Cindy Anthony placed an image in my head that will come to mind every time I hear of a young child being missing or murdered. A grandmother, holding the little one’s favorite doll in her hands, cleaning its face with wipes, getting rid of a bad odor from the soft body with a spray, caring for that baby doll with as much tenderness and care as if it were the beloved child who the grandmother’s could not touch.
The day was intensely emotional but of all things said, that one hit me harder than any of the others. It came when Cindy was discussed finding Caylee’s backpack and doll in Casey’s car after she and George picked it up from the tow yard.
Cindy’s distress and her sincere display of emotion jarred with the sound of Casey’s voice on the 9-1-1 tapes and the phone call from jail. In contrast to Cindy doubling over in the stand crying, Casey’s voice sounded cold and uncaring. After Cindy’s testimony and the playing of the audiotapes, the jury’s opinion of Casey Anthony had to have plummetted.
It’s been billed as possibily the most emotional day we will see in court for the duration of the trial. It also was a demonstration, once more, of Jose Baez’s inexperience. During the cross-examination, he elicited hearsay testimony from Cindy Anthony that has possibly opened the door to allowing the state to introduce evidence of Casey’s previous felony convictions. It is unlikely that the judge will allow any details of the theft and fraud charges but if he decides to admit Casey’s criminal record, the perception the jurors have of the defendant will drop even further. The judge has scheduled a hearing on this matter first thing Wednesday morning.
And so the rough beast of legal process slouches toward justice for Caylee Marie Anthony.