Diana Bosch & Monica Stein 08/06/08

Casey Anthony was formally charged Tuesday with child neglect and giving a false report to investigators.

Those charges seemed to satisfy Cindy Anthony, who was glad those charges didn't include murder.

"If they had anything hard or concrete against her," she says, "I think they'd have used today as an opportunity."

And she says, at least her daughter is safe in jail.

"I can't protect her in my house," Cindy says.

After almost a month in the national spotlight, Cindy Anthony says she's starting to fear for herself and her family.

"Threatening letters, threatening phone calls, threatening emails. We had an extortion letter yesterday," she says. "That letter was forwarded to the police."

The Orange Couty Sheriff's Office says they know nothing of an extortion letter and are not actively investigating any threats against the family.

Cindy insists that her fears are well-founded, and even old friends are beginning to turn.

"People can hate me. They can continue to send me hate mail, but I'm just gonna ask them... You know, you never know," she says. "You know, I'm fifty years old and never would have dreamed that I'd be walking and living this nightmare right now."