Who Is Patrick McKenna? Everything We Know About Casey Anthony’s Lead Investigator

The infamous Casey Anthony lives a completely different life now after she was acquitted of the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony, in July 2011. But even though she was once known as “one of the most hated women in America,” there is a small circle of people who still believe that Anthony is innocent — including the former lead investigator on her defense team, Patrick J. McKenna.

Anthony and McKenna’s work relationship didn’t end after the trial was over. In a series of interviews with the Associated Press, Anthony revealed that she worked for McKenna on his cases by providing social media searches and other investigative work. 

Keep reading to find out more about Patrick McKenna and what he does.

Patrick Is a High-Profile Investigator

According to his LinkedIn page, McKenna has owned a private investigative business — Patrick McKenna, Investigations — since the mid-1980s. It says he is still employed there now as of 2022.

He lists famous celebrities on his client list — from John Lennon’s former wife Yoko Ono to Kennedy family member William Kennedy Smith and O.J. Simpson. 

Patrick McKenna Worked on the O.J. Simpson Case

McKenna also served as an investigator on the 1995 murder trial for the death of O.J.’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. He was the person who found audio tapes of a Los Angeles cop Mark Fuhrman on a racist rant — which helped weaken the prosecution against O.J., ABC News reported.

Patrick McKenna Compared O.J. Simpson’s Trial and Casey Anthony’s

In 2011, McKenna helped Anthony get acquitted of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse, which was a similar outcome to Simpson’s case.

“The media attention and absolute conviction by the public that Casey and O.J. were guilty early on, without any consideration of the evidence, was so intense in both cases,” McKenna previously told ABC News.

Patrick McKenna Helped Casey Anthony Reinvent Her Life

In 2016, Anthony returned to the spotlight as she tried to start a new career as a photographer. She filed papers to register her now-inactive business — Case Photography, LLC — in West Palm Beach, Florida. Patrick and Casey were spotted out together in February of that year while she took some practice shots with her camera in photos captured by Daily Mail.

In December 2020, Anthony launched a private investigation firm in Florida titled “Case Research & Consulting Services LLC” to reportedly help other people who are facing serious legal charges.

Patrick McKenna Let Casey Anthony Stay With Him After the Trial

Anthony is still seemingly living in the South Florida home belonging to Patrick ever since she was released from jail in July 2011. 

Anthony’s notorious murder case was revisited in the gripping Lifetime series Cellmate Secrets, which premiered in June 2021. In November 2022, Peacock released its take on the trial and aftermath in its docuseries entitled Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies. The series marked the first time that Anthony spoke about the case on-camera, revealing her side of the story in the three-part documentary.