On Friday, Day 9 in the murder trial of Casey Anthony began just as it had ended the day before, with jurors listening and watching video of conversations between Casey and her parents, George and Cindy, which prosecutors entered into evidence.
Casey Anthony is charged with first degree murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. Her defense has said that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16, 2008 and that George 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.
During the jail visits, George tells Casey how he misses her a lot and misses her hug. He tells Casey he is sorry that he had not been a good father and grandfather to Caylee. But Casey tells him that he has been the best father and best grandfather.
“Dad, I can’t say this enough to you, you have done everything that you possibly can and you are the best father and by far the best grandfather I have ever met”, Casey tell George. “I’m going to say that and I mean that with all my heart.”
George tells Casey that the Anthony family is like a hand, with him the thumb, Cindy the index finger, Lee, the middle finger and Casey and Caylee the third and little finger. Again, he says that he misses them and they need to get back together as a family and he will do all that he can.
Casey tells her parents that she regrets not being there to help with the search for Caylee, but she knows that the child is close.
On one occasion, Cindy asks Casey if she believes that Caylee is ok, and she applies in the affirmative.
“I know in my heart, I know in my gut she’s ok”, Casey replies.
On another occasion, Cindy said to Casey that the latest news about Caylee is that she drowned in Anthony swimming pool. Casey had little reaction and shrugged saying, “surprise, surprise.”
In one of the jail house visits, Casey loses her temper and says she only wants to speak with her father, because Cindy usually asks the same questions over and over.
Casey in one of the visits tells her parents that, “they are going to get their little girl back.”
As the videos played, Casey could be seen in court wiping her eyes. But for the most part, she say stoned-face through the hours-long video testimony.
Jurors could been seen listening intently to the the jail house videos and taking notes, perhaps thinking that George is not the monster that the defense painted him to be in their opening statement.
Prosecutors then called several crime scene investigators to the stand, including Geraldo Bloise.
Bloise, a crime scene investigator, told jurors that he has 11 years experience with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, but prior to this had worked with the police department in Puerto Rico.
Bloise, also told jurors in his career he has smelled human decomposition about 30-45 times.
He said he processed Casey’s Pontiac Sunfire and as he opened the door of the vehicle, he immediately smelled decomposition.
Bloise also confirmed that the gas gauge was not broken, a claim that Casey had made when she abandoned the car at an Amscott, prior to the vehicle being towed.
