Three members of the Anthony family took the stand early on Tuesday, Day 30, in the State vs Casey Anthony murder trial.
Casey Anthony is charged with first degree murder in the death of her two year old daughter, Caylee. In a largely circumstantial case, prosecutors say, the Florida mother intoxicated Caylee with chloroform, then stuck three pieces of duct tape over the toddler’s nose and mouth, before dumping the body in a wooded area near to the Anthony family home.
Before calling George Anthony back to the stand, a Texas Equusearch volunteer, Joe Jordan told jurors he had searched in close proximity to where Caylee’s remains were eventually found, but he did not find human remains. He said the location where the toddler’s skeleton were later retrieved was under water at the time of his search, and so he was unable to look in that particular area.
Lead defense attorney, Jose Baez questioned George about his relationship with Krystal Holloway, also known as River Cruz, a woman who Casey’s attorneys say George confided in, telling her that Caylee’s death was accident that spiraled out of control.
George described Holloway as “just another volunteer” who had helped out at the command center when the search was on for Caylee. He said that the two had met around mid-October 2008.
George admitted to going to Holloway’s condominium perhaps two or three times, but explained he went there to provide some comfort to her, as she had told him she had a brain tumor and was dying. He said he thought little of it as Holloway was also providing support to the Anthony family in the search for Caylee.
“Were you involved romantically?” Baez inquired.
“No. That’s very funny”, George replied laughingly.
“Were you ever intimate with her?”, Baez pressed.
“No, Sir. That’s also very funny”, George said.
George did not deny sending a text message to River Cruz saying, “I need you in my life.” He said at the time the family was searching from Caylee, he needed all the help he could get from volunteers. He denied ever telling River Cruz that Caylee’s death was an accident that spiraled out of control.
On cross-examination by prosecutor Frank George, George Anthony denied ever telling River Cruz he once threw Casey up against a wall, asking here Caylee was.
Next defense attorneys called Cindy Anthony back to the stand.
Cindy testified that she never asked private investigators to search the wooded area off Suburban Drive for Caylee.
The defense has claimed that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool around June 15, 2008, and her grandfather, George Anthony covered up the crime. They have also claimed that Casey could not have placed Caylee’s skeleton remains in the wooded area where the child was found in December 2008, as she was in jail at the time.
Lee Anthony, Casey’s brother, who was next up on the stand, quickly contradicted Cindy’s testimony.
Lee told jurors that his mother had told him she did send Dominic Casey into the wooded area off Suburban Drive near the Anthony family home, after she had received a tip from a psychic. He said he recalled being very angry as it was the first time he was made aware the family was looking for a dead body, rather than a live Caylee.
Lee added, he wanted “nothing to do with it”, and decided there and then to go back to work and focus his energies in that direction.
On cross-examination, Frank George asked Lee if at the time when the searches in the woods were being undertaken in October 2008, whether he was still “sold on his sister’s lies.”
“Yes and no”, Lee replied with a smirk.
Lead detective at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Yuri Melich was again recalled to the stand.
Melich testified that Cindy Anthony had told him about sending private investigators out to the woods off Suburban Drive to search for Caylee.
Next defense attorneys called Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found the skeletal remains of Caylee.
Kronk told jurors that when he went into the woods to relieve himself in August 2008, he “saw an object that looked like a skull.”
Kronk will resume his testimony after the lunch break at 1:30 pm.
