Casey Anthony Trial Resumes Today – Summary of Previous Week's Testimonies
The harrowing murder trial of Casey Anthony is expected to resume Tuesday morning. Casey Anthony is accused of first degree murder of her two-year-old daughter Caylee. If convicted, she could face the death penalty.
Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mother, is expected to continue direct testimony on Tuesday.
The following are highlights from the past week of testimonies:
Cindy Anthony – Casey’s Mother
- Casey made excuses after June 16, 2008 (the last day she saw Caylee) to prevent her from seeing her granddaughter. She had seen her granddaughter nearly every day since she was born, practically helping to raise her. She talked to Casey everyday about meeting her granddaughter
- On July 15, 2008, she called 911 to report her granddaughter missing after not seeing her for a month
- Casey often told her that Caylee was with her nanny Zanny, that she was sleeping, or at a play date with other children as excuses
- Casey said she worked at Universal Studios and that Zanny was recommended to her by co-worker Jeff Hopkins
- Cindy identified Caylee’s Winnie the Pooh sheets and blankets
- Cindy said that the pool was too high for 2-year-old Caylee to reach alone. The ladder was removed from the above-ground pool after swimming once Caylee became a toddler. She recalled that the pool ladder was removed the day the defense claims Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool.
- She recalled the gas can theft argument on June 24, 2008 when someone broke into the shed and stole them
- Cindy created a MySpace account and posted a message about Caylee being missing
George Anthony – Casey’s Father
- Casey Anthony’s car smelled like human decomposition on July 15, 2008 when he picked up her car from the tow yard. He testified that standing three feet away from the car he could smell a “pretty strong odor”
- “That particular smell whenever you smell it, it’s something that you never forget,” said Anthony, an ex-police officer who said he smelled something like that before. “It’s a very distinct odor.”
- When he opened the car trunk he found a white bag with trash and maggots in it
- Cindy Anthony called 911 later that day to report Caylee missing and told the dispatcher, “It smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car.”
- He found out that Casey took the gas cans and the father and daughter got into argument on June 24, 2008.
Anthony Lazzaro – Casey’s Ex-boyfriend
- On July 16, 2008, he received text messages from Casey after finding out that Caylee had been missing for a month: “I am the dumbest person and the worst mother.”
- “I lied to everyone. What was I supposed to say? I trusted my daughter to some psycho? How would that look?”
- “If they don’t find her, guess who gets blamed and spends eternity in jail”
Ricardo Morales – Casey’s Ex-boyfriend
- Casey Anthony picked him up at the airport on July 15, 2008. He said she did not seem upset or sad
- “She was the same as she always ways,” he said about the July 15, 2008 meeting, the day her mother reported Caylee missing. “Happy. Smiling. Just as usual. Same Casey.”
Defense Claim
- Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool on June 16, 2008. George Anthony saw the body and promised to keep it a secret and helped dispose it
- George Anthony sexually abused Casey, causing her to have an emotional quirk so that she didn’t tell anyone for a month that her daughter was dead
Prosecutor Claim
- Casey used chloroform to knock Caylee out and then put three pieces of duct tape over her nose and mouth, suffocating the toddler