lesser charge and gotten a conviction. I’m not blaming the jury exclusively, the state messed up that case just as much.
That jury was the classic example of why sequestration for juries are bad. There’s always at least one person with an agenda and they have time to influence the others while sequestered. This jury had decided she was not guilty even before they started deliberating.
They were not privy to all the information the public had.
The prosecution DID give the jury the option of convicting of lesser charges including 2nd degree or manslaughter due to child neglect. They even acquitted her of the neglect charge!! The excuse given by that ding dong jury foreman was “we didn’t know who was responsible for Caylee THAT DAY”, which tells me they not only believed the whole drowning story (without a single shred of evidence), but they also didn’t bother to issue a question to the judge regarding guardianship laws. So in their glazed over eyes, a mother shouldn’t be held accountable, even when her attorney admitted she knew the child was dead and she did absolutely nothing. They wanted the State to give them CSI type evidence from a skeleton that decomposed in a Florida swamp for 6 months, but they readily believed that snakeoil salesman, Baez, despite the fact that he couldn’t back up anything he said. They were instructed by the judge that “what the lawyers say is NOT evidence”. Those 12 failed miserably.
I know the True Crime genre is addictive but it’s also incredibly dangerous when it zeros in on suspects. Especially when its inpossible to throw in absolutely every detail and the audience is guided by what the producer chose to edit or keep. And of course where the producer places his ominous sound track and where he plays the sympathetic violins.
We have courts and double jeopardy laws for a reason. A trial can take many months of rigorous testimony in mind numbing detail, for a reason. But sure let’s boil it all down to a ten episode season.
Just because the three targets (OJ, Cassie and the Ramseys) so far have been extremely famous and unpopular acquittals doesnt change this problem. In fact it makes it even more worrying because a culture that brushes away the broader ethical concerns is taking root while people who should know better look the other way. And it’s growing into such a profitable genre, it’s going to keep churning out product to satisfy the audiences itch.
As a fan of true crime before true crime was popular, I can tell you that the major stories live on in the news, on shows like American justice then 48 hours and the like, and now podcasts. As time passes more details come out and opinions change, but understanding and compassion for all parties grows. In my experience fans of true crime tend to be the ones who are less quick to make snap decisions because they tend to understand all the components that go into a crime and whether things tend to make sense in the big picture, rather than just accept what they’re being spoon fed on tv.
I don’t think that your very generous accusation is accurate at all.
The hardcore fans are actually the worst type because for them the people involved are not actually people but toy characters in their obsessive hobby. They are probably the biggest headache for both the families of victims and suspects because they know no boundaries. It doesnt even occur to them that posting the names and their unproven speculations online could be costing innocent people greatly. And worst of all they have no sourcing guidelines. The only acceptable sources should be court documents not profit driven PIs and book authors. They end up propagating mistruths about cases.
The Amanda Knox case convinced me otherwise. The killer was sitting in jail while Amanda was convicted on evidence analyzed at a dirty lab and outlandish bits of conjecture, and people who followed the case from the beginning utterly refused to see reason when the problems with the conviction became obvious.
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, what have you done to your face?
It’s like an episode of the Twilight Zone. Apparently there are two So Cal approved faces. The “Jenner”, which Marcia is clearly modeling (especially in the last picture) and the “surpised chipmunk” favored by the rich (but not as old as the Jenner women) 2nd wives crowd.
I know right! If you are going to get it done, get a good plastic surgeon!
Marcia, Marcia should also consider a lighter hair color. The dark color is so severe and ages her. Poor old girl, ever since the OJ trial, her looks have been a topic of discussion.
Yeah that’s what I came here to say. I followed the OJ case back in the day and she totally looks different (not talking about the hair either). If you didn’t tell me she was Marcia Clark I would have thought she’s some random office lady.
I had two thoughts: I didn’t think her face looked too bad, because she hasn’t done the over-plumped lip thingy; and in the premier picture there are movie star arms and real people arms. There’s nothing wrong with Marcia’s arms, as a bearer of real people arms myself, but there is a difference.
Doesn’t matter if Casey confessed, with double jeopardy, she can’t be tried again for the same crime. Everyone in the Free World knew she was guilty except for the jurors. Poor little Caylee dumped like garbage on the side of the road. There is no punishment severe enough for this woman. She killed her baby and she is as free as a bird.
I can’t believe that there isn’t a law in place that would allow her to be tried again. Can’t they claim that the jurors we’re incompetent? Or can’t the state appeal and order a new trial? I mean I know it’s Florida but c’mon!
Nah. The Fifth Amendment protects her. The victim doesn’t get the same privilege.
You can get a retrial if you’re found guilty, but not innocent.
Nancy, not only that, but last I heard, Anthony was living with some mob connected associate of Baez. She has everything she needs.
Will the universe catch up to her someday? It remains to be seen.
Nothing I hear about her or her living conditions would surprise me. She walked out of that courtroom stunned. Even though she was/is crazy enough to believe the jury would find her not guilty, she had to be somewhat shocked. Baez is a POS. To try to implicate her father of sexual misconduct as his flipping defense is indefensible. He has to feel good about himself. He will rot in Hell with Tot Mom. Will the Universe catch up with her. Yes. Even though sociopaths feel no guilt, I’m sure there are demons in her head that wake her up at night. At least I hope so.
I stopped believing in karma the day that child killer walked free. I watched the entire trial, and prior to that I was sifting through the discovery evidence as it was released to the public. I’m 100% sure she murdered Caylee, and was absolutely stunned at that verdict. During the years leading up to the trial Baez tried to pin Caylee’s death on many different people. As he came up with suspects, the police disproved all his accusations. Accusing George was a last minute hail mary, and that jury ate it right up. Throwing George under the bus and making up that sexual abuse story was disgusting. Baez is scum.
I wonder what her angle is on Drew Peterson. He was found guilty of murdering his third wife and then guilty of trying to get a hit on the state’s attorney. Because of there is no body, no known weapon, and a lack of physical evidence, they were never able to charge him in the death of the fourth wife.
Nancy, I agree.
Also, I know everyone is different but once last fall my 2 year old toddler let himself out our front door when I was peeing. I heard the front door open and took off running pants still down. He is quick and for about 15-30 seconds I couldn’t find him. The level of panic I had was unreal!! Words can’t explain the stroke I almost had looking. He raninto they backyard by his baby swing. What I’m trying to say is I feel like she’s guilty on the fact that she seemed to careless about where her daughter was for a month?!?! Nanny? With her parents?? She’s out drunk, hooking up with guys and starring in wet t-shirt contests?! Riiiiiiight……so so so guilty…..but then again everyone knows she’s guilty but about 12 people! Makes me sick to my stomach! Also, I know have baby locks on all the doors now!
I fully agree with you. However, knowing someone is guilty and having evidence that proves someone is guilty are two different things. And I’m quite glad of that. The Simpson case, the Anthony case were two examples of the flaw in that system. But there are countless examples of the success of that system, too. It goes both ways. I keep hoping for justice to be served to these people, heaping and cold and final.
You must have been terrified. She blamed Zanny the Nanny, of course, Zanny being Xanax which is said she used to put Caylee asleep while she went out partying. She is a sociopath and has no guilt about the death of her child. One can only hope a higher force will bestow a befitting punishment to this monster, either here on Earth or thereafter.
I never heard the Zanny/Xanax part. More horror.
LadyT-
No offense intended, but that was the majority of her defense until the end of the case where Baez threw the father under the bus as part of the fake drowning scenario, after they accused him of molesting casey (lower case stays). That ass threw everything at the proverbial wall trying to make anything stick.
Tot Mom. OMG, Nancy Grace totally and unequivocally despised this woman. She would never call her by her name. TOT MOM
It’s ok. I didn’t choose to follow this case except in passing. Just too much.
LadyT: True. Whenever a child is murdered, especially by her psychopath mother, it is difficult to listen to or even watch the trial. I was so certain she would be found guilty, it was even worse.
Do we really need any more evidence that she’s guilty? We all know she did it, just a question of how and why.
Well we know why. She wanted a child-free life. She wanted to go out and drink and date without any responsibilities. Hell that’s why she gave that poor child Xanax multiple times to put her to sleep, so she could go partying.
I’m interested in this, and glad to see Marcia getting another opportunity. Prior to the OJ mess, she was a pretty successful prosecutor.
I think everyone knows Casey is guilty, and I hope the guilt weighs heavily on her every minute of every day for the rest of her life. I don’t think they need another show to convince anyone.
Unfortunately I think Casey is a true Sociopath and probably feels little to no guilt. More likely, she feels persecuted as some kind of victim.. having to live her life being known as a “baby killer”. Sickening.
Exactly. She gave an interview recently where she was trying to prove a point that her conscience is clear because she didn’t murder her child, by saying “I sleep pretty good at night”. Too bad that sociopath doesn’t realize that if she truly did lose her child to a “tragic drowning”, and have her own child molester father dispose of the body, she would never sleep well again. Every time she opens her mouth she proves what a sicko she really is. She only sleeps well at night because she murdered a child she didn’t want and got away with it.
Everyone knows that POS Casey Anthony did it!!! Society is supposed to protect children; Caylee was failed in life and in death.
I believe she is 100 percent guilty, my husband is an attorney he says that the state should not of went for first degree murder because they couldn’t show premeditated murder, that’s why that bitch is free.
I think computer searches for homemade chloroform and foolproof suffocation says otherwise. That’s the definition of premeditated.
This is a common misconception. The jury was given the option to convict on lesser charges including 2nd degree murder and manslaughter due to child neglect. The Pinellas 12 managed to acquit her of ALL charges. Manslaughter would have gotten her another 15 years in prison, but that jury refused to hold her accountable of anything. They were mesmerized with the snakeoil salesman, Baez. I don’t know why. It was clear to anyone with a brain he was being underhanded. The judge wouldn’t even allow him to bring up the molestation in closing arguments because he provided zero evidence of it, but the village idiots chose to follow him down that rabbit hole anyway.
I am far more excited to watch Marcia Clark than any of these true crime episodes. She’s just that good at what she does.
I’m assuming she’s talking about Laci Peterson Drew Peterson rather than the other murderous Peterson? He’s in jail but there’s been a couple docs recently that cast doubt on his guilt. I watched them and I still declare he is guilty as get out.
Right? Must be Drew, not Scott, Peterson. Although I’d like to see both of them ROT.