Cases from 2008 include criminal investigations, trials, and notable events that occurred during the year. Whether they involved new charges, breakthroughs in cold cases, high-profile trials, or tragic incidents that captured national attention, the cases documented here reflect the state of the criminal justice system in 2008. CaseSleuth provides detailed, chronological coverage of each case with timelines, evidence breakdowns, profiles of key people involved, and links to primary sources and media coverage.
2 cases found
Casey Marie Anthony was charged with first-degree murder in the 2008 death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, in Orlando, Florida. The child was last seen on June 16, 2008, and was not reported missing for 31 days. On July 5, 2011, a jury acquitted Anthony of murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse, but convicted her on four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement. The verdict was widely regarded as one of the most controversial in modern American criminal justice. Two of the four misdemeanor convictions were later overturned on appeal in January 2013.
Jodi Ann Arias was convicted of the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Victor Alexander, who was found dead at his Mesa, Arizona home on June 9, 2008, having been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed, and shot in the forehead. Arias was found guilty on May 8, 2013, after a nationally televised trial during which she claimed self-defense. After two juries deadlocked on the death penalty, she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on April 13, 2015.