EXCLUSIVE: Casey Anthony Judge Claims Disgraced Mother Will 'Never' Tell the Truth — As He Admits He Had to Read 'Not Guilty Verdict Twice' After State Presented a 'Powerful Case'

Former Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr., who presided over Casey Anthony's trial in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, is looking back on one of the most controversial verdicts in modern American history – and says even he couldn't believe what he was reading, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Speaking with Nancy Grace, as Anthony continues to promote her memoir, Who Is She Really?, Perry Jr. admitted he was stunned when the jury acquitted Anthony of murdering the toddler in the 2011 case.

"I had to read it twice," Perry Jr. recalled when asked about the moment the verdict was handed down. The former judge explained that while he understood there was always a possibility the jury could acquit, he believed prosecutors had presented compelling evidence.

"The state had a pretty powerful case," he recalled, adding he was surprised by the outcome after reviewing the verdict form. Perry Jr.'s latest remarks come as Anthony attempts to reshape her public image through her memoir and online platforms.

During the interview, the retired judge accused the acquitted Florida mother of trying to portray herself as both a victim and a truth-seeker.

"She’s trying to cast herself as a seeker of the truth," he observed. "Nothing can be further from the truth."

He went even further, accusing Anthony of attempting to rewrite history.

"The truth and her are strangers. They're ships passing in the night," Perry Jr declared, and claimed that Anthony already knows what happened to Caylee despite continuing to offer differing explanations over the years.

Perry Jr. referenced Anthony's various accounts of her daughter's death, including claims that a babysitter kidnapped Caylee, assertions that the little girl accidentally drowned in the family’s swimming pool, and allegations involving her late father, George.

"We know the babysitter didn't take her," Perry said during the interview, before insisting Anthony "knows the answers." Asked what advice he would offer Anthony today, Perry Jr. didn't hesitate.

"Tell the truth," he said. "But she'll never do it."

The interview comes as Anthony remains in the public spotlight. As Radar previously reported, the acquitted "Tot Mom" has attempted to reinvent herself in recent years through social media, including TikTok, where she has branded herself as a legal advocate and commentator while continuing to attract intense public scrutiny.

Radar has also reported on Anthony's recent political commentary and renewed public appearances as interest in the infamous case continues years after the acquittal.

The high-profile trial captivated the nation in 2011 after Anthony was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Caylee.

After weeks of testimony, a Florida jury acquitted her of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter, convicting her only of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement.

More than a decade later, Perry Jr.'s candid admission that he had to read the "not guilty" verdict twice underscores just how shocking the decision remains – even for the ex-judge who presided over one of America’s most closely watched criminal trials.