Casey Anthony Trial: The Bushy Haired Stranger Defense and the Odds of an Acquittal – page 3

–Continued from page 2- Casey Anthony Trial: The Bushy Haired Stranger Defense and the Odds of an Acquittal

In order for the state to achieve a first degree (capital) murder conviction, the prosecution will have to prove premeditation. Two pieces of forensic evidence come to mind which may or may not bolster the state’s contention Casey Anthony intended to kill her daughter: the duct tape recovered from Caylee’s remains and the presence of traces of chloroform in the trunk of Casey’s car.

The prosecution will present witnesses who will testify to their findings; the defense will then have their own rebuttal witnesses, or “hired guns” who will attempt to discredit the prosecution’s findings and/or witnesses who present the evidence. If the defense is unable to discredit the state’s forensic evidence and witnesses the prosecution may be able to persuade the jury into finding Casey Anthony intentionally murdered her daughter Caylee.

Discovery evidence photo of red can gas with duct tape that matches duct tape found on Caylee’s remains

The Duct Tape

According to forensic reports, duct tape covered the mouth of Caylee’s skull. The jury will be presented evidence which showed that when Caylee’s remains were discovered, her skull was separate from her body and that all that remained on her skull was her hair and duct tape placed across the mouth of the skull. Other forensic evidence will show that the same type and brand of duct tape was found on a red gas can which belonged to the Anthony family. The red gas can was located in a backyard shed. Also found in the same shed, a black plastic garbage bag with yellow ties, a match to the black plastic bag that contained Caylee’s remains.

Casey’s defense has already begun to attempt to discredit the duct tape evidence. On February 18, co-counsel Linda Kenney-Baden had this quote for the press:

“Not only is this brand of tape the most widely sold in the United States, the State is relying on comparative analysis just like comparisons exposed as flawed in the study of bullet lead in 2004. These chemical studies have put hundreds of innocent people in jail.”
–Sun Sentinel

It’s yet to be determined if a jury will buy into Kenney-Baden’s claim the duct tape comparative analysis was “flawed”.

On February 18, Casey Anthony trial lead attorney Jose Baez had this to say about the duct tape evidence:

“The defense said its own experts would conduct an objective analysis of the evidence. They noted the duct tape, found to be similar to that on the gas can, is the most widely sold duct tape in the nation. “It is just as important to focus on the fact that there are no fingerprints on the duct tape, and there never was any red sticker of any shape or size found on the tape,” defense attorney Jose Baez said.”
–Cnn.com

Discovery evidence, photo of heart shaped sticker found near Caylee’s remains

FBI forensic investigators will present evidence the duct tape did contain an “indentation”, the size and shape of a heart shaped sticker. Prosecutors will also provide evidence a heart shaped sticker was found near where the remains were discovered. Evidence will also show a match between the sticker found at the site of Caylee’s remains, matched a sheet of heart shaped stickers found in the Anthony home.

Discovery evidence from the Anthony’s home

The duct tape also has a deeper, more visceral, significance to it: The placement of the duct tape showed Caylee was a victim of a crime and may sway jurors into believing whoever carried out the crime, intended to silence Caylee for nefarious purposes. Even though the prosecution may not be able to prove how Caylee was murdered, the presence of the duct tape negates any claim that Caylee’s death may have been accidental.

Together, the duct tape with the heart shaped sticker indentation, placed over Caylee’s mouth, the discovery of a heart shaped sticker where Caylee’s remains were found, and a matching sheet of heart shaped stickers found in the Anthony home, points to someone who either lived in or had access to the Anthony family home. The presence of the duct tape over Caylee’s mouth suggests that in the matter of Caylee’s death, someone placed the duct tape over her mouth in an attempt to silence her during the commission of a crime. Yet the heart shaped sticker was an unusual addition and one that a forensic psychologist may be able to decipher as to the intent.

Forensic investigators at the FBI’s Quantico division confirmed the presence of chloroform in the trunk of Casey’s car.

“The tests also found “an unusually large concentration of chloroform” in the trunk, according to the Oak Ridge report. Chloroform can be used to render someone unconscious. However, trace amounts of chloroform were also found on a control carpet sample, the report said.”
–Cnn.com

Chloroform is a chemical compound that can be used as a solvent or reagent. Chloroform can also be used to render victims unconscious and can be fatal. Other corroborating forensic evidence, someone in the Anthony home used a computer to search for
‘chloroform’.

Prosecutors will present evidence of human decomposition in the trunk of Casey’s car:

Continue reading: Page 4 – Casey Anthony Trial: The Bushy Haired Stranger Defense and the Odds of an Acquittal

Casey Anthony Trial: Multiple Layers of Duct Tape on Caylee’s Skull

Casey Anthony Case Bombshell Evidence: Secret Eye Witness May Have Seen Casey Carrying Bundle into Wooded Area

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