Casey Anthony Judge Admits ‘Shock’ At ‘Not Guilty’ Verdict [Video]

It has been nearly two years since Casey Anthony was acquitted for her daughter’s death, and the judge presiding over the case says that he was surprised that the young mother was found not guilty in the end.

Judge Belvin Perry sat down with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY Monday for an exclusive interview. During his appearance, he called Casey Anthony “very manipulative,” and said that there were “two sides” to the troubled Florida mother.

“There was the side that was before the jury, where she portrayed the role of a mother who had lost a child, someone who was wrongfully accused, and then you could notice the change and transformation in her when the jury went out,” Perry said.

He also said that Anthony was often very aggressive, even scolding her defense team. He recalled a specific instance when he overheard Anthony shouting at her lawyers from her holding cell after they had suggested that her behavior was negatively influencing the trial.

“I will never forget that day,” he said. “All of a sudden, you heard shouting coming from the holding cell, some four-letter words coming from the holding cell, and she was quite upset. So upset that one counselor suggested that she was incompetent to proceed.”

Perry also believed that Casey Anthony would ultimately be found guilty.

“There was sufficient evidence to sustain a verdict of murder in the first degree in this case,” he said.

But …

“I thought they had proved a great case, but you’ve got to realize this was a circumstantial evidence case. All the defense had to do was create that reasonable doubt, and that’s what they did.”

Perry credits Anthony’s head defense lawyer, Jose Baez, as the primary reason that Anthony is free today.

“He came across as someone that you would like. It’s like someone trying to sell a used car. Who are you going to buy it from? The most likable salesperson.”

Check out video of Judge Belvin Perry’s interview on TODAY below:

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