Casey Anthony Trial: Day 18

A late start means a shortened day of testimony Tuesday in the Casey Anthony trial. She’s the mom from Orlando who is accused of murdering her toddler daughter Caylee in 2008.

FOX News Radio’s Eben Brown reports on trial Day 18 from Miami:

Twenty five year old Anthony faces the death penalty, if convicted.

Here is a recap of the Casey Anthony Trial: Day 18 from FOX News Producer Kathleen Reuschle, who was in the courtroom:

“Bella Vita” Tattoo – Trunk Hair DNA Matches Skull Hair DNA – Heart Stickers – Laundry Bag – Duct Tape

Tattoo

Prosecution concluded their last day of witness testimony in the Casey Anthony trial with a photo of a tattoo she received on July 2, 2008 – with the phrase “Bella Vita” or “Beautiful Life” in a script-type font on her left shoulder blade. Orlando-based tattoo artist Bobby Williams took the stand and told the jury Casey appeared “normal” and “happy” and even treated everyone to some pizza when the design was completed.  Prosecutors used the symbol to sum up the extreme opposite sentiment a mother with a missing or dead child would or should be experiencing.

Laundry Bag

Jurors also heard from Cindy Anthony again – who was hammered about statements she made in previous depositions regarding duct tape and a laundry bag.

She conceded that her memory has improved of events and that an off-white cylinder-shaped laundry bag she believed was in the house was nowhere to be found.  (Investigators believe Caylee’s remains were found with the same brand-name laundry bag “Whitney Designs.”) She explained that she had 2 of these laundry bags – one she kept in the shed to hold pool toys, and another to hold Caylee’s stuffed animals in her bedroom. At some point one of the bags was then stored in the top shelf in the garage inside a black plastic bag to keep it from getting dusty. She also stated she doesn’t know who purchased the grey duct tape that was used to post “Caylee is Missing” posters – and that she recalled her and her husband George using black duct tape around the house – namely for Private Property signs to keep protestors at bay.  Cindy was finally asked about the outfit investigators believe Caylee was wearing when she died. Cindy testified she is the one who does the laundry and had never before seen the “Big Trouble Comes in Small Packages” pink T-shirt, and that her granddaughter had in fact grown out of the little striped white shorts that were found at the crime scene. The testimony helps the state demonstrate Cindy wouldn’t have dressed Caylee in those clothes. Prosecutors also asked about the hair history of the girls in the family. Cindy stated she and Casey both had periodically processed their hair or had it cut short at times. However Caylee’s hair had not been processed and was only trimmed periodically to “keep it healthy.”

HAIR DNA

Prosecutors worked to try to highlight for the jury that despite having similar DNA signatures, Caylee’s hair was different from both Cindy’s and Casey. FBI mitochondrial DNA expert Catherine Theisen began the day by testifying hair found in the trunk of Casey’s car was a match with the hair mat found with Caylee’s skull in the woods. However she said neither Casey, nor Caylee or anyone else in the maternal line could be excluded as the source.

DUCT TAPE

The state introduced a video and still photo taken by local station WFTV showing grey duct tape that had been used to hang “Caylee is Missing” flyers at a command post set up in a nearby Publix by both Lee and George Anthony.  Investigators believe the same brand of Henkel grey duct tape was found on Caylee’s skull. The shot of the flyer is the second photo they hope will help link the so-called “murder weapon” to the Anthony home. They had previously admitted a photo of a red gas can retrieved from the Anthony shed that had a piece of the grey duct tape over its spout.

HEART STICKERS

Jurors saw several photos of heart stickers taken from Casey’s bedroom. Prosecutors sought to link yesterday’s testimony from FBI latent print analyst Elizabeth Fontaine, who claimed she saw a dime-sized heart-shaped adhesive residue on the corner of the top piece of duct tape stuck to Caylee’s skull hair to the sticker sheets found in Casey’s dresser and binder which were also dime-sized.

The state also introduced a different sticker found attached to a piece of cardboard in the woods near Caylee’s remains. Defense attorney Jose Baez scored some points when he forced crime scene tech Alina Burroughs to concede the specimen did not look like the sticker sheets found in Casey’s bedroom – this sticker was thicker and raised.

The jurors asked to see the item up close and the Judge allowed them to pass it around.

Casey wore her hair in a long ponytail instead of a bun today, and while her mother attempted to eye contact with her and mouth the words “I love you,” Casey didn’t look back or acknowledge her.

Through several long sidebars Casey was engaged and focused – leaning and listening to attentively to any tidbits she might pick up. She also watched the evidence as it flashed on her attorney’s monitors. When a crime scene tech circled the area Caylee’s remains were found on an aerial photo Casey breathed in suddenly and shifted in her seat.

Several jurors took notes furiously throughout the day. A young woman in the back row of the jury box appears to mark each and every piece of evidence and impressions in her pad.

Defense Attorney Cheney Mason renewed a motion for mistrial citing the use of the sticker and tattoo evidence but his motion was denied.

Defense will argue a motion for acquittal tomorrow and begin calling witnesses on Thursday.  The state will rest after they make request for court to take judicial notice and submit 2 cans containing cuttings of the spare tire cover in Casey Anthony’s car – the area Dr. Arpad Vass testified was the source of the infamous “dead body” smell in the trunk.