Trustee wants to raise money to pay Casey Anthony's debts by selling her life story
With nearly $800,000 in obligations, about $1,000 in assets and minimal work experience and training, it might seem that Casey Anthony, who is 26 and unemployed, has little likelihood of being able to pay the debts that drove her into bankruptcy.
But a bankruptcy trustee has a different idea. Stephen Meininger filed a motion Friday in federal court in Tampa in the Chapter 7 case, the Associated Press reports. The filing asks a judge to OK a plan to auction off the “exclusive worldwide rights” to Anthony’s story to the highest bidder. Anthony was acquittted in a 2011 high-profile criminal trial in which she was accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter.
A publisher tells the news agency that Anthony’s story could be worth a great deal … if she cooperates in telling it. But there doesn’t appear to be any incentive for her to do so, unless a book deal could bring in enough to clear her debts and leave her with a substantial amount above and beyond what is owed.
“Due to the intense public interest in cebtor and the property, the trustee believes that there will be interest from others in purchasing the property,” Meininger says in the motion. Having interested buyers bid for the rights to Anthony’s story, he contends, is the “best way to maximize the value for the estate and its creditors.”
The Orlando Sentinel reports that one would-be purchaser, who has already offered $10,000 for Anthony’s rights, hopes to prevent her from profiting from selling them herself.
Attorney David Schrader, who represents Anthony in the bankruptcy case, could not be reached for comment, the AP says.
