Dr. G revisits Casey Anthony science in TLC special HAL

By Hal Boedeker, Orlando Sentinel Television Writer

9:39 a.m. EST, November 20, 2011
Dr. Jan Garavaglia says she wanted to be done with the Casey Anthony case.

"I never wanted to think about that case again, but I keep getting asked about it," said the chief medical examiner of Orange and Osceola counties, who testified at the murder trial last summer.

So the star of "Dr. G: Medical Examiner" is taping a TLC special on the Anthony case that will premiere Jan. 1.

"It's more about my take on the science I was involved in," Garavaglia said.

At the trial, Garavaglia testified about why Caylee Marie Anthony's death was listed as a "homicide due to undetermined means."

She said that decision was the "only logical conclusion … the circumstances of death did not fit anything but a homicide." She cited the delay in reporting the child's disappearance, the body's disposal in a swampy area and the duct tape with the remains.

"There's sound information that can be gained from the science," Garavaglia said of the special. "I don't know about other aspects of the case or things done outside my office. I don't know anything about that smell science. There is some really good information we gathered from looking at the data."

But when asked to comment on the upcoming television special, defense attorney Jose Baez took the opportunity to blast Garavaglia's science, as he did at trial.

"Dr. G needs a TV special to explain her science because her testimony was not based on science," Baez said in an email. "All three reasons she used to give her 'opinion' that it was a homicide did not require any medical training whatsoever. That is why the jury rejected it."

In July, Anthony was acquitted of murder in the 2008 death of her daughter.

The working title for the TLC special is "The True Story of Caylee Anthony."

"They ask my opinion about the verdict, but my opinion doesn't amount to a hill of beans," Garavaglia said. "The peripheral aspects of this case, I'm not up on as much as other people."

So the program turned to former prosecutor Jeff Ashton, WFTV-Channel 9 legal analyst Bill Sheaffer and Amy Pavuk of the Orlando Sentinel.

"I have a lot of respect for her. I have a lot of respect for her testimony," Sheaffer said of Garavaglia. "I think she testified accurately and truthfully. It was a dry-bones case. She did not embellish."

The program also interviews forensic anthropologist John Schultz of the University of Central Florida, forensic anthropologist Mike Warren of the University of Florida and toxicologist Bruce Goldberger of the University of Florida.

Garavaglia cited a couple of topics she discussed for the special: Should Caylee's skull should have been opened? Anthropologists thought it wasn't necessary, and she agreed. Should Garavaglia have done a diatom test (also called a drowning test) to check for small algae in the corpse's tissue? Caylee had no tissue left to test, Garavaglia said.

Will the defense be represented in the TLC show? "It's not about the defense," Garavaglia said.

Instead, Garavaglia said she sees the program as a chance to offer a rebuttal.

"Things got out there that I wasn't able to answer," she said. "People don't understand how dry these bones were. I think that got lost in the trial. We're revisiting the science. I think some of it got confused in the spin."

Her testimony remains an oft-debated topic, especially on the Internet.

On OrlandoSentinel.com, Turtlepace writes: "Dr. Garavaglia is a respected pathologist, but her hypothesis of 'homicide' is based on non-medical factors. Just because Caylee's body was abandoned in a garbage bag … and Casey lied about Caylee being kidnapped does not disprove that Caylee drowned."

But knightryder counters: "I think it's kind of weird that a person's first assumption to a child's skeleton partially in plastic bags discovered in a swamp area would equate to accident … not homicide, manslaughter or neglect. I think it's absurd to think that a good mother lies about her dead child. 31 days. What's wrong with that picture?"

Garavaglia scoffed at hearing that Baez plans to address the American Academy of Forensic Sciences' annual meeting in Atlanta in February.

"I found it outrageous," Garavaglia said. "I know what we said was scientifically based from this office. I find it disturbing they would invite Jose Baez to a scientific meeting."

Baez will speak at three sessions, according to the group's website. One is called "Fantasy of Forensics: How Junk Science Failed to Persuade the Jury in the Casey Anthony Case." Another session is titled "Flawed Forensics: Recognizing and Challenging Misleading Forensic Evidence and Disingenuous Expert Testimony."

As for her special, Garavaglia said she was taking a low-key approach to the program and plans to make it her last word on the Anthony case.

"I just want to set the record straight about what happened."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/caylee-anthony/os-casey-anthony-drg-special-20111119,0,3346894.story

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