Casey Anthony's Mother, Cindy, Has 'Never Been The Same' Since Her Daughter's Murder Trial

In a new interview, Cindy Anthony is reunited with a crime scene investigator who recovered Caylee's remains

More than 12 years after her daughter, Casey Anthony, was acquitted of murder, Cindy Anthony is speaking out in a new TV special — and reuniting with a crime scene investigator who helped recover the body of her granddaughter, Caylee.

On Tuesday night's premiere of Crime Scene Confidential on Investigation Discovery, Cindy gives a rare interview about the high-profile case that tore her family apart.

At one point, Cindy gets emotional as she speaks to host Alina Burroughs about their work. "I know you guys didn't want to leave until you found every single [bone]," she tells Burroughs. "It means a lot." (An exclusive clip is shown below.)

"I didn't know how Cindy was going to react to me," Burroughs tells PEOPLE. "I mean, I was a prosecution witness, so she could've seen me as someone who wanted to lock her daughter up. But she was very gracious. And I think in some ways, the interview gave her some closure."

The Anthony family was thrust into the national spotlight in 2008, when 2-year-old Caylee Anthony went missing. The little girl hadn't been seen for 31 days before Cindy reported her missing, over Casey Anthony's protests.

Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/Polaris; INF

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After a massive search for the toddler, her remains were found in a wooded lot less than one-third of a mile from the Anthony family home. Casey was charged with first-degree murder murder, and Cindy was one of the primary witnesses.

Orange County Sheriff's Office HO.

Anthony's 2011 trial was a media circus, with at least 40 million people watching at least some of the testimony, according to Nielsen Research. Anthony was infamously acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges on July 5, 2011 — but convicted of four counts of lying to police.

After her acquittal, she was described by a Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman as "one of the most hated women in America" — a moniker that stuck.

Cindy has a fractious relationship with her daughter. They didn't speak for many years, but have recently begun communicating sporadically.

"It's hard for her to speak out about this case," says Burroughs. "She really went through hell and back, and she's never been the same."

Crime Scene Confidential premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Investigation Discovery.