Cindy Anthony testified for most of Tuesday in the murder trial of her daughter, Casey, facing tough questions from lead defense attorney Jose Baez on cross-examination.
For much of the day, Cindy broke down and cried several times, particularly when the prosecution played the calls which she made to 911, when she learned that her granddaughter was missing. On July 15, 2008, convinced that she was not going to get much out of Casey, and at her wits end, Cindy placed three calls to 911.
Jurors heard the several excuses that Casey gave to Cindy as to why she could not speak to Caylee, after not seeing her for about one month.
In her second 911 call, Cindy tells the dispatcher that she has someone that needs to be arrested and that a 3-year-old has been missing for one month.
In another 911 call, Cindy says to the dispatcher, her daughter finally admitted that the babysitter stole the little girl.
“There is something wrong. I found my daughter’s car today and it smells like there is a dead body in the damn car”, Cindy testified.
As she listened to the 911 recordings, Cindy doubled over crying, holding her head almost below the table and was escorted from the witness stand, after requesting a break from Perry.
But perhaps it was on cross-examination that Baez showed his inexperience when grilling Cindy on Casey’s imaginary friends and relatives of the phantom babysitter, Zanny. Baez’ questioning of Casey’s numerous lies may have opened the door for the prosecution to let jurors hear that she is six-time convicted felon.
Judge Belvin Perry will rule tomorrow, Wednesday, after the defense and prosecution make their arguments. Prosecutors will want this in–Casey’s six felony convictions–as it goes to the issue of Casey’s credibility. Perry told Baez that unless he is convinced otherwise, this will be let into evidence.
Court watchers believe that if jurors are made aware of Casey’s felony convictions, this could have a devastating effect on them.
Amy Huizenga, a former friend of Casey’s was next called to the stand, to which the defense objected, saying they were not prepared to cross-examine her. Baez told Perry that he did not have the Huizenga file with him.
“I am not stopping any more for you to get a file”, Perry responded, clearly exasperated. “We need to remember they (jurors) are sequestered and while we will take as much time as we need to try this case, we will not waste time.”
Perry agreed to let the prosecution call Huizenga, with cross-examination to begin on Wednesday.
Huizenga told jurors that, in May 2008, it was happening more frequently that Cindy could not look after Caylee and Casey had to forgo going out with friends in the evening. She also testified that the relationship between Cindy and her daughter was strained and Casey once told her that Cindy had said she (Casey) was an unfit mother.
Huizenga said there was a period of about three weeks in June that she did not see Casey or Caylee, although they stayed in contact through e-mail and text messages.
Prosecutors have charged Casey Anthony with first degree murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. Anthony initially said that the child was kidnapped by a babysitter named Zanny. Her defense in their opening statement said, Caylee accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16, 2008, and that George Anthony, Casey’s father hid the child’s body and covered up the crime. They also claimed that Casey was sexually abused by both George and her brother, Lee.
Casey, if convicted, could face the death penalty.
