Caylee's Law
Caylee's Law is the informal name for bills in several states that would make it a felony for a parent or guardian not to report a missing child if the parent knew or should have known the child could be in danger. The idea grew after the Casey Anthony trial, where she did not report her 3-year-old daughter Caylee missing for 31 days. The trial ended with Casey Anthony being found not guilty of murder and related charges on July 5, 2011, which supporters used to push for stricter reporting rules.
A Change.org petition by Michelle Crowder, which gathered about 1.3 million signatures, helped spur lawmakers in Florida, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia to draft Caylee's Law. In South Dakota, two people were charged with failing to report the death of a two-year-old under the new law.
Critics say the law could be unconstitutional or too broad and could punish innocent parents. They note the rules don’t distinguish how or where a child dies, so even hospital deaths could require reporting within a set time or face charges. Some warn it could lead to overreporting and wasted police time, and might not stop those who would harm a child. Proponents argue the law would push parents to report missing or dead children quickly.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:09 (CET).