Forensics expert on stand in Anthony murder trial
ORLANDO, FL
Casey Anthony's attorneys are expected to call their first
witness Thursday, assuming a standard motion it plans to file
asking for the judge to throw out the case is denied.
Over several weeks of testimony, prosecutors have laid out their
case that Caylee Anthony was suffocated with duct tape, though a
medical examiner testified the actual cause of death was
undetermined. Only the "manner of death" was ruled to be
homicide. If convicted, she faces the death penalty.
Prosecutors have built their case on 25-year-old Casey Anthony's
conduct and the lies she told about her daughter's whereabouts
during the month Caylee was missing.
They also have relied on forensics experts. They've talked about
smells of human decomposition in Anthony's car, searches on her
computer, including for chloroform several times, and duct tape
found on the girl's skull. Caylee disappeared in summer 2008 and
her mother did not report her being gone for a month. The child's
skeletal remains were found about six months later near her
grandparents' home.
Tuesday's testimony included discussion of more of the physical
evidence investigators found.
A forensic expert said that heart-shaped stickers were found in
Anthony's bedroom but didn't testify whether the items were linked
to a similar outline observed on duct tape on Caylee's remains.
Even so, the stickers shown to jurors over the objection of
defense lawyers were powerful images just before the prosecution
wraps up its case. The state's final witness of the day offered
another lasting snapshot.
A tattoo artist testified that Anthony had the words "Bella
Vita," or "beautiful life" in Italian, etched on her back on
July 2, 2008. She returned on July 15 and scheduled another
appointment for a few days later. Her daughter was last seen in
mid-June and reported missing on July 15, 2008, though according to
the tattoo artist, Casey Anthony told him she planned to bring her
daughter in with her during her next appointment.
"She didn't seem upset or anything. She was happy for the most
part," Bobby Williams told jurors.
Crime scene investigator Alina Burroughs told jurors the
heart-shaped stickers were found in a box and a scrapbook, along
with a letter addressed to Caylee Anthony.
Another investigator previously testified she noticed the
outline of a heart on one of three pieces of duct tape while
examining it under ultra-violet lighting. There were no pictures
taken of what she saw, though.
Neither investigator conclusively linked the stickers to the
outline. Also, the description of the outline appeared to be a
different size than the stickers found in the defendant's bedroom.
Prosecutors also introduced a sticker found at the crime scene
attached to a piece of cardboard near Caylee's remains.
Jurors asked to get a better look at the sticker and Judge
Belvin Perry also gave them the option to hold it. They said they
wanted to, and many took notes on it as it was passed around.
FBI quality control manager Catherine Theisen testified that a
hair strand found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car showing signs
of human decomposition and was a DNA match to hairs found with
Caylee Anthony's decomposed skull. The trunk hair and skull hair
also were DNA matches to skin cell samples taken from Casey
Anthony.
But the matches were of mitochondrial and not nuclear DNA,
meaning that not all of Casey and Caylee's maternal relatives or
even a small percentage of the general population can be excluded
as being possible matches to the material.
Also Tuesday, the defendant's mother, Cindy Anthony, took the
stand for the third time.
She started crying as the prosecutor asked her about a photo of
Caylee Anthony in which the child was wearing the shirt found with
her remains in December 2008. Cindy Anthony said the first time she
ever saw that shirt was when she gave her deposition after the
child went missing.