US Mum Acquitted Of Toddler's Murder

A 25-year-old woman has been found not guilty of killing her two-year-old daughter in a case that has gripped America since the child went missing three years ago.

Casey Anthony wept as she was cleared of first-degree murder, which could have seen her sentenced to death if convicted.

Instead, the Florida court found her guilty of four charges of lying to investigators looking into the disappearance of her daughter, Caylee.

Caylee's remains were found six months after she went missing in June 2008.

However, a medical examiner was never able to determine how she died.

Anthony's lawyers claimed Caylee drowned accidentally in the swimming pool at the family home in Orlando.

Prosecutors argued she was suffocated with duct tape by her mother, who loved to party too much.

The trial - broadcast live across America - led to scuffles outside the court as members of the public jostled to get seats inside.

As the verdicts were read out, Anthony wept and hugged her defence team.

Her lawyer, Jose Baez, said: "While we're happy for Casey there are no winners in this case.

"Caylee has passed on far, far too soon and what my driving force has been for the last three years is always to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey because Casey did not murder Caylee. It's that simple."

State Attorney Lawson Lamar said the prosecution team was "disappointed and surprised" by the result.

He added that although his team did an exemplary job they were hampered by the delay in recovering Caylee's body, which was reduced to skeletal remains.

That meant it was a "dry bones" case which reduced the amount of forensic evidence available.

Anthony will be sentenced on Thursday and could receive up to a year in jail for each lying count.