On Thursday, the third day of the Casey Anthony murder trial, prosecutors called George Anthony, Casey’s father back to the witness stand for the second time this week.
George testified to finding a storage shed at his home broken into from which two gas cans had been stolen. He told how he reported the gas cans missing to Orange County Sheriff’s deputies on June 24, 2008 and filed a brief police report. He also testified to Casey returning to the family home on the same day, with Caylee and initially denying knowing anything about the missing gas cans.
Almost one hour was spent by the Anthony defense lead attorney, Jose Baez on cross-examination of George Anthony on the missing gas cans and duck tape found on one of them.
After initially denying that she knew anything about the gas cans, George told the court that after arguing with Casey on June 24, 2008, she offered up the gas cans saying, “Here’s your f***ing gas cans.”
The matter of duck tape is particularly importance, as similar tape was found on the remains of 2-year-old Caylee, who the prosecution has said was murdered by her mother Casey.
The Anthony defense is trying to prove that it is George who had access to duck tape and not Casey and that he is the one who covered up the death of the child, after she accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool.
There were tense exchanges between Baez and George, as the defense tried to establish who did put the duck tape on one gas can and when he reported the argument between himself and Casey to law enforcement. George asked Baez to show him some respect during his cross-examination, pointing out that the whole situation was very hard for him and his wife, Cindy.
Perry expressed his exasperation with the numerous objections from both the prosecution and defense attorneys, at one point, sending the jurors out of the court room. He admonished the defense, reminding that questions could not be asked of George on a photograph that had not yet been introduced into evidence.
“I don’t know how many times I have to say this,” Perry said. “How could you question somebody if its not in evidence.”
Baez aborted further questioning of George after he failed to illicit the answers he seems he wanted to hear.
Another of Casey’s boyfriends, Ricardo Morales, was called to the stand by the prosecution.
Morales told the jury he had dated Casey from February 2008 to mid-April 2008, and that she had slept at his apartment with Caylee, about 4-5 nights each week. He said that Caylee and Casey slept in the bed with him, with Casey in the middle. He had last seen Caylee on the morning of June 10, 2008.
Morales testified that he did not see Casey again until July 1st, 2008 when he found her in his living room. They had had minimal contact via text messages between June 10 through July 1st, 2008. He confirmed what other boyfriends and friends of Casey’s had testified to–that is, she had never indicated to him that Caylee was missing, kidnapped, or that she was looking for her, or that anything was wrong.
“Did you see anything different about her,” the prosecution asked. “No”, Morales said.
Morales also said that when Casey came to pick him up, along with other friends, at the airport on July 15, 2008, she was happy, smiling, and even inquired about their trip to Puerto Rico.
Morales will return to the witness stand after lunch on Thursday afternoon.
The court is in recess until 1:30 pm.
