Casey Anthony Trial, Day 1: Caylee's ‘Accidental Drowning’ No Explanation for Circumstantial Evidence - Criminal Report Daily

Casey Anthony Trial, Day 1: Caylee's ‘Accidental Drowning’ No Explanation for Circumstantial Evidence
May 25, 2011

Excerpt:

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

Casey-anthony-trial ORLANDO, Fla. — The long-awaited first day in Casey Anthony’s death penalty trial had a “pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming, slow-mo mood" — that is, before May 24 turned nasty. Soon after, the Orange County Florida court would hear Casey Anthony’s defense attorney, Jose Baez, boldly relate in opening remarks that Caylee Anthony accidentally drowned in the family’s backyard pool. Baez’s audacious claim — accompanied by sordid accusations that George, and possibly Casey’s brother, Lee, sexually molested the defendant when she was eight — does not do away with a tangle of troubling evidence against the 25-year-old single mom. Having opened the Pandora’s box labeled “accidental death,” Casey’s cadre of witnesses must now deflect or disprove strong circumstantial evidence, including:

• Duct tape evidence: At the time of her death, Caylee’s lower jaw was wrapped three times around with Henley duct tape — the same tape found on gas cans Casey frequently used from the Anthony garage.
  

• High levels of chloroform from trunk of Casey’s car
  

• Computer searches for “shovel,” “neck-breaking,” “how to make chloroform”
  

• Strong decomposition odor in the car trunk, perceived by George, Cindy and Lee Anthony
  

• Possible outline of a child on the trunk carpet
  

• A single Caylee Anthony hair exhibiting a “death band”
  

http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2011/05/casey-anthony-trial-caylees-accidental-drowning-no-explanation-for-circumstantial-evidence.html