Ep 1. Little Girl Lost

In the opening episode of Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery, viewers are introduced to the little girl at the center of it all, 2-year-old Caylee Anthony. The episode begins with a frantic 911 call from Casey Anthony, Caylee's mother, reporting her daughter missing.

As the investigation into Caylee's disappearance unfolds, detectives quickly learn that Casey has a complicated past. She was a high school dropout with a history of lying and stealing from her family and friends. She was also a single mother who had repeatedly refused to disclose the identity of Caylee's father.

In the early days of the investigation, Casey claims that Caylee has been kidnapped by her nanny, Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez. However, when detectives begin to look into Fernandez-Gonzalez, they discover that she doesn't actually exist and that Casey has been lying.

As the days turn into weeks, and then into months, there are still no signs of Caylee. The media frenzy grows, with reporters camped outside of Casey's family home day and night. Casey's behavior also becomes increasingly bizarre, with reports of her partying and getting a tattoo that reads "Bella Vita," Italian for "beautiful life" while her daughter is still missing.

Despite the lack of evidence, prosecutors eventually charge Casey with first-degree murder, claiming that she suffocated Caylee with duct tape and left her body in the trunk of her car for several days before dumping it in a nearby wooded area. The trial that follows is dubbed "the social media trial" because of the intense coverage it receives on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

As the episode draws to a close, viewers are left wondering what really happened to Caylee. Did Casey kill her daughter, as prosecutors allege? Or is there another explanation for her disappearance? And how will the trial play out?

Overall, the first episode of Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery is a gripping and emotional exploration of one of the most high-profile cases in recent history. With compelling interviews from detectives, prosecutors, and members of the media, it provides a well-rounded look at the events surrounding Caylee's disappearance and the trial that followed.