Casey Anthony Gives Rare Interview Following Caylee’s Death — “I'm OK With Myself"

This July marks six years since Casey Anthony was found not guilty of first-degree murder after being accused of killing her daughter, Caylee. Since she was acquitted, the 30-year-old has remained largely out of the spotlight — until now.

In a rare interview, given to the Associated Press, Casey defends herself and insists she “[sleeps] pretty good” at night despite the trauma she experienced nearly 10 years ago.

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In the piece — which she later asked the AP not to run despite giving five interviews — she likened herself to a scene in Alice in Wonderland.

“The queen is proclaiming, ‘No, no, sentence first, verdict afterward,’” she explains of the unusual case. “I sense and feel to this day that is a direct parallel to what I lived. My sentence was doled out long before there was a verdict. Sentence first, verdict afterward. People found me guilty long before I had my day in court.”

Even though she was exonerated of charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child, she was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement — and today, she seems to be more remorseful that she admitted to lying to a cop than she is about lying to a cop in the first place.

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“Even if I would’ve told them everything that I told to the psychologist, I hate to say this but I firmly believe I would have been in the same place. Because cops believe other cops,” she explains. “Cops tend to victimize the victims. I understand now… I see why I was treated the way I was even had I been completely truthful. Cops lie to people every day. I’m just one of the unfortunate idiots who admitted they lied.”

When asked about the theory that her daughter drowned — the same one argued by her own defense team — the aspiring photographer hesitates and adds, “The last time I saw my daughter, I believed she was alive and was going to be OK, and that’s what was told to me.”

Today, Casey lives with Patrick McKenna — a private detective who worked on not only her case, but also OJ Simpson’s investigation; she also helps with research and admits she has a fascination with the former Heisman winner, adding, “I can empathize with his situation.”