Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings addresses the media during a press conference about the Casey Anthony trial in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Just when you thought it was safe to turn off your T.V.
Had the Casey Anthony trial ended in a conviction, there would have been plenty to speculate about: will she appeal? How long will she be in jail? But when Casey was acquitted of all major charges last week, it was a pretty safe bet that the story was coming to a close.
Video: The Lingering Questions from the Casey Anthony Verdict
Almost. There were still the convictions for lying to investigators, which landed her another two weeks in jail. Then there was speculation that Casey’s mother, Cindy might face perjury charges for testifying that she searched for chloroform on the family’s computer when search times conflicted with her work logs. And most recently, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings held a press conference where he said, “The ultimate goal … is that our personnel can get back to work doing the business of the taxpayers and residents of Orange County. This is the only way that we can move forward.”
Apparently, the only way to move forward is to continue investigating aspects of the Casey Anthony case. Sheriff Demings explained that authorities were investigating allegations of witness tampering. He did not specify who brought the allegation or who is suspected of tampering with witnesses, but Demings did say that it involved Cindy Anthony. A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office later said that Cindy will not be charged with perjury.
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It’s unclear at this point what that means for Cindy Anthony, but it seems the case will continue to occupy the time and efforts of the Orange County authorities who have already spent nearly three years on some aspect of the case. With Casey scheduled to be released from prison on July 17, Demings’ comments make it seem that there are at least a few loose ends to tie up. But if you want to turn off your T.V., NewsFeed will stay on the case.
In Crimes of the Century, a new e-book, TIME puts infamous cases like the Casey Anthony trial under a magnifying glass. Download the e-book now.
Nate Rawlings is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @naterawlings. Continue the discussion about Casey Anthony on TIME‘s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.