Serious Allegations Arise About Casey Anthony

Nearly five years after the standing trial for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Casey Anthony is again in the spotlight. A man with ties to the case has made some serious allegations against Anthony and her lawyer, renewing public debate on one of America's most controversial legal cases. In court documents recently made public, a private investigator claimed Casey Anthony was guilty not only of killing her daughter, Caylee, but had allegedly paid her defense attorney Jose Baez with sex. Baez has adamantly denied the allegations.

In a 15-page affidavit filed last month with a court in Tampa as part of a bankruptcy case Anthony has been involved in since 2013, private investigator Dominic Casey claimed Baez had told him in 2008 that Anthony was guilty of killing Caylee and that she had allegedly hid the girl's body. "Baez had told me that Casey had murdered Caylee and dumped the body somewhere and he needed all the help he could get to find the body before anyone else did," Casey claimed in court documents; Baez denies all his allegations. Casey had reportedly worked as a private investigator for Anthony's defense team from late July to October 2008.

Casey also claimed Baez had allowed Anthony to exchange sexual favors for his services in lieu of having the money needed to cover her legal fees. Casey also alleged that he "witnessed a naked Casey" running from Baez's private office sometime in mid-September during an unexpected visit to the attorney. In the affidavit, Casey claimed he confronted Anthony about the incident that evening and that "Casey told me she had to do what Jose said because she had no money for her defense." The private investigator also alleged that Baez told Anthony in a separate incident, "You know owe me three blow jobs." Baez counter-argues that these incidents never happened at all.

Baez has denied the claims levied against him, and threatened to take legal action against Casey. In a statement to People magazine Baez said that "legal action is forthcoming," but did not disclose any further details of a potential lawsuit against Casey:

I unequivocally and categorically deny exchanging sex for my legal services with Ms. Anthony. I further unequivocally and categorically deny having any sexual relationship with Ms. Anthony whatsoever. I have always conducted my practice consistent with the high ethical standards required of members of the Florida Bar. My representation of Ms. Anthony was no exception. This libelous claim is in line with many other outrageous claims and theories that this individual has advanced regarding the Casey Anthony case.

Casey's claims don't stop there. The private investigator also claimed reputed Mexican drug lord "El Chapo" helped finance Anthony's legal and bail bond fees by providing more than $700,000 through a man named Pete (Pedro) Beneviedes.

In July 2011, nearly three years after Caylee's body was found near the home Anthony shared with her parents, a jury found Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse. She was convicted of knowingly providing false information to investigators. Due to the case's controversial nature, the verdict sparked some public outrage among those who'd come to feel Anthony was guilty and the case remains widely debated.

Bustle was not able to reach Baez or Anthony for comment.