Names of Casey Anthony jurors are released; none can be found

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A Florida court has released the names of the jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial, giving identities to people who have thus far been the subject of only unfocused public outrage.

The public interest in the case -- and the ensuing anger over the acquittal in July of the young woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee -- had led Florida Superior Court Judge Belvin Perry to keep the jurors’ names under wraps for several months. The delay was intended to provide a ‘cooling-off’ period and to offer jurors a measure of protection.

That period ended Tuesday when the court made their names public.

And, no surprise, the media began beating a path to jurors’ front doors shortly after the Orange County Superior Court in Florida released the information.

The Orlando Sentinel described its efforts bluntly: ‘Sentinel reporters and a photographer have been knocking on doors throughout Pinellas County today, searching for the jurors. Many knocks went unanswered, and some neighbors said their juror neighbors had left town.’

As of midday Pacific time Tuesday it did not appear that any of the outed jurors were speaking publicly.

Anthony has been dubbed the most hated woman in America, according to an online poll conducted in the wake of the acquittal.

Anthony always denied harming her daughter, but told conflicting stories about her 2008 death. At one point she said the little girl had been kidnapped, triggering a months-long search for the child; then, at trial, Anthony said the girl drowned accidentally in the family pool and was buried in the woods nearby to cover up the death.

In the wake of her acquittal, jurors largely declined to meet with or talk to the media. But the jury foreman, who insisted on anonymity, told Fox News that jurors had no choice but to acquit because the prosecution failed to prove its case. The husband of another juror, meanwhile, said his wife quit her job and left the state for fear of being attacked by coworkers if they learned of her involvement.

The jurors had been selected from nearby Pinellas County instead of Orange County because of concerns that media attention in Orlando had made it nearly impossible to seat an impartial juror. The jurors and alternates in the case were sequestered until the verdict was reached.

A spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office told the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday that officials were prepared to respond to any complaints or concerns from jurors, but that so far that had not been necessary.

For her part, Anthony has maintained a low profile since her acquittal and has been rarely seen in public since her release from jail. She has yet to speak to the media.

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--Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch

The Associated Press contributed to this report.