Thursday, June 16, 2011

Weak First Day for Casey Anthony's Defense


June 16, 2008 was the last day 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony was known to be alive. Now, three years later, the fight for her justice still continues.

The defense opened their case on Thursday, the same date of the day of suspect, in the Florida State v. Casey Anthony, the 25-year-old mother accused of murdering her daughter in the degree, then disposing the body just blocks away from the Anthony family home.

The defense struck the jury with anything but a bang when they called their first seven witnesses to the stand for short direct examinations and a few with no cross examination.

Shawn Chaisson said that Defense Attorney Jose Baez "blew it." Chaisson was a volunteer for the missing children organization Equisearch, who searched for the toddler when she was reported missing, and attended the child's memorial service, as well as eight days of the trial thus far.

"People wanted shock and awe," said Chaisson. "Everyone was so excited ... He should have put his best foot forward ... There should have been fireworks ...Everyone walked out of there like, 'Are you kidding me?' "

Baez filled the jury's ears and minds with more forensic and crime scene evidence from the experts from the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, some of which had familiar faces, but contradicting information.

"It's inappropriate that the defense brought in FBI experts with different results than the state," said Susan Constantine, jury consultant and body language expert.

Heather Seubert, the unit chief in the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, said she conducted visual examinations of Casey's clothes and trunk for any traces of blood stains, all of which came out negative.


(Photography Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/POOL)

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