Casey Anthony Update: Defense Rests Case; Trial May End This Week
The manner of pet burial was brought up on Thursday as the Casey Anthony trial proceeded, with the defense asking several of Casey’s family members how they buried their pets – a method similar to how Caylee Anthony was found.
George Anthony was asked if he buried his dead pets over the years by wrapping them in plastic bags and duct tape, while he was living in Florida. Defense attorney Jose Baez hoped to provide reasonable doubt by his line of questioning and continue with his strategy in pinning the 2-year-old’s death on the family.
The defense believes that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool and that George helped cover the death up.
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The witness could not recall how he buried his pets in Florida but stated that he thought his dog was buried in a blanket when his family lived in Ohio.
Prosecutor Jeff Ashton asked George if he had ever tossed a dead pet in the swamp, to which he said no.
Cindy Anthony also took the stand and testified that her first two dogs were wrapped in black plastic and tape when they were buried, which was a method prepared by the veterinarian. She would use packing tape, not duct tape.
Her cat was buried in a similar manner but with a towel wrapped around the body first, and then the plastic bag and tape. The tape helped keep the bags compact. Sometimes a favorite toy would also be buried with the pets.
During cross-examination, Cindy confirmed that her children were both aware of the pet burial manner. Casey was present for a couple of the burials and also knew the family tradition by the time she was a senior in high school. When prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick asked the witness if she ever killed her pets using chloroform or putting tape over their mouths, Cindy responded no.
Lee Anthony also acknowledged the burial of his pets, saying that his parents were typically responsible for burying them. He recalled duct tape being used once to secure a bag.
Additionally, before George’s testimony, Baez played a recording showing George volunteering at a command center, in which the video zoomed in on a piece of Henkel brand duct tape, the same brand found with Caylee’s remains in December 2008 and also seen in George’s shed at his home. When asked about the tape, George said it could have been his or someone else’s.
Krystal Holloway, George’s alleged mistress, also testified earlier today, reaffirming that she developed an intimate relationship with Casey’s father after she met him at a search volunteer tent.
George denied having an intimate affair with Holloway and revealed previously that he only tried to comfort her when she told him she had a brain tumor.
Holloway also mentioned that George visited her home at least a dozen times, though George said he visited her only two or three times. She also recalled that during sometime around Thanksgiving 2008, she told George that he was not capable of raising a daughter who would harm her own child.
At that point, George purportedly told her, “It was an accident that snowballed out of control.”
The witness professed that she was still intimate with George until February 2009, when a memorial was held for Caylee. Though she showed up at the memorial, he did acknowledge her presence. After that time, they stopped having any contact.
Though Holloway denied the affair at first when pressed by investigators two years later because she did not want George to get in trouble, she admitted to the affair soon after.
During cross-examination, Jeff Ashton questioned her motives in getting involved with the Anthonys. He brought up the compensation she received from her interview with the National Enquirer, accusing her of changing her story and making up the affair to receive money, to which Holloway justified by saying she thought they would not edit what she says and would instead tell her story in a more honest way and not make her look like trash.
Ashton also asked if George told Holloway that he was present during the accident, to which she said no.
However, Holloway confirmed during re-direct that George told her Caylee was dead while he was telling the world that she was missing. Baez also pointed out that Holloway did not contact the media first herself but that the media found out once the police approached her.
She also denied having a criminal history which some of the media is claiming.
The defense rested their case this afternoon without hearing from Casey herself. The jury was recessed in order for the court to attend to a discovery violation matter, which the defense accused the state of committing in regards to submitting Cindy Anthony’s employment work records.
Prosecution is trying to prove if Cindy was at work or not when she purportedly searched on the family computer for chloroform, even though work records showed that she was clocked in. Judge Belvin Perry admitted the evidence in, ruling that it was not a discovery violation.
The state believes their rebuttal case will take not more than one day.
Casey, 25, is charged with first-degree murder and if convicted, may face the death penalty.
