Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the most hated woman of them all?
Not since the Casey Anthony trial aired in 2011, have I been so captivated by a live televised courtroom trial; albeit one that features yet another woman who — in the court of public opinion — is the queen of evil, more familiarly called the “most hated woman in America.”
I admit that I am hooked on live courtroom programs. If I could I would rather view every live courtroom trial on TV than watch a single episode of Scandal. Okay, I perjured myself with that statement and request that it be stricken from the record. In my opinion Scandal trumps all other TV shows. But this is not about Scandal. It is about the reigning courtroom drama queen.
My research reveals that the first woman to hold the title was Madalyn Murray O’Hair, founder of the organization American Atheists. O’Hair was born on April 13, 1919, decades before courtroom trials became a television staple. But because her U.S. Supreme Court case contributed to the removal of prayer in public schools, proponents of universal prayer dubbed her America’s most hated woman. In August 1995, O’Hair, her son Jon, and granddaughter Robin suddenly disappeared. Six years later, in January 2001, one of the men convicted of kidnapping and murdering O’Hair and her relatives led police to a Texas ranch. Buried there law officers discovered the mutilated and dismembered bodies of the trio. Some considered it poetic justice.
The second infamous person to hold the uncomplimentary title was Casey Anthony, accused in 2011 of the death of her two year old daughter, Caylee. The child who lived in Orlando, Florida with her mother and her maternal grandparents had not been seen by the grandparents since June 16, 2008. She was reported missing to 911 a month later by Casey’s mother after Casey could not substantiate her daughter’s whereabout. Caylee’s decomposed remains were found in a garbage bag, in the woods, in December 2008. On July 5, 2011, despite overwhelming evidence including the then 25 year old’s proven web of lies, the jury found Casey not guilty. Outside the courthouse, TV cameras revealed the outrage of numerous nail-biting angry people. They, like many spectators who had been in the courtroom or had viewed the proceedings on TV asked, about the jury, “What were they thinking?”
Now, Casey Anthony — who has been in hiding since her release — has been dethroned by the infamous Jodi Arias.