Casey Anthony’s defense again recalled Cindy and George Anthony back to the witness stand on Wednesday and both faced tough questions from lead defense attorney, Jose Baez.
Casey, 25, is on trial for murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, who the state claims was poisoned with the toxic chemical chloroform or suffocated with duct tape to her nose and mouth.
Casey’s defense team is refuting the state’s allegations and asserts she had nothing to do with the toddler’s death. They claim the little girl drowned accidentally on June 15, 2008 in the family’s swimming pool and that her grandfather George Anthony, covered up the accident and Kronk helped hide the body in the wooded area near the Anthony family home.
Baez, right off the bat, asked Cindy whether she recalled an incident with her son, Lee going into Casey’s room at night and having inappropriate contact with her.
Cindy replied, “no”.
Again, Baez attempted to ask a similar question of Cindy, but prosecutor Jeff Ashton, objected again and the first side bar of the day was held.
Baez tried to question Cindy on her ability to compartmentalize things as she had earlier testified that, as recently as six months ago, she believed Caylee to be alive. He also asked questions surrounding Cindy telling Casey while she was in jail that George had “blown up at the media.” Prosecutors objected to Baez’s line of questioning.
George Anthony was next recalled to the stand, where Baez tried to question him on a range of issues, including his earlier testimony on the human decomposition, alleged molestation of his daughter and duct tape found on a gas can in the Anthony family home.
George denied the allegations that he had every molested Casey.
“I would never do anything like that to my daughter”, George testified.
“You are aware of the possible penalties of having sex with a child or with your daughter”, Baez pressed.
“I would never do anything to harm my daughter in that way”, George replied.
Baez also tried to question George about his earlier testimony where he had indicated he was familiar with the smell of human decomposition in the woods.
“How did you know your granddaughter would be found in the woods six months later after she disappeared?”, Baez asked.
“You are asking me about my law enforcement experience. That’s what that is about. You are taking it out of context. It had nothing to do with my granddaughter, Caylee”, George responded. George confirmed again that he was 100 percent certain there was the smell of human decomposition coming from Casey’s Pontiac Sunfire when he picked up the car from the tow truck yard.
Baez also challenged George on the negative things he had told told law enforcement regarding Casey on July 24, 2008, even though when he visited her in jail he was very positive and said nice things toward her.
George confirmed that Casey does take things as far as she can regarding her lies and contradictions, but he said, he was a concerned father and grandfather, trying to keep his daughter upbeat as he didn’t want her to be in jail.
A lengthy exchange took place between Baez and George as to whether there was duct tape on the gas can which was removed from the Anthony family home. Similar duct tape was found on Caylee’s remains when her skeletal remains were found in the woods. George in an earlier deposition had testified that there was no duct tape on the gas can when it was removed. He conceded that he could have put a piece of duct tape eventually on the gas can.
Baez also introduced the issue of George’s attempted suicide, opening the door for prosecutors to question him even more along that line. Defense attorneys have tried to portray that, George attempted to take his own life as he was overcome with guilt at being implicated in Caylee’s death.
On cross-examination, Jeff Ashton got George to confirm that when he gave his deposition in August 2009, he still believed that his granddaughter was killed by someone other than his daughter, Caylee.
“You were upset when called to give testimony implicating your daughter?”, Ashton pressed. “But today, you no longer believe that your daughter died in the custody of someone else?”
Before an emotional George Anthony could respond, the defense objected to Ashton’s question.
Questioned on George’s attempted suicide after being proffered outside the presence of jurors, Ashton got him to testify that he had purchased a gun hoping to use it in his quest to illicit answers from Casey’s friends as to what might have happened to little Caylee. He also testified that the gun was retrieved by law enforcement, as it was a violation, given that Casey was out of jail on bond, at the Anthony home.
While not being able to introduce George’s suicide note in the defense’s case to jurors, Ashton made reference to it and the witness confirmed that he had indeed written the letter.
“On January 22, 2009, did you travel to a hotel for the purposes of taking your own life?”, Ashton asked.
“Yes and I still have those feelings off and on”, George replied.
“As you sat in that room, did you write a letter to loved ones, took pills, drank alcohol…?” Ashton inquired.
“Yes, I wanted to tell Cindy how I felt…I didn’t want to be in this world”, George responded.
“Did you include questions as to what happened to Caylee?”, Ashton asked.
“I had to express what I was feeling” , George replied.
Ashton asked George whether if law enforcement had not intervened he would have taken his life. George replied he would have.
“Were you prevented (from taking your life) by law enforcement?”, Ashton asked.
“If it was not for law enforcement, I would not be here today”, George said.
On re-direct examination, Baez questioned George about the gun he had purchased, intimating that he knew that he was not allowed to have a firearm in the home with Casey out on bond. He again, raised with George the issue of the duck tape on the gas can that was removed from the Anthony family home.
George’s re-direct examination by the defense will continue after the lunch break, around 1:30 p.m.
