Casey Anthony trial: The 10 moments that have made the case our national obsession - Washington Post

Posted at 02:09 PM ET, 06/27/2011
Casey Anthony trial: The 10 moments that have made the case our national obsession
By Elizabeth Flock

Excerpt:

The trial of the 25-year-old Florida mother accused of killing her toddler has become our national obsession. Our TV screens have been tuned to live video of Casey Anthony in the courtroom since the trial started more than a month ago. Fierce debates are happening around the country about whether an insanity defense will be used, whether Anthony will testify, and how much her parents knew.

Those who follow the case will say that we are not interested in how it happened, but why.

Perhaps most compelling are the bizarre moments throughout the trial, including surprise sexual abuse allegations, a fistfight, and courtroom tactics so daring that the defense has been told it is in contempt of court. Here are the 10 moments that have shocked us:

1. Defense argues that Caylee Anthony died in family pool.

In a major shift from Anthony’s statement that a nanny may have killed her daughter, the defense opens by arguing that the toddler drowned in the family pool and that the girl’s grandfather covered up the accident.

2. Defense says Anthony was sexually abused by her father.

The defense makes a shocking claim — that Anthony was so disturbed from childhood trauma of sexual abuse by her father and attempted abuse by her brother that she blocked out the death of her daughter.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/casey-anthony-trial-the-10-moments-that-have-made-the-case-our-national-obsession/2011/06/27/AGJbmknH_blog.html