Cindy Anthony Blames Seizures, Postpartum Illness for Casey's Behavior

Sept. 13, 2011 — -- Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony, suggested a series of possible medical problems from gran mal seizures to a brain tumor to postpartum schizophrenia to explain what may have led to 2-year-old Caylee's death and her daughter's callous behavior.

Cindy and George Anthony, grandparents of Caylee, appeared in their first interview in over a year on the "Dr. Phil" Show today. During the first part of the two part interview, the couple described to Phil McGraw their marital troubles and Casey Anthony's behavior before and after Caylee went missing.

Casey Anthony was acquitted of daughter Caylee's murder and released from the Orange County Jail on July 17.

"I'm not making excuses for her. I want to find out what's wrong with Casey. I know that there's something wrong," Cindy Anthony said.

Casey Anthony's mother asked rhetorically how could "this caring young person who cared about everybody, loved kids and then all of a sudden something tragically happens to Caylee and Casey completely goes off the deep end?"

Casey Anthony's Mother Suggests Medical Reasons for Daughter's Behavior

Cindy Anthony said that her daughter's bizarre behavior during the time that Caylee was missing might be the result of gran mal seizures. During the time that Caylee was dead and was yet to be reported missing, the young mom partied at clubs, got a tattoo that read "Bella Vita" and spun a web of lies about her daughter's whereabouts.

Cindy Anthony raised the possibility of Casey Anthony suffering a seizure on the day Caylee died.

"I don't know if she had a seizure that day and blacked out," Cindy Anthony said.

Cindy Anthony said that her daughter's ex-fiancé Jesse Grund called 911 when she suffered a seizure in November 2007. She also claimed that her daughter suffered a seizure while she was home on bail in 2008.

"I don't know why she's having a seizure. Does she have a brain tumor, were the seizures caused by stress?" Cindy Anthony speculated to McGraw.

George Anthony did not comment or contribute to his wife's claims about the seizures during the interview.

Court documents from an interview Jesse Grund gave to investigators show that he did call 911 to report that Casey Anthony was having a seizure in November 2007. Cindy Anthony said her daughter was taken to a hospital, but doctors found no medical reason for her seizures. And someone familiar with Casey Anthony's time in jail told ABCNews.com that the Florida woman never suffered a seizure during her three years of incarceration.

Attorney Wendy Murphy, who has followed the case closely, said that Anthony's parents might be trying to create sympathy for their daughter.

"Last I read, she was the most hated person in America...She has nowhere to go but up in the eyes of public," Murphy said. "Her family, no matter what they think, ... they realize at this point that she could benefit from some sympathy."

Cindy Anthony admitted to McGraw that she has a history of making excuses for her 25-year-old daughter. Both she and George Anthony told McGraw that they noticed a change in their daughter after Caylee was born in August 2006.

"Looking back now, I'm almost wondering if she didn't develop post partum schizophrenia or some issue after her pregnancy, a hormonal type of illness," Cindy Anthony said.

George Anthony took a harsher stance when reflecting on his daughter's behavior, saying that she played him and his wife like fools with her lies and by stealing money from them. Casey Anthony even stole from her grandmother, they said.