Writing Is a Crime

New Book, Busy Days

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, St. Martin's Press released my eleventh true crime book, HER DEADLY WEB. This true story blew my mind the whole time I researched it. How could so many unusual things happen in one life: The death of a husband by cattle stampede; the loss of one of your children in an accident while another one of your kids was behind the wheel; the discovery of your husband's love child; the attempted murder of the spouse of the woman who had an affair with your husband; and the three-shot "suicide" of your second husband. And all of it complicated by a secret city, by two medical examiners threatening to shoot law enforcement and even by local politics. It was almost too much for my mind to grasp. I'm sure you'll be as fascinated by this tale as I was.

CRM Debra Castenada with the author

My first booksigning for my newest release happened on Saturday at the Barnes & Noble San Pedro in San Antonio and I had a blast. After all the sorrowful news about the state of the book market these days, it was a thrill to be in a store with a constant bustle of customers. I got a real kick out of the woman who pulled out her Nook and downloaded my book while we chatted.

And, personally, I just love this particular store. I love spending time with CRM (Customer Relations Manager) Debra Castenada and the friendly, helpful staff at this location. It was the first Barnes & Noble in San Antonio, built on the old design with lower ceilings and a compactness that feels so much cozier than the newer, more flashy stores. This venue does not inspire awe but it does make you feel right at home.

Tonight (Monday, January 9) at 7pm, I'll visit the Austin Pubic Library at the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill, 5125 Convict Hill Road, to teach the first segment of Breathing Life into Words: Powering your Novel from Concept to Completion,a two-part novel writing class. We'll discuss three different ways to get the juice flowing, outlines, goals, writer's block, limiting distractions and editing on the fly. Part two is scheduled for Monday, February 6. The classes are free and open to the public.

This Friday, January 13, at 11:30am, I'll be back in San Antonio at the Bright Shawl, 819 Augusta Street, for Lit 'n' Lunch, a fundraising author luncheon to benefit the Assistance League of San Antonio. I and three other authors will talk about our writing and have our books available for sale.

New Year's Wish: One More Civil Case Against Casey Anthony

2011-12-30T04:45:00.000-08:00

I am really befuddled by the court's decision to allow Casey Anthony to remain silent and cling to her fifth amendment rights. On the one hand, she objected to answer questions in a deposition saying she would incriminate herself if she did so in the civil cases brought against her.

Right now, there are three of them. Zenaida Gonzalez has claimed she was damaged when Casey told lies about her. Judge Lisa Monyon ruled that a deposition in this case would include questions that could directly impact her appeal on her four convictions for lying to law enforcement. Thus, her right to remain silent was upheld.

The judge has yet to reach a decisions in the Texas Equusearch lawsuit. The organization requested reimbursement for the $110,000 they spent on a wild goose chase for a missing child that Casey knew, according to opening statements in her trial, was already deceased. Munyon reserved her decision on this matter, writing that she needed "a more detailed explanation of the defendant's reasons for asserting her fifth amendment privilege." There is little reason, however, to believe that she would rule differently in this case.

The third and most recent lawsuit was filed by Roy Kronk, the hapless meter-reader who found Caylee's body. He claimed that Casey and her representatives, on numerous occasions, alleged that he was responsible for placing the remains where they were discovered. In his filing, he asserted that this accusation has caused him humiliation and embarrassment. The fifth amendment question has yet to arise in this case. Again, it is suspected the courts would protect Casey's silence in the same manner.

On the other hand, a media interview with Casey Anthony has been peddled by an agent working on her behalf, originally for $750,000 and now bargain-priced for $500,000. In addition to that, Dr. Keith Ablow reported that he was approached to do a combo therapy and book deal with Anthony. He found the ethics of that offer questionable and declined to take part in it.

So, Casey Anthony is free to laugh at the court and at her victims because she is protected from answering questions to the people she has harmed in her deal with the devil to get away with murder. But she is free to answer questions for a profit. Does that make any sense to you?

Not a bit to me. I'm not saying that the protections against self-incrimination are wrong. I am simply suggesting that when the person in question is trying to sell her story, she's fair game. She shouldn't be able to have it both ways. Yet, somehow, the courts are allowing that, leaving me wanting something else to top the current crop of claims against her.

Here's what I'd like to see happen on New Year's Day or any time soon after: George Anthony wakes up one morning with Caylee on his mind and enough gumption in his spine to do the right thing for his granddaughter. He files a wrongful death suit against the woman clearly responsible for the little girl's death, Casey Anthony.

Caylee's watching, George. Wouldn't that be a nice way to start the new year?

Holiday Greetings to Everyone!

2011-12-23T04:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Happy Chanukah

Happy Kwanzaa

Happy New Year!

Breaking News: Novelist Michael Peterson Gets a New Trial

2011-12-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

I posted on Forbes today about the possibility of Michael Peterson getting a new trial.

Ten years ago this month, New York Times bestselling novelistMichael Peterson murdered his wife Kathleen in the stairway of their home in Durham, North Carolina. He claimed he was sitting by the swimming pool when she went into the house, slipped, fell and died. Forty-five minutes later, he said, he discovered her body.

However, there was one pivotal piece of evidence that made his story a lie...

Hardly had that post gone live when the news came down.

After many failed appeals, Peterson’s last attempt to have his conviction overturned was successful and he has just been granted a new trial...

Current rumor is that prosecutors won't go forward with a new trial. Peterson will plead guilty to second degree murder and walk away with time served. That is a dreadful prospect. Justice for Kathleen's death does not mean a mere 8 years behind bars--it should be there for life. And the prosecutors should do everything they can to insure that happens.

Cold Colorado Warmed My Heart

2011-12-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was cold in Colorado--snowy and never got above freezing while I was there. However, after looking at yesterday's weather in Boulder, I am happy that I went last week and was not there on Monday where the high was 12 degrees and the low went down to 1 degree above freezing. I can't recall ever living through a day like that.

I traveled there to do an interview to meet with Red Line Films who are shooting a new series, Deadly Sin, for the Investigation Discovery channel. The crew is pictured above, from left to right, Clint the sound guy, me, Coti Villanueva, field producer, and Dan, the camera guy.

They set up shop at the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The lobby has a wall of historical photos including the one above of the Colorado Sheriff's Association.

There I met a new law enforcement friend, Detective Steve Ainsworth. He delighted me by being a reader of my books and an admirer of my work. No matter what any of us do for a living, it is always rewarding to be acknowledged by a professional in the field.

I sat down under the lights in a conference room transformed into a sea of chaos for the taping. Coti asked questions about Richard Marc Evonitz, the subject of my book, Into the Water. Evonitz kidnapped middle school and high school girls from the front yard in broad daylight without anyone noticing the abduction. Sofia SIlvia, Kristen and Kati Lisk died before Kara survived and brought the killing spree to an end.

I had a special bonus on this trip--a delightful family moment.

Living nearby was my niece Julie, her husband Sean and her two delightful boys, three-year-old Preston and three-month old Carter. We met for breakfast and had a long, lovely visit around the table. Preston was so anxious to get his pancakes, I thought he might bolt from the table, barge into the kitchen and take them by force. But in a great test of toddler patience he remained in or near his seat, albeit squirming and asking dozens of times for his breakfast.

And it was so nice to hold a baby again.

Despite the cold, I enjoyed returning to the beautiful state of Colorado--my first visit since attending a conference in Breckenridge a decade ago. I'd love to go back--preferably in the summertime.

My Inaugeral Post of Forbes

2011-11-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

There's a new blog on Forbes, Crime, She Writes. The six contributors are women with expertise in an area of criminal activity. We are Kathryn Casey, best-selling true crime writer and author of the Sarah Armstrong crime novels; Stacey Dittrich, a former police detective media consultant and co-host of Justice Interrupted; Susan Murphy Milano, non-fiction author, violence expert and victims' rights advocate; Dr. Gina Simmons, a psychotherapist who's been helping individuals, families and organizations for 25 years; Cathy Scott, journalist, pet rescue advocate and best-selling true crime author; and of course, me.

My first post for Forbes is on line: Neonaticide: A Distinct Crime or Just Another Murder. It's about the Lindsey Lowe case that raised a lot of questions in my mind. I think you'll find it food for thought, too.

Beyond Productions for Behind Mansion Walls

2011-11-21T04:54:00.001-08:00

Joe, Diane, Maurice and Chris in Diane's front yard

Friday, I welcomed this bevy of Aussies into my home--the crew from Beyond Productions. They interviewed me for an episode of Behind Mansion Walls, the show that stars the quirky British-born New Yorker Christopher Mason as host and airs on the Investigation Discovery channel.

We talked about Dean Faiello and the death of Maria Cruz, the subject of my true crime book, Under the Knife. Dean was facing charges of practicing medicine without a license at the time he treated Maria Cruz. An injection caused Maria to go into convulsions. Instead of getting her the help she needed, Dean gambled with her life and Maria lost.

If you haven't seen Behind Mansion Walls, you ought to give it a try. The host is a distinctive character and really grows on you after a few episodes. I think Christopher Mason is a perfect fit for the job and love seeing him on each of the shows.

(No fashion advice on the footwwear, please. The camera was not interested in my legs or feet so I ditched the heels and hose and went for comfort instead. :-) Wouldn't you?)

Happy Hearts School Made our Hearts Sing

2011-11-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

The highlight of our week at Negril, Jamaica was a return visit to the Happy Hearts School for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. We visited there last year as a part of a Sandals Foundation tour group. The Sandals corporation operates one Sandals, two Beaches (including Beaches Sandy Bay where we vacationed) and the Grand Pineapple Beach resorts in Negril, as well as many others throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean.

We fell in love with the students and the environment created by a dedicated Principal and teacher at this tiny, struggling school.

It is a nurturing, safe haven in a sea of poverty. When we look out at the smiling happy faces, it is hard to believe how difficult life is for many of these kids. Some of the children's homes are so dysfunctional that little guys cry at the end of the school day because they do not want to go home.

Wayne read a story to the class, we listened to the children sing songs to us and shared a whole lot of hugs--those kids just couldn't get enough hugs. We also got the details on the school robbery. Just before the beginning of the instructional year, unknown people broke into the kitchen area and stole the freezer that stores the children's food, the propane tank holding the gas to cook it, the large water igloo that held the kids' supply, two fans, a food container and other small items. The loss was devastating and heart-rending.

The school is really little more than a one-room shack. At places you can see the sky through the walls. Getting enough supplies necessitates extreme creative effort accompanied by a lot of prayers. The building is off the road a bit behind a cluster of trees and cannot be seen from the street. The location combined with the ramshackle nature of the structure make it very vulnerable to heartless thieves.

They want to build a new school. They have property and managed to raise enough money to put in the foundation slab. They need to raise more funds to continue the construction. If you would like to help with a donation of money or supplies, contact the principal, Helen-Ann Clarke at helenannclarke@yahoo.com. But be patient while you wait for a response--internet access is not an easy thing for Ms. Clarke and it may take time for her to get back to you.

Nothing Left but Memories and Two Skinned Knees

2011-11-13T13:28:00.001-08:00

Today is exactly a week since we said goodbye to Beaches Sandy Bay on Negril Beach in Jamaica. How much do we love that resort? I think our nine visits in the past ten years speak for themselves. It is not a glitzy place--it's comfortable, homey, intimate and located on a seven mile strip of white sand, the best beach I've ever visited. It's perfect for full-out relaxation and we did a lot of it.

The island where I nearly lost it

My first full day at there, I opted to do one of my favorite things, snorkeling. My quiet little excursion out on the boat turned more adventurous than I'd planned. I had snorkled so many times here that I got a bit complacent and was not as cautious as I should have been. I lost track of where I was and ended up being sucked into a current. I should have headed the other way the moment I felt it but I didn't. It intensified and smashed me onto the reef around a tiny island. When I tried to get back, I panicked. Instead of swimming across the current, I headed straight into it. The waves were breaking on my face. For a moment, I thought I would not make it. Then I had one of those silly thoughts that often race through your mind in a crisis: if I didn't get out of this mess, I would ruin my husband's vacation.

That was all I needed to give me the drive and energy to surge forward again. Suddenly and surprisingly, I was free of the current but exhausted. I saw the boat ahead and didn't look forward to the long swim back but knew I was capable of doing it. That's when my rescuer arrived. I didn't object when he offered to tow me back with the strap of a life jacket. The result of the experience, two skinned knees, scraped legs and embedded black sea urchin spines. It took me a few days to get the courage to go back to snorkeling again but I did it and it was worth it.

When I arrived, I had a mission: find the two women I knew from the Facebook page, We Love Beaches Sandy Bay. I spent a couple of days asking every blonde I saw if her name was Emma. I'd just about given up when I found myself sitting at a table for eight outside by the ocean. Across from me was a blonde with a British accent. At first, I thought that it was too much of a coincidence. It couldn't be her. But I asked if her name was Emma and she responded with a question: "Are you Diane?" Ahh, at last... Unfortunately, I didn't have the same luck locating Stephanie and we never did meet.

Stephanie was there for a wedding--as were a lot of people. Most of them were very happy. But we met the mother of a groom who was stewing. After all the family--including some from the UK--had arrived, the bride announced that she wasn't ready to get married yet. Then, she stayed at the resort--in the room with her fiance--and told everyone to have a good time. Personally, I can't criticize her for calling off the wedding. If it's not right, it's just not right. But to have the audacity to stay there and not slink home after everyone else had incurred so much expense--I just didn't get it.

Photo Op with the Lobster guy's catch

One day at lunch, we followed the guy hawking life lobsters down the beach. He took us to a little restaurant where for $20, he'd split it in half and cook it on his grill. Wayne loves that crustacean and couldn't resist. Not being as keen on it as he is, I opted for grilled fish for $15. That was cooked with peppers, onions, okra, herbs and spices, all wrapped in foil.

Most of our time was spent swimming in the Caribbean and lazing in lounge chairs reading books under a thatched hut. At one point, we looked like the Jason Pinter promotional book tour. My husband was reading The Guilty and I was reading The Stolen, side by side. On the plane and on the beach, I also read Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais, The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid, Still Life by Louise Penny, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larson and started Confessions of a Modern Dentist by Dr. Sherman Shinn, founder of ForWorldwideSmiles.org. A copy of the latter was given to me by the author-dentist from Gig Harbor, Washington, who was staying at the same resort while volunteering at free dental clinics on the island.

Massage on the beach

In between books, we squeezed in a couple of massages--my favorite was the one right on the beach. But the highlight of our trip was our return visit to Happy Hearts School--I'll tell you about that adventure in my next post.

THE PASTOR'S WIFE: The Book Versus the Movie

2011-11-11T04:30:00.001-08:00

Rose McGowen as Mary Winkler in The Pastor's Wife

I've been on vacation and hadn't seen the Lifetime movie version of my book until a couple of days ago. For starters, I need to say that I never expected the production to faithfully reproduce my book--and it didn't. I simply cared that the movie was well done and I believe it was.

I am not alone in that assessment either. Variety called "a small luxury" and "eminently watchable." The New York Daily News wrote:

"(Rose)McGowan and (Michael) Shanks, as well as family and friends, play their parts well. The story is also couched in just enough ambivalence that we realize we are hearing only Mary’s side of the details. The good day will be when real life will not yield material for a movie like “The Pastor's Wife.”

The real preacher's wife, Mary Winkler

The Lifetime show was produced as entertainment wrapped around a serious message about domestic violence. It excelled at that but it did divert from the facts in many places. For example, the brutal porch scene was built out of a little truth and a lot of drama; the ages of the Matthew and Mary's daughters were changed; and some the the court testimony was altered. It was not a documentary and for the full story, read my book or find reputable periodical articles on line. But as a television show, the movie was riveting and well done.

Orange Beach

But I imagine the folks in charge of tourism in Orange Beach, Alabama, are gnashing their teeth right now. The ugly beach depicted in the film bore no resemblence to the beautiful white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. I don't know how anyone could attract tourists if their so-called beach looked like the rocky mud wallow portrayed on the television screen.

And the title of the book and movie? My, I've gotten a lot of email about that since the book was published in 2008. I titled the book THE PREACHER'S WIFE. The publisher insisted on changing that title to THE PASTOR'S WIFE. I argued that the new title was inaccurate. The Churches of Christ do not call the head of their churches pastors--they call them preachers. I lost that battle and thus the faulty title.

Regardless, THE PASTOR'S WIFE is a fascinating story whether told from Mary's perspective as seen on the Lifetime movie or from the more objective presentation in my book. In addition, to presenting the facts as clearly as I could in the body of the story, I wrap up THE PASTOR'S WIFE, as I do all my true crime books, with an afterward reflecting my opinions and experiences in writing about the case. The movie is now available for viewing on line. And my book is available in paperback and ebook on line. I hope you enjoy them both.

Two New Books in 2012

2011-10-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last week, Severn House Publishers sent me the copy edits for False Front, the fifth book in the Lucinda Pierce series and St. Martin's Press sent me the galleys for Her Deadly Web, my eleventh true crime book. That means two new books in the first part of 2012.

Severn House releases False Front in the UK on December 29, 2011. The USA release is set for April 1, 2012. In this thriller, Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce encounters three deaths that appear to be suicides Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving.

Her Deadly Web makes its debut in the marketplace on January 3, 2012. This true crime story is mind-boggling. Nurse Raynella Dossett Leath claimed that her first husband, prosecutor Ed Dossett, died by cattle stampede. Everyone ignored the apparent morphine overdose that actually took his life.

When her second husband, barber David Leath, died of a gunshot wound, she said he committed suicide. There was one problem with that theory: the second shot was fatal. David could not have fired the third shot through the mattress.

To add spice to the plot, there is an attempted murder, a love child, a secret city and two medical examiners going for their guns when confronted by police officers.

Both books are available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other book sellers.

Coming up this week: I am one of the interviewees on True Hollywood Story:Casey Anthony airing on E! this Wednesday night at 10 pm Eastern/ 9 pm Central.

May you all have a fabulous week!

Is the Casey Anthony Boycott Reasonable?

2011-10-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

When I first heard of the effort to boycott any books or movies connected to Casey Anthony, her family or her defense team, I thought that it was a good idea. Who wanted the person responsible for Caylee Anthony's death or her allies to make money off of it? There were a few people who indicated that I should be donating all the proceeds from my book to a missing child non-profit or to Texas Equusearch. I didn't think they understood my job and how I earned a living but that was okay. If they didn't want to buy my book, that was their choice.

After the verdict, however, it seemed to take a shift that struck me as unfair, hypocritical and bizarre. Many boycott proponents were saying that anyone who wrote a book was taking blood money. That bugged me a lot. After all, my book, Mommy's Little Girl, came out in November 2009. I wrote it as a voice for Caylee, an exploration of the truth and a cry for justice.

I didn't really mind that some people didn't want to buy my book. I'm not delusional enough to think that everyone would or should. It did bother me, though, that they were dumping me into the same category as Casey, her parents and Jose Baez. That seemed blatantly unfair.

All of the people calling for the boycott of my book had been following the news. News outlets all over the country--newspapers, television and radio--were indirectly benefiting from Caylee's death through increased readership, viewership, internet clicks and listener cumes. What made it okay for them to report the news but wrong for me? It struck me as hypocritical. If these boycotters had held those forms of media to the same standard as they were now holding me, they would know nothing about the case and wouldn't be able to organize a boycott against the Anthony machine's attempts to get book and movie deals.

Since Mommy's Little Girl was the only published book in the marketplace for quite some time, I alone bore the burden of being lumped in with the most hated woman in America even though I paid nothing to the Anthonys or Baez. Then, new book announcements came out--Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony by Jeff Ashton, a member of the prosecution team trying to put Casey behind bars and Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony by psychologist Keith Ablow. And now, these same diehard boycotting folks want no one to buy their books, either. They think they are being consistent but it seems pretty clear to me that they are being unfair and hypocritical.

There are a lot of people in the boycott community who are not that rigid and inflexible. They seem to apply a bit more common sense to this highly emotional case. They understand my motives for writing my book, they want to buy Ashton's book and they are interested in the psychological analysis made by Ablow.

They also understand that they followed this case avidly, know many details and are fervently convinced of Casey's guilt; but realize that not everyone has the information they have and that now, in light of the undesirable verdict, they want books out there telling the unvarnished truth so that the jury's voice is not the final word.

All I ever wanted was justice for Caylee and being attacked by people who agree with me strikes me as flat-out bizarre. I imagine Ashton and Ablow are both scratching their heads over that inconsistency, too.

When Juries Get It Wrong: Beyond the Casey Anthony Verdict

2011-09-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

I reviewed the forensic documents and reports in that case and watched the whole trial online. I was firmly convinced that Casey Anthony was guilty of first degree murder of Caylee Marie Anthony, her two-year-old daughter.
I have long been a supporter of the jury system in this country—serving on four of them including one murder trial. I have resisted the idea of professional jurors and other remedies as unnecessary. Since the Casey Anthony trial, I’ve been rethinking my position. (read more)

Ready or Not: It's Bouchercon 2011 Time

2011-09-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be travelling to St. Louis tomorrow to go to Bouchercon 2011,the Spirits of St. Louis--the Sisters in Crime annual conference bringing together mystery writers and readers for four great days of interaction.

The hotel, Renaissance St. Louis Grand, looks fabulous. I'll be sharing a room with my good friend, mystery and true crime writer Kathryn Casey. Our biggest problem is deciding which of the many break-out sessions we want to attend.

If you are going to Bouchercon, too, be sure to check out our panels. On Thursday at 10 am, Kathryn joins Neal Baer, Connie Dial, Matt Hilton, Morley Swingle and moderator Michael Black for No Way To Treat a Body: Crime investigation from the front line.

At 11:30 am on Friday, I'll be talking about how true crime informs my fiction in She's Not There: Writing from the Headlines with Karen Olsen, Pam Callow, Ryan David Jahn along with moderator Kathleen Ryan, my longtime Twitter pal.

On Saturday at 4, I'll join other Severn House authors for a book signing at Mystery Mike's in the book room.

It will be exciting to finally meet face-to-face with some of the writers I've come to know online over the years as well as those whom I've come to know through reading their books. I am as much of a mystery book fan as I am a mystery writer. And of course, it will be a delight to be among a group of people who love books.

I hope I get a chance to talk a walk down to the famed golden arches and peek inside the historic courthouse. I'd also like to pay a visit to Left Bank Books. I stopped and signed some books there the last time I was in St. Louis. Finding the time will be tricky but I'm going to try.

If you're going to Bouchercon 2011, please find me and introduce yourself. Can't wait to get there!

Murder on the Homefront

2011-09-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern, I and several experts will be on Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox News. The show is a special about the Julie Schenecker case, the family tragedy in Tampa, Florida, the subject of my current true crime project for St. Martin's Press.

On January 27, 2011, Julie, a fifty-year-old mother, shot her thirteen-year-old son in the car on the way home from soccer practice. When she returned home, she left his body in the vehicle and went inside to her sixteen-year-old daughter Calyx who was working on the computer. Julie shot her in the head and in the face.

The next morning, on a welfare-check visit to the home prompted by a phone call from Julie's mother, the police found Julie in her blood-covered bathrobe curled up in a fetal position on the patio beside the swimming pool.

Now, the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in this double murder and the defense is claiming insanity. The courts will have to balance out the two extremes.

DCF Contradicts Casey Anthony Verdict

2011-08-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

The twelve page reported submitted by the Florida Department of Children and Families on Thursday, August 11, demonstrated the injustice of the verdict rendered in the state's case against Casey Anthony. It does not advocate for Casey Anthony's complicity in the murder or manslaughter of Caylee Anthony. It, nonetheless, acknowledges that the little girl was murdered and lays the responsibility to protect her at Casey's feet.

They are not a law enforcement agency but as experts in mistreatment of children, they make it clear that the jurors should have found Casey guilty of the child abuse charge, at a minimum. "The mother is the caregiver responsible for the verified maltreatments of death, threatened harm and failure to protect."

The agency concluded that "the actions or lack of action by the alleged perpetrator [Casey Anthony] ultimately resulted or contributed to the death of the child/vic... While the cause of death is not known, the Department concludes the death to be as a result of abuse or neglect based on the manner of death by the ME [Medical Examiner], and the state of the body upon recovery...

"It is concluded that the mother's failure to act during those 31 days, ultimately resulted in her inability to protect her child from harm."

Nothing can be done to correct the injustice committed against Caylee Anthony when her mother was acquitted of the child abuse charge. We have to accept that verdict. We do not have to respect it, despite what many commentators have said. The bottom line is that the criminal justice system, run by human beings, is flawed because humans are flawed. The only way we can minimize the wrongs committed in our name is if we look at verdicts of wrongful acquittal and wrongful conviction, analysze the mistakes and work to not repeat them.

Meanwhile, Casey Anthony has been declared the most hated person in the country by a recently released poll. 94% of respondents familiar with her name put Casey Anthony at the top of the list beating out Octomom and Paris Hilton with ease.

Love Was in the Air

2011-08-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

Part Three of a three part series: How I Spent the Last Weekend in July

I've often been to weddings where the couple was clearly the happiest duo on the planet. Seldom, though, do you attend a marriage ceremony and reception where the good vibes radiate through the whole crowd. The ceremony joining Pete Fanning and Anne Lavigne together did.

Ex-spouses were friendly, New Yorkers and Texans smiled at one another, people from 6 weeks old to 86 years old danced, hugged and laughed through a wonderful afternoon and evening out in the Virginia countryside, with the Blue Ridge mountains in the background.

The whole weekend was a blast, reuniting our three grown children, Liz, Ivy and Pete--the girls looking as if they coordinated their colors for the rehearsal dinner, although they swear they didn't.

Then there were the three cousins, Chris, Jason and Pete, who once spent endless hours in our family room, filling it knee-deep with empty Chili Willie wrappers, posed before the service with my husband Wayne.

And last but not least, I got to spend some time with my two fabulous grandchildren, Ben and Cameron.

It was a wonderful weekend, gone too fast, but filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Join me in a toast to Pete and Anne--may their love wildness never die.

My Past Is a Pile of Rubble

2011-08-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

Part Two of a three part series: How I Spent the Last Weekend in July

On this spot, before last weekend, a plain brick building stood. It was the home of radio station WWOD AM and FM in Lynchburg, Virginia. The structure was built originally to be a television station but was re-purposed as a radio station, creating a strangely large on-air studio made to hold the bulky cameras needed for live television.

I was once the Advertising Copywriter and Traffic Manager for this station. At that time, the format was alternative rock. It went through a number of programming changes until it reached the point of dead air a few years ago. And now it's gone.

Visiting a city that you left twenty years earlier is always jarring--so much has changed and yet some things remain undisturbed with the passage of time. I had always expected to see the radio station sitting on Mimosa Drive. Seeing it as a pile of rubble gave me a keen awareness of the passage of time and the inevitability of change.

WWOD: a part of my past, a piece of my heart.--my past, a pile of rubble.

Coming soon, Part Three of How I Spent the Last Weekend in July: A Love Fest in the Countryside

Turning My Twitter into a Flock of Angry Birds

2011-08-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Part One of a three part series: How I Spent the Last Weekend in July

I made a really stupid mistake. I received a direct message on Twitter that read: "You need to read this, really bad stuff being said about you" followed by a link.

My first reaction was the intelligent one--the one I should have taken to heart: It is another scam. Don't click that link. But, then, I over-thought the problem and went down stupid path.

You see, there have been some folks out there spreading the rumor that I paid Casey Anthony when I wrote MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL, my book about the death of Caylee Marie Anthony. It is not true but has been floating around the internet since before my book was released in November 2009. It's popped up in chat groups and in blogs. I've received a number of emails castigating me for writing the book. I thought it was very possible that the sender of the direct message was warning me that I needed to go to another place on the internet to set the record straight once again.

I also thought about all the Mac users out there who have been telling me that I needed to switch to Mac because Mac is safer. Getting a virus or malware through a Mac was not possible, they said. Since I was traveling with my iPad and iPhone and no computer, my ridiculous line of logic was that since they are Apple products, I'd been safe checking out the link with one of those devices.

Essentially, curiousity got the best of me. I clicked that stupid link on my iPad while sitting in the airport waiting for a delayed flight. Then when disaster struck, I could not find a way to change my password on either device. A few of you made suggestions that didn't work and then it was time to board the plane for my two and a half hour flight.

I had not been able to respond with a direct message on Twitter to those who wrote to me using that method since Twitter was blocking my direct messages because I had already sent out my daily quota of direct messages. It was not really me, but there was not a thing I could do about it.

Finally, I made it home, changed my password and am now secure once again.

If anyone out there clicked on the link on a direct message from me, please immediately change your password and end this devious chain reaction. I apologize for putting all of you at risk. In the future, I promise to let my common sense trump my curiousity.

I hope you will, too.

Coming soon, Part Two of How I Spent the Last Weekend in July: My Past is a Pile of Rubble.

Website Make Over Features 2011 Favorite Reads

2011-07-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly but surely working on revitalizing my website. You'll find the newest update on my 2011 Favorite Reads page. For those of you not familiar with the favorite reads section, it is a list of my favorites that I've read during a year--some new books and some older ones. I have a separate page for every year beginning with 2006.

I added eight books to this year's page just recently, bringing the total number of my favorite reads for this list to fourteen books in a wide range of titles. So far, all but one are fiction--although some very throughly researched historical fiction. I'm on the hunt for good non-fiction that is not political to round out my list. But a book won't get there unless I enjoy the read a lot.

I'd love to hear your reactions to the books on my list and your suggestions for books I should consider reading.

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." Cicero

Norway: It Could Happen Here

2011-07-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

Not only could the vicious crime in Norway have happened here, I am surprised that it did not. We've been pushing the envelope in our discourse to that end.

Look at this statement about the Norway shooting and bombing suspect from an article in Sunday morning's San Antonio Express News: "He'd been a member of the right-wing Progress Party which began as an anti-tax protest and has been stridently anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim." Sound familiar?

The newspaper added that he "quit the party in 2006, apparently disappointed by the party's move toward center." We see this kind of intolerance toward any proposed compromises in our current poltiical and economic situation from some. And from others, we hear hate speech and negativity--the language that fuels people like Anders Behring Breivik in Norway.

Look back on America's history. Every great success of this country has come when we have presented a united front. When we abandon the ideology the requires us to focus on our differences and turn instead to seeking our commonalities. Only then can we pull together in the face of a common enemy. Yes, there will always be dissenters and that is a good part of our heritage; but the majority must be walking together toward overcoming the situation that threatens to destroy us.

Surveys show that our current battle with the economy has united most Americans--73% want our politicians to come together and reach a compromise. Our elected representatves have chosen instead to play politics with our future, to honor commitments to lobbyists, to gamble with the best interests of our country to make feeble points.

It is time for our representatives and Senators to follow the willl of the people and listen to the words coined by Aesop and repeated by Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln: "United we stand, divided we fall."

When Juries Get It Wrong

2011-07-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

I imagine in the current news environment, that headline makes you think of the Casey Anthony trial or maybe O.J. Simpson, Robert Durst or Mary Winkler. That side of the equation makes one think of a perpetrator going free, feeling invincible and ready to victimize again--all because the jury bought into dubious claims of self-defense or false or exaggerated tales of abuse.

For this to happen, someone is usually sacrificed on the public altar to vindicate the perpetrator. For example, take George Anthony. For the rest of his life, some people will believe or suspect him of wrong-doing, Some bells just can't be unrung. It's an ugly, frustrating miscarriage of justice.

However, an even worse situation exists when a jury awards a guilty verdict to an innocent person. In a wrongful conviction, a person's life is ruined--permanently. First by the trauma of incarceration for a crime the person never committed, then by a taint that can never be totally erased even if the exonoree is found not guilty in a second trial and receives a certificate of actual innocence from the state.

This thwarted justice happens more than we would like to believe. Look at Dallas County alone: District Attorney Craig Watkins created the Conviction Integrity Unit in 2007 in cooperation with the Texas Innocence Project. Through DNA testing alone, more than twenty wrongfully convicted people have been set free--most of them men in murder and rape cases. The unit has expanded its scope to cases where genetic evidence is not available, a more common situation for women imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. Now both Houston and New York City are establishing similar divisions to examine cases in their areas.

More suffer than just the wrongfully convicted in these cases. Families and friends have their lives and hearts torn apart. They spend years of their lives in an essential obsession with the case that put an innocent loved one behind bars. Scraping together money, uttering ceaseless prayers, pleading with anyone--and everyone--to help the person behind bars for a crime committed by someone else.

The price to all of us as a society? Of course, there are the financial expenses of re-opening any case. Worse than that, though, is the thought that the person who committed a heinous crime is walking about, laughing up his sleeve, confident in his ability to commit a similar crime, again and again--an emboldened criminal ready to victimize anyone he encounters.

In a wrongful conviction, we often see prosecutors who have overstepped the mark or lost sight of their mission to seek truth and find justice. In wrongful acquittals, we often encounter defense attorneys willing to sling unsubstantiated smears maligning the character of the victim or of any person who appears to be a good target.

We have laws governing the behaviour of prosecutors but sometimes they are adept at hiding their duplicities and violations. We must have more not less transparency from the state's attorneys. More documents need to be made public. Florida actually does a better job of this than most states.

Defense attorneys, however, seem relatively ungoverned in their courtroom behavior. They do need to do their best to raise the questions that lead to unreasonable doubt. But does that mean they should be able to destroy the lives of others with impunity in their desire to defend their client? One would think legal ethics would stop them in their tracks but many of them appear oblivious.

We need our courts to be a place that reveals truth--not a shield to protect wrongdoing and reckless allegations. Something must be done to hold the attorneys accountable. You can't expect juries to get the verdict right unless we do.

What Have We Learned from the Casey Anthony Jury?

2011-07-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

Set aside, for a moment, your feelings and opinions about the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial and think about jury service and how you'd react in that environment.

Juries tend to form a bond throughout the length of a trial and this connection is even stronger among sequestered jurors. How could you, in that position, ward off succumbing to the pack mentality?

The only hope any of us have of avoiding being part of hive-think is if we contemplate it in advance. If we realize the pull of cohesion and guard against it. Enter the situation determined to think as an individual rather than respond as the member of a group to thought of the whole.

Let's say you accomplish that and still, you are deliberating a case that seems to have no right answer. You've looked at all the evidence and come to the conclusion that the state did not prove their case. But in your gut, you are certain the defendant is guilty. What do you do then?

If you follow the letter of the law, you would vote for acquittal. But if you did that and allowed someone you believed to be guilty, go free, could you live with yourself afterwards?

I've long been a strong proponent of civil disobedience. I think there are times when the clash between law and personal principle requires the most law abiding citizen to stand up against the law. But is the jury room the right place to do that?

I know that if I were faced with that dilemna, I would be torn. The worse the crime, the greater the temptation to do what is technically wrong for what felt morally right. But would I succumb to that temptation? I don't know. Would I be wrong if I voted "guilty" and stuck with it in a small room with eleven others in disagreement with me? Would I be wrong if I decided the greater good dictated that I hang the jury and give the state another opportunity to prove its case?

Honestly, at this moment, sitting here by myself, I cannot swear that I know what I would do if placed in that situation. I do know this: if I ever served on a jury again, I would think about my options--all of them. Hopefully, I would land on the right side of justice.

What about you? What would you think? How would you react? And would your actions benefit or harm our system of justice?

Whirlwind of Emotions and Travel: the Casey Anthony Case

2011-07-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

The not guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony case was one possibility that never crossed my mind. Although I never thought it was possible that she would get the death penalty, I did think she could be convicted of premeditated murder. I also could conceive of a second degree, manslaughter or aggravated child abuse conviction. I imagined a hung jury was also a possibility. It never crossed my mind that twelve people could agree on a not guilty verdict.

When I heard it on Tuesday afternoon, I went numb and had difficulty processing it. After spending a couple of hours watching the reactions on television and reading messages, tweets and posts, I needed to get away from it all and try to put it out of my mind. I poured a glass of wine, put on some music and picked up Sworn to Silence, a novel by Linda Castillo. Then the phone rang.

The Today Show folks wanted me in New York City the next morning. I packed not knowing a thing about my flight arrangements, It turned out that it was too late in the day to get a flight from San Antonio direct--or even close to that. I ended up flying to Los Angeles where I boarded a red-eye to the Newark Airport.

I thought I would have time at the hotel to shower, change and relax before reporting to the studio. Since I arrived during rush hour, that hope soon dissipated. I reached the hotel at 8:30 Wednesday morning and was due in the studio at 8:45.

I quickly changed, discovering as I did that I forgot to pack my shoes. All I had were the pair of leather thongs that I'd worn to the airport. Fortunately, I could leave my hair and make-up to the professionals at the studio. On set, I tucked my feet behind the rung of the stool on the set hoping no one would notice my footwear.

Hoda and Kathie Lee graciously introduced themselves before the interview. Afterwards, they talked to me about my book and we shared a good laugh over the shoes--a relatable moment for women everywhere.

In the green room, I snatched a piece of string cheese for breakfast, headed back to the hotel and got my much desired shower. I checked out before noon and was on my way back to the airport for a much welcomed direct flight.

Along the way, I thought a lot about the jury's decision. I had reviewed the forensic reports and other evidentiary documents at length. It seemed to me that the ten-plus hours of deliberation did not allow the jury sufficient time to adequately review that evidence. It was as if they based their conclusions solely on the testimony heard in the courtroom and did not consider the evidentiary value of the submitted materials. It seemed as if they took placed more value on the opening statements of the defense than they did on the scientific reports before them.

They balked at the circumstantial evidence wanting a witness to the crime, a confession to the murder or DNA evidence. In most cases, killers do not invite guests to the main event. In this particular death, the Florida heat and the flooding by a hurricane resulted in the decomposition of everything but dry bones. The DNA decomposed like the remains of the biological material. The jurors themselves have said they do not believe Casey is innocent.

I;ve been struggling to catch up on all of your email, tweets and facebook comments but the volume has staggered me. I am still trying. Mixed it with it all, were the name-calling messages from those who disagree with my viewpoint.

I did not base my conclusions on hyperbole or media frenzy. I derived them from a thoughtful consideration of the evidence undercovered during the investigation. I am not a "prosecution hack." Yes, in this case, I sided with the prosecution because I believed they were right. But, I have, in other cases, strongly advocated for wrongful convictions. In one case, I received the Defenders of the Innocent award from the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project.

I wrote my book, Mommy's Little Girl, with a determination to speak the truth and a strong desire to be a voice for the victim, Caylee Marie Anthony. All I wanted was Justice for Caylee.

Casey Anthony and Hare's Checklist: Part Two

2011-07-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post, we examined the first ten items in Dr. Robert Hare's twenty-point psychopathy checklist. All ten could be connected to the personality and behavior of Casey Anthony. Now here are the second group of points for consideration.

Promiscuous Sexual Behavior: a variety of brief, superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.

Casey has a long list of conquests including a string of one-night stands around the time that Caylee was conceived. Some she only knew by first names. It is no surprise that Casey cannot tell us who Caylee's father is. She used Anthony Rusciano mercilessly, leaving him feel like dreadful when she rose from his bed and walked out without a word. She had a string of overlapping, serial relationships--still having sexual relations with Rico Morales as she transitioned to Tony Lazzaro.

Early Behavior Problems: a variety of behaviors prior to age 13, including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away from home.

No know evidence of these problems in Casey Anthony.

Lack of realistic, long-term goals: an inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.

Casey couldn't even manage to stick it out long enough to graduate from high school. She expressed an interest in photography and her father tried to help her get into school to study, she dropped that ball without looking back. She hadn't worked for years and led an empty life filled with parties and sex without an apparent thought for tomorrow.

Impulsivity: the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation, frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and reckless.

She murdered Caylee without having a plan to dispose of the body. She hid her pregnancy without a thought for her ability to conceal it forever. She lived her life one day at a time, making up one lie after another to buy time before the inevitable revelation of Caylee's death.

Irresponsibility: repeated failure to fulfill or honor obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing to honor contractual agreements.

She lost her job by not showing up. She didn't not graduate from high school by being absent. She did not work to pay her bills, preferring to steal from others including her parents, friends and elderly grandparents.

Failure to accept responsibility for own actions: a failure to accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate others through this denial.

It was always someone else's fault. It was the high school's fault that she did not graduate. It was George, Lee and Cindy's fault that she lied. It was an accident that Caylee died. It was Roy Kronk's fault for dumping the body in the woods. She was a victim, she insisted, not a perpetrator.

Many short-term marital relationships: a lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including marital.

Casey bounced from one relationship to another, although engaged, she'd not ever been married. Her interpersonal relationships with her family members were mercurial, more like that of a 13-year old than that of a young woman in her twenties.

Juvenile Delinquency: behavior problems between the ages of 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous, ruthless tough-mindedness.

Casey Anthony did not have a juvenile record. Her manipulation of others, however, was clearly evident as was her habit of lying about everything and nothing at all.

Revocation of condition release: a revocation of probation or other conditional release due to technical violations, such as carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.

Casey Anthony did not violate conditional release when she was out on bail on the check theft charges. She did not have the opportunity to do so after she was charged with murder because she was never released on bail.

Criminal Versatility: a diversity of types of criminal offenses, regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them; taking great pride at getting away with crimes.

Repeated theft from parents, grandparents and friends. False statements to the police. Suspected homicide of a child.

Casey Anthony easily meets the definition in seven of these final ten points. That gives her a positive response on 17 out of 20 of the items. However, taking it a step further, scoring each point on a scale of 0-2. By my calculation, that would give her a total score between 32 and 38. A diagnosis of psychopathy is met when the subject scores 30 points or more.

I am not a mental health professional, but it seems clear to me that Casey Anthony fits the diagnosis. It explains why Caylee Marie Anthony is now dead.

Casey Anthony Defense Goes Out With a Whimper

2011-07-02T04:41:00.000-07:00

To the disappointment of many, Casey Anthony did not take the stand for an explosive finale for the defense case. I imagine she wanted to do so but deferred to the advice of counsel. I would think that she'd believe that she was capable of winning over the jurors with a brilliant performance of creative prevarication. I suspect that she fantasized the moment in the spotlight on many lonely nights in her cell.

Instead, the defense put up three witnesses, Cindy, George and Lee Anthony, who testified about Casey learning to wrap a pet's body in a blanket and place it inside a garbage bag, leading to the conclusion that she used that methodology when she disposed of the body of her daughter. I know that was not the defense's intent but that was the big, final point that came before they rested their case.

Jose Baez did not live up to the promises that he made to the jury in his opening statements. No one testified to the childhood sexual abuse of Casey Anthony, even though Baez was extremely graphic about it in his jarring presentation. What could the jurors think but that it was all a big lie from the young woman who is a master at weaving truth-free tales?

He did not have anyone to testify to the accidental drowning of Caylee as he claimed. There was testimony that, at one point, George believed it was an accident that went horribly wrong--but not that he knew it. And he had no one to testify that it was George who disposed of the body or Roy Kronk who moved the body.

Jurors remember. When you deliver an opening statement and tell the court that the evidence will show something, you'd better deliver. Hollow promises should lead to a defeat for Jose Baez and Justice for Caylee Marie Anthony.

Closing statements on Sunday, July 3.

Casey Anthony & Hare's Twenty-Point Checklist

2011-06-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

Dr. Robert D. Hare, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and an influential researcher on psychopathy for over 25 years, developed one of the most widely used tools for assessing and identifying psychopaths. His checklist, although not without controversy, is often employed to understand individuals and their psychological make-up.

I've written that, in my opinion, Casey Anthony is a malignant narcissist. I thought it might be an interesting exercise to look at her personality from a slightly different perspective, by comparing Casey Anthony and her behavior with the twenty points on Hare's list.

Glib and Superfical Charm: the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.

Casey Anthony is clearly a charming individual. She was gregarious and had many friends. You can observe her interpersonal reactions with others in the courtroom when the jury is not present. She smiles frequently and flirts shamelessly.

Grandiose Self Worth: a grossly inflated view of one's abilities and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart. Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human beings.

She appeared to believe she was capable of performing an event planning job at Universal even though she did not have, nor attempt to maintain, the education for that job. She frequently bragged that she had the title of event planner. Most people have babysitters for their children. unemployed Casey insisted she had a nanny.

Need for Stimulation or Proneness to Boredom: an excessive need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or routine.

Casey did not complete high school. She did not hold a job for a lengthy period of time. She engaged in risky activities such as surreptitious theft, promiscuous sexual activity and drug and alcohol abuse. Her father said, "My daughter has a tendency to live on the edge."

Pathological Lying: can be moderate or high; in moderate form, they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous, manipulative, and dishonest.

Casey Anthony turned lying into an art form. Even her defense team admitted that she was a liar. She was skilled at grabbing a tidbit of truth and weaving a legend around it. And she always expected to be believed.

Conning and Manipulativeness: the use of deceit and deception to cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and suffering of one's victims.

How else could you describe a woman who stole money from an account created to provide for a grandparent’s nursing home care? Someone who encouraged others to believe Caylee was alive when Casey knew she was not. A woman who led law enforcement on a wild goose chase after another woman who didn't exist.

Lack of Remorse or Guilt: a lack of feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned, dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.

Witness Casey’s behavior in the first thirty-one days after Caylee’s death. She had no trouble partying and wasting days. Nor did she have any difficulty pointing a finger of guilt at the innocent Zenaida Gonzales and Jesse Grund.

Shallow Affect: emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open gregariousness.

This is demonstrated clearly in the jail videotapes. Casey jumps from saccharine sweetness when the focus is on her and anger and impatience when her parents wanted to focus on Caylee. You can also see it in the courtroom.

Callousness and Lack of Empathy: a lack of feelings toward people in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.

When her father's heart was breaking on the stand, she displayed a cold, callous expression. At other times, she was dismissive of the emotional pain of others, turning the attention from their suffering back to herself. A view of the videotapes demonstrates starkly her dismissive manner regarding her mother’s grief and stress.

Parasitic Lifestyle: an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete responsibilities.

Casey never left her family home to live independently. For more than two years, Casey lied about employment getting her money through thievery rather than work itself.

Poor Behavorial Controls: expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.

Once more, this lack of control is clearly demonstrated in the jail video tapes and in her candid moments in the courtroom.

Out of the first ten points in Dr. Hare's checklist, Casey Anthony appears to be a nice fit for every single one. I'll post about the final ten points on the list in the next few days. In the meantime, I'll be waiting for Justice for Caylee.

The Vicious Streak of the Casey Anthony Defense Team

2011-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Jose Baez displayed a vicious streak of cruelty in the court on Wednesday. He seemed to suppress a bubble of diabolical glee as tried to trip up his client's father.  The direct examination brought to mind someone stabbing pin after pin into the voodoo doll representing his enemy.

He mocked George's suicide attempt, ridiculed his emotional responses to Caylee's disappearance and death and accused him of child sexual molestation.

Baez questions were tricky,  like the old stand-up comedy line: "when did you stop beating your wife?" He used that tactic again and again. Baez pointed to George's July 2008 statement to the police where he described his experiences smelling decomposition when he was a law enforcement officer.  Baez zeroed in on the incident in the woods. Then he asked him how George how he knew that his granddaughter's body would be found in the woods.

Baez referred to the Anthony's many media appearances and asked, "All those media appearances stopped when the allegations of abuse came up, didn't they?" George fired back. "I believe, sir, that was done by you, sir."

At another point, after George denied sexually abusing his daughter, Baez asked, "You, of course, would never admit to molesting your child, would you?"

Throughout the ordeal, George Anthony cried over his granddaughter Caylee. And he stood up for her. When Baez asked him about this public protestations of belief in his daughter Casey's innocence, he said that he did not want to believe, at that time, that his daughter was capable of killing her daughter.

George insisted that he wanted to talk to media about his missing granddaughter and other missing children.  He said, "Unfortunately, it seemed, every time the media came around the focus was on my daughter and not on my granddaughter Caylee."

Before George took the stand, Cindy Anthony demonstrated a change of attitude, too. It seemed to surprise Baez that Cindy was no longer willing to lie for the defense. She denied every knowing anything about her son Lee visiting Casey's bedroom at night.

Maybe they now both clearly understand that the most important matter before the court is Justice for Caylee.

Casey Anthony Defense Must Have a Fleet of Buses

2011-06-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

Long before the trial, people started talking about the possibility that Casey Anthony and or the defense would "throw George under the bus." And sure enough, they did. Yesterday in the courtroom, they rolled out their fleet running over the whole family.

Jose Baez questioned Cindy Anthony about an argument with her son Lee over the Dominic Casey-James Hoover search and videotaping in the woods. Cindy denied that it ever happened.

The defense then put Lee on the stand to ask him about the fight. He admits to it and provides more detail. He claimed that his mother sent Dominic Casey into the woods to follow up on a tip from a psychic. Lee was angered by that because he wanted to believe Caylee was alive and his mother was sending someone in search of a dead body. Essentially, the defense just impeached their own witness Cindy Anthony--the only person who accepted responsibility for the computer searches that the state alleged showed premeditation by the defendant.

Then Baez took on George Anthony, accusing him of having an affair with Krystal Holloway/River Cruz. George denied it. I imagine the defense will call her to the stand before it's over. But, really, how much credibility can you give a woman with an alias?

At this point, I wouldn't have been surprised if the defense called a witness to impugn the credibility and character of Winnie the Pooh, naming him as yet another evil influence in the life of their client.

Before the called the family to the stand, they put up Joe Jordan who took the fifth and I cannot believe that the experienced Cheney Mason didn't see that one coming. They followed up with a sloppy assault on Roy Kronk. In the opening statement, they called Kronk "morally bankrupt" and claimed he'd had the body in his possession before placing it where it was found. They certainly didn't prove that allegation.

The day wrapped up with a series of proffers outside of the presence of the jury. Judge Belvin Perry ruled that testimony about Casey Anthony being a happy prisoner was not relevant or material and deferred a decision about the admissibility of Jesse Grund's testimony. Jesse wanted to tell the jury about Lee groping Casey while she slept. I can't see how a tale told by known liar Casey Anthony to a boyfriend can have any credibility even if the judge does allow it.

Wednesday will start with Anne Finnell delivering argument for the defense motion about the illegality of the death penalty in Florida via telephone. I hope she prevails. With a death sentence, Casey will have unlimited resources to appeal. With a life sentence, Casey will be just one more inmate without any extraordinary assistance from the State of Florida.

The defense told the judge that they have half a dozen witnesses remaining before they rest. The state will definitely call rebuttal witnesses. After that, it all will be in the hands of the jury. Hopefully, they will see the big picture and delivery justice for Caylee Anthony.

Talking Trash, Private Investigators and Casey Anthony's Competency

2011-06-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

Monday was a crazy day in court. Speaking of crazy, the defense questioned Casey Anthony's competency. That motion resulted in the abrupt termination of court on Saturday. Over the weekend, three different mental health professionals spent time with Casey to evaluate her. The end result was that she was competent to stand trial. Casey's upbeat mood on Monday could have been because of her delight of being the focus of attention of the three shrinks or it could have been delight over the new motion being presented by the defense.

They have requested, that in light of the decision by a Federal District judge that the death penalty in Florida unconstitutional, they want the option of execution of their client removed from the realm of possibilities when the jurors consider her fate. Judge Belvin Perry might find the argument not to pursue death because the overturn on appeal is inevitable very compelling. In actuality, if Casey got the ultimate punishment, she would have far more resources for appealing her case than she would if she got a life sentence.

We also had a lot of trash talk on Monday--even passed a piece of the stuff around to the jury. The defense witness Dr. Kenneth Fulton attempted to insist that the contents of the trash bag could have caused the decomposition found in the car. After prosecutor Jeff Ashton got through with him, though, he was singing the state's song.

Poor private investigator James Hoover should have never come to Orlando in 2008. All it's earned him is a lot of grief. It was painfully obvious that he was nervous, ill at ease and easily outmatched by both Jose Baez and Linda Drane-Burdick. He was followed by the man he assisted private investigator Dominic Casey.

It was a kick for me to see clueless Dominic being put through his paces on the stand. Back when I was working on Mommy's Little Girl, I had a very unpleasant conversation with him. He threatened to sue me if I used his name or the name of his company in his book. Both were public record and both were included in the book. His attempt to bully and intimidate failed.

Today promises to possess its share of fireworks, too. The defense plans on calling hapless Roy Kronk to the stand to publicly shred him to bits as they try to tie him to the murder of Caylee Anthony or at least to moving her body after she was dead. It will be interesting to see how the state approaches cross examination. They'll walk a tightrope attempting to discredit him as a witness while defending his innocence in any crime related to little Caylee.

The big question for the week: will the defense rest on Thursday as planned? Or did the competency delay alter that timetable? And who will the state call to the stand as rebuttal witnesses in their pursuit of justice for Caylee.

Cindy, How Could You?:The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 2008, I felt very sorry for Cindy Anthony. I know from writing nine other true crime books that it is dreadful to be the loved one of a victim. I also knew that it was horrible to be a family member of a perpetrator. And there was Cindy--playing both roles at one time. I ached for her.

Then came the brush incident when she intentionally gave law enforcement a hair brush used by everyone in the family instead of the one used exclusively by Caylee Anthony. I still understood her conflicting emotions but with that, she'd taken it a step too far and my empathy for her dissipated into thin air.

I had a major turn around in how I felt about her after she took the stand earlier in the trial. I saw her grief. I felt her pain. My attitude toward her softened that day. But on Wednesday, she threw away the good will I and many of you felt for her after seeing her tears in the courtroom.

She claimed the stain in the trunk of the Sunbird was there when they bought the car for Lee in 2000? You mean that the car smelled, in Cindy's own words, "like there's a dead body in there" for eight years?

She ended up searching for chloroform as a direct result of looking up chlorophyll because her dogs ate bamboo leaves? Really? Now, if my pet did that what would I type in the search bar? Bamboo.

And even though her work records showed that she was at work when the Internet searches were done in her home, the work records were wrong.

Now, Cindy Anthony has not exactly been media shy. Do you really think she would have kept quiet about these startling revelations? I doubt it. She would have told everyone who would listen that Casey did not do those google searches, she did.

As for the stain, she changed her outcry about a "dead body"to "pizza" or "garbage" as the source of the smell. Surely, if she knew of another reason for the searches and the stain, she would have revealed them years ago rather than letting her daughter Casey sit in jail all that time.

And check out the body language. Compare her time in the witness stand Wednesday with her earlier testimony. Which one looks credible to you? Which one look furtive and dishonest? I have no doubt that Cindy perjured herself on the witness stand while still denying doing a search for "how to make chloroform," "self-defense," "household weapons," and "neck breaking." But she added that when she was doing the searches, she saw a pop-up with a skateboarder riding a rail that was labelled as "a neck-breaking feat." And she remembers that skateboarder three years later? Really?

I know Casey is your daughter, Cindy. I know you don't want her to be executed. But what about Caylee? I thought you loved your innocent granddaughter. How could you abandon her for the sake of the person who took her sweet little life. It's as if you took the stand and said that Caylee's life did not matter.

How could you Cindy? How could you obstruct Justice for Caylee?

Casey Anthony Defense Plays it Safe

2011-06-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's ceaseless round of humiliation, scared the defense into taking no chances on Wednesday. They called a series of witnesses to the stand to tell the jury what they didn't find and where they didn't find it.

No geological evidence on twenty-two pairs of shoes taken from the Anthony home. Dirt does fall off of things, doesn't it? And of course, no one told law enforcement in June 2008 to go collect the footwear to find the location of Caylee's body--no one even told them she was missing for a month.

No valium, xanax, roofies or ketamine found in Caylee Anthony's hair. And this is important because? Internet rumors? The state alleges that the murder weapon was the duct tape and that chloroform facilitated the crime.

A chemist tested air from Casey's Sunbird but could not conclusively determine that there was human decomposition in the car. Of course, when he took the air samples, he didn't know it was four days after the tire wheel cover and carpet were removed from the trunk. And he didn't have the equipment recommended by Dr. Arpad Vass. He used a syringe instead.

My particular favorite of the day was from a state's witness, an FBI hair and fiber analyst, whom Baez called in order to elicit the testimony that she tested hairs that did not show sign of decomposition.

The only stunning thing all morning long was when Baez asked Madelyn Montgomery, FBI forensic toxicologist: "What other kind of meaningless work do you do at the FBI?" She responded: "I don't feel any of my work is meaningless." Why would you ask that question of your own witness?

Court ended at lunch time on Wednesday because Judge Belvin Perry could not be in court this afternoon. It resumes tomorrow morning as we move closer and closer to justice for Caylee.

A Wise Man, a Dutchman and a Fool: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Jose Baez is probably wondering why he didn't become a fireman or librarian or anything but a criminal defense attorney after surviving Tuesday in the courtroom. Anything would have been better than having a judge, a prosecutor and a witness make him look foolish in the presence of the court and the world. It should temper his natural arrogance but I doubt that it will.

Baez began the day being chastised by Judge Belvin Perry for intentional violation of court orders. Any opinions from his expert witness, Netherlands DNA expert Richard Eikelenboom, regarding decomposition fluid were excluded from being introduced into the courtroom. The judge left the door open for the defense to file a request a Frye hearing to reconsider the admissibility of that information and allowed Eikelenboom to take the stand to testify on other matters.

Before questioning that witness, the defense called state's witness, crime scene investigator, to the stand for her fifth conversation with the jury and then followed her with Dr. Jane Bock, a forensic botanist, who appeared to be a sweet grandmother. She issued a incredible opinion that the roots and vines running through the skull at the discovery scene grew there in two weeks. On cross, Jeff Ashton got her to admit that was the minimum time and the maximum was many months.

Then Eikelenboom took the stand out of the presence of the jury. The judge questioned him about his awareness of the court orders issued in December 2010 and January 2011. The defense had not made him aware of those report comments.

Baez complained to the judge about a discovery violation by the state. Perry told him that there was a jury waiting and that matter would be deferred to lunch hour. When that time came, two interesting items came up. Baez did not object to six items given to him that morning. They involved an on-going investigation by the state regarding April Whalen, a woman arrested on a motor vehicle charge who spent a couple of days in the jail three cells up from Casey. Her toddler had drowned in an above ground pool and the body was found by the grandfather--a scenario right out of Baez's opening statement.

Baez did object to the seventh item calling it new evidence. It was a compilation CD of items on the Anthony computer hard drive--put together for demonstration purposes. Since Baez had received the whole hard drive two years earlier, the judge ruled that it was not new evidence. Baez whined about the vast volume of material on the hard drive but Judge Perry was not moved.

Then Dr. Marcus Wise of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory took the stand. Baez planned to use him to discredit the testimony of state witness Dr. Arpad Vass. Instead, he bolstered it, frustrating Baez non-stop. An unbelievable number of times, Ashton objected to Baez's questions and from the bench, "sustained" echoed through the court. To top it off, he testified that the relative abundance of chloroform found in the carpet sample from the car trunk was amazing and indicated that the original quantity had to have been ten to one hundred times greater than the amount present at the time of testing.

It was a bad time for Jose Baez but a good day in the fight for justice for Caylee.

Judge Perry is Not Pleased: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

"When you woke up this morning everything was gone.

By half past ten your head was going ding-dong."

--Woke up This Morning, A3

Sounds like Judge Belvin Perry's day, doesn't it?

Court started at 9 am with Ashton requesting more prep time after the court-ordered deposition of defense witness Dr. Bill Rodriguez. He also said he wanted a hearing about one of the forensic anthropologist's opinions. Apparently, he is planning to tell the jury that people cannot recognize the smell of decomposition. When pressed, he admitted that this opinion was not based on any study, it was simply his experience. Sounds like the good doctor might have an under-developed sense of smell.

Ashton also complained of another violation of the court's December 10, 2010 ruling, connected to the second slated defense witness, Dr. Eichenbloom. His first report was half of a page long and contained no opinions. Over the weekend, Baez provided the state with a two-page report and a 45-slide PowerPoint presentation. Ashton called it "another intentional violation of the court order." Ashton said that he could depose this witness on Tuesday evening.

Baez responded with a flurry of personal attacks against Jeff Ashton, claiming that he was using the court rules as both a sword and a shield. He said that he'd be threatened by the court but the state, commiting the same violations, was not. He argued, basically, that it was all the state's fault and the defense team was blameless.

When he finished his tirade, Judge Perry asked by Ashton and Baez to turn around, look at the clock on the wall and tell him what time it was. Ashton responded "9:25." Then, Baez said, "9:26."

Perry lit into both of them. "That proves that both of you will never agree on anything or interpret anything in the same way. He reiterateded the orders he issued on December 10 and on January 6, 2011. Then lambasted Baez: "This court does not make threats. The court simply applies the rules.

In the end, the Judge ordered a full day of court on Saturday, allowed the state more time to prepare for the cross examination of the first two scheduled witnesses and upon learning that the third witness was not yet in court, he recessed the court until Tuesday morning at 9 am.

Today's debacle strengthened my conviction that Baez never sought a plea bargain for his client because he wanted the media spotlight that only a full trial would provide. Personally, I find that very offensive.

All I want is Justice for Caylee.

Ludicrous Theory and Contempt of Court: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

The problem with being a legend is that when you fall, the drop is extraordinary. Without a doubt, Dr. Werner Spitz has been legendary in his field for decades. And it seemed to me that On Saturday in the Casey Anthony trial he performed a kamikaze raid obliterating his reputation and credibility in a spectacular fashion. And he did it in a case where he still believed that the victim was kidnapped by Zanny the Nanny. Apparently, the defense team never informed him that they no longer believed in that scenario.

On direct testimony, Spitz said that the duct tape was applied to the skull of Caylee Anthony after her body had completely decomposed--that someone picked up the bare skull and applied the duct tape and laid it back on the ground where it was found. At first, I thought I heard him incorrectly. A double-check revealed that was his testimony. Really? You've got to be kidding me. It's about as believable as the Zanny lie.

That ludicrous scenario made him appear to be a hired gun whose testimony was shaped to suit the person who paid him. During the cross examination though, it appeared as if there were more at work than that.  Spitz displayed an alarming level of professional jealousy toward Dr. Jan Garavaglia and her successful television career. He sounded like an old man at the end of his career who resented a colleague for her achievement--referring to the work she did on this case as a "shoddy autopsy."

He grew angry when his opinion questioned as if he didn't understand that's what opposing counsel is supposed to do. There was an undercurrent of defensiveness in his anger that reminded me of someone in the early stages of eldery dementia, angered by his own loss of clarity.

It was reinforced when the prosecution asked him about the number of media interviews he had given. He said one did one in Michigan that was also televised in Florida. When Jeff Ashton mentioned his interview with WKMG reporterTony Pippitone in Orlando, he did acknowledge that one but added that he did not talk about any forensic details. Ashton asked about his comments regarding brain dust and duct tape in interviews with the female reporter in Detroit.  Spitz said he did not remember talking about that to her. Spitz also could not recall doing an interview about the case on the Today show. He could not remember his appearance on 48 Hours.

Then it got even worse, Spitz accused someone in the medical examiner's office of tampering with evidence at the discovery scene and in the autopsy room.  He had no proof of those allegations--it was conjecture lacking in any factual basis--but it was his conjecture. In a transparent show of arrogance, he was angered that anyone would question it.

When he stepped down from the stand, he seemed confused and appeared to need instruction to find his way out of the courtroom. At that moment, I was actually embarrassed for him. It's sad to see a once vital mind now becoming intellectually impotent.

On the other hand, the more we see of Jose Baez, the more difficult it becomes to consider his mind as ever possessing vitality. He screwed up again with the witness that took the stand before Spitz.  Baez overstepped the bounds of the court's established rules on expert testimony--rules put in place because Baez missed a critical court deadline.   The violation happened when Baez attempted to elicit testimony from Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Bill Rodriquez about the duct tape.

The judge believed it was an intentional flouting of the rules on Baez's part.  The judge took Rodriguez off the stand, ordered a deposition that afternoon and only agreed to allow him back to testify on Monday because he did not want to punish Casey Anthony for her attorney's behavior. He said he would decide on a Contempt of Court charge against Baez at the end of the trial.

It seems Baez will stop at nothing to keep his client from paying the price for her actions. Fortunately, the prosecution team has demonstrated a remarkable proficiency in cross examination--an ability that is needed to find justice for Caylee.

Maggots and a New Victim: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm glad someone specializes in maggots and other insects but I'm so glad it's not me. If I did, I'd spend my days in a constant state of nausea. Needless to say, I wasn't captivated by Dr. Timothy Huntington's testimony Friday morning. In fact, I found the most fascinating thing happened outside of the courthouse--the arrival of Vasco Thompson in Orlando.

It seems that Jose Baez is so obsessed with demonizing George Anthony that he doesn't care who he rolls over to do it. I guess Baez would call Thompson collateral damage. I'd call him another victim of the defense team.

Thompson has been reported as a convicted kidnapper--technically that is true. But when that is mentioned in connection with the murder of Caylee Anthony, one envisions a stranger abducting and harming a child. The actual offense, although clearly wrong and illegal, bore little in common with that imagined scenario. It involved Thompson, his girlfriend and the restraint of her freedom for a time measured in minutes--not in weeks or months or maggots.

Was there any substance to the defense contention that George Anthony telephoned this convict the day before Caylee went missing? No. Not one little bit.

Yes, George Anthony did call that number on July 14, 2008, but it was not Vasco Thompson's phone number until February 2009. How difficult would it have been for the defense to check that out before dropping their so-called bomb shell?

Now, Baez may get his just desserts for dragging yet another person under the bus with George, Vasco Thompson has an attorney and they are threatening legal action.

I found the afternoon session of court far more lively even though the same witness was on the stand. The reason: Jeff Ashton delivered a text book cross examination of a defense expert whose opinions obviously outraged the prosecutor.

On Dr. Timothy Huntington's direct, he described in great detail the experiment he did with a pig carcass in a car trunk over eleven days in September in Nebraska. It bothered me that he attempted to make it seem comparable to this situation--a young girl in a trunk in the heat of summer in Florida for a period of three to five days.

On cross, Jeff Ashton dissected and decimated the experiment and, along the way,got the witness to admit he'd never worked with a human body in a trunk and that Casey's car still had a foul odor two years after Caylee was reported missing; to acknowledge that there was no actual garbage in the trash bag in the trunk and had him corroborate the timeline of the testimony of a state's witness who said the body was moved after three to five days and remained in the location where it was found the rest of the time.

But my favorite moment of all was this exchange:

Ashton: Can we assume that none of your studies involved a child wrapped in a blanket, stuffed in two garbage bags and stuffed in a laundry bag? None of the studies involved did any of that, did they?
Huntington: I think that is a fair assumption, yes.
Ashton: Why didn't you wrap your pig in a blanket?

And thus, the prosecution wrapped up another step in their battle for justice for Caylee.

A Yawner in the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

Excuse me, I'm still yawning and trying to shake it off in time for another day of the defense's presentation in the Casey Anthony trial.

After Jose Baez presented explosive accusations and outrageous scenarios in his opening arguments and followed up with a surprise witness announcement--a convicted kidnapper no less--I expected a riveting day in the courtroom. Instead Baez bored me to tears.

He recalled some of the state's witnesses who previously testified to what they found. Now, Baez had them talk about what they didn't find and testing that was inconclusive. The most tedious of all was FBI expert Heather Seubert. She tested a lot of the items collected at the body discovery scene and found no good DNA profiles. (Granted she did provide an educational moment for some, but since I am the mother of a daughter who graduated with a double major in biochemistry and genetics--it was all old news to me.)

On cross, the state had Seubert acknowledge that it was no surprise: items left for six months in a watery area decomposing would likely have degraded, unusable DNA.

Baez then humiliated FBI analyst Lorie Gottesman, the woman whose DNA was found on a piece of evidence. Contamination found and revealed is insignificant. Contamination missed would have been noteworthy.

The defense also made a big deal over the location of the heart sticker thirty feet away from the skull. What part of flooded area and the movement of small light articles in water don't they understand.

Worst of all was the defense sly attempt to malign Lee Anthony's character by bringing up the irrelevant paternity test. It was negative. A positive test would have mattered but Lee was cleared of all possible conjecture and Internet rumor on that count.

Unless the defense comes up with some meaty testimony, it is obvious that the only thing they care about is subverting the justice that Caylee Anthony deserves.

The State Rests, The Defense Bloviates: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

After entering the two, airtight metal cans containing pieces of the spare tire cover from Casey Anthony's car into evidence, the state rested its case.

The defense, as expected filed a Motion for Acquittal, Cheney Mason argued for the defense before Judge Belvin Perry. Is it just me, or is Mason on of the more boring speakers ever to step up to a podium? I couldn't tell if the Judge put a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn or if he placed it there to assume a contemplative posture.

To me, Cheney Mason argument for acquittal seemed to boil down to this: Your honor, our client managed to slow the investigation with her lies, she successfully hid the body, allowing decomposition to occur obliterating the definitive cause of death and now she claims it was an accident. For her achievements to date, she should be awarded an acquittal.

Fortunately Judge Perry was not moved. He denied the defense's Motion for Acquittal.

The defense begins the presentation of its case Thursday morning at 9. I cringe for George Anthony and Roy Kronk--I suspect Jose Baez will ratchet up his effort to assassinate their characters. In a manner of speaking, that will make both of them additional victims of Casey Anthony and her malignant narcissistic personality.

And the most innocent victim, Caylee Anthony, is still waiting for justice.

The Waffling Attorney on Casey Anthony's Defense Team

2011-06-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Okay. Let's see if I have this chronology correct. Prosecutors wanted to admit the heart-shaped sticker found at the site where law enforcement found Caylee Anthony's body. Jose Baez objects.

But when Baez cross examines state's witness Crime Scene Investigator Alina Burroughs, he wants to use that exhibit in the courtroom. Judge Belvin Perry reminds him of his objection and Baez withdraws it.

Then, the jury requested to see that same exhibit and Baez waffled back to the other side. He did not want the jurors to look at the evidence. Perry overruled that motion, citing case law that requires that the court allow the jury to examine any exhibit.

If this is an example of how the defense team with handle the presentation of their case, then they might as well forfeit the game right now. Although, legally, the defense team does not have to prove anything, their opening statement set up an expectation that they will do just that--prove it was an accidental drowning, prove that Casey was sexually abused by her father, prove that George Anthony knew what happened to Caylee.

And did you see this little gem of a story from WKMG about a sidebar on Monday? Judge Perry accused the defense team of lying and said that he could not trust them anymore.

Unbelievable.

Turning to the state's case, where is Jesse Grund, erstwhile boyfriend of Casey Anthony whom she claimed at one point was Caylee's father? I was certain the prosecutors would call him to the stand. Maybe they'll do it this morning. Maybe they are saving him as a rebuttal witness.

When the state rests their case today, we will be one step closer to justice for Caylee.

Court Ends Early Monday in the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

To everyone's surprise, the state announced before lunch on Monday that they had no additional witnesses present to testify. They had logistical problems getting the remaining witnesses into town. Court will not recommence until 1 PM on Tuesday.

The state did not give a number of witnesses they intend to call but it's clear they are about to close their case. And today they laid out more damning evidence. Steve Shaw, an FBI hair and fiber analyst, delved into post-mortem banding of the hair found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's car, comparing it to the hair found with the remains.

Elizabeth Fontaine, FBI latent prints expert, testified that after the passage of time that included a long period under water, no fingerprints remained on the duct tape. However, she did find the heart-shaped residue of a sticker placed on the duct tape.

The duct tape is a disturbing murder weapon used to snuff out Caylee's life. But the heart-shaped sticker placed on the tape in the middle of Caylee's mouth is flat-out sick.

And what was Jose Baez's attitude throughout the day. He appeared bored and impatient as if he had grown tired of arguing evidence against his client and was ready to present his case. Does he think the defense presentation will wipe out all the testimony presented against Casey Anthony? Or does he feel that the conclusion is a given and he just needs to complete the steps required toward a verdict?

The judge estimates that the jury will begin deliberations on Saturday, June 25 or Monday June 27. If the state rests by lunch time on Wednesday, that will leave about nine and a half days for the defense to present his case, the state to call any rebuttal witnesses and both sides to make their closing arguments. I hadn't expected a verdict until July but perhaps Judge Perry is correct and we are closer to justice for Caylee than I thought.

Consistency Equals Credibility: the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

I'm not a lawyer. I haven't studied law. I am not qualified to give legal advice to anyone. But I do possess a modicum of common sense and that is what I am relying on here.

If Jose Baez wanted the jury to believe a single word of the scenario he painted in his opening statement, wouldn't he have served his client better if the defense consistently reinforced that theory throughout cross examination?

He said that Caylee died as a victim of accidental drowning. He insisted that George Anthony, whom he alleged molested his own daughter, disposed of the body of his granddaughter. He suggested that George put the duct tape on Caylee's mouth and nose after her death to frame Casey.

Why hasn't he approached the state's evidence in the same way? When witnesses testified to the smell in the trunk of the car, why did he question the existence of a decomposing body in the vehicle? Why didn't he ask: Did you find any evidence to prove who placed that body in the trunk?; Do you know if Casey was the sole operator of the car after the body was placed in it?

When witnesses testified about the duct tape, why did the defense question if it were actually on the skull when the remains were found? Why didn't they ask: Did you find any evidence of who placed that duct tape on her face? When Dr. Jan Garavaglia said, "There is no reason to put duct tape on [a child's] after they die," why didn't the defense ask her about the motive of framing another person for a crime?

When witnesses testified about the similarity black garbage bags in the Anthony home and the black garbage bags at the recovery scene, why didn't the defense ask if there was any physical evidence to indicate exactly whose hands pulled from the box and used them to conceal the body of Caylee Anthony?

The only conclusion I can reach is that there is absolutely no credibility in anything the defense presented in its opening statement and they know it. They don't use it as a shield to protect their client because they are well aware that there was not a single piece of truth in their argument. If there were, they would embrace the evidence that could be construed to support their version of events.

But they have not done so.

I've served on juries, including, on one occasion, a murder trial. And as a former juror, I can call on my experience and say without doubt that many jurors spot inconsistencies from the attorneys at trial. Many use it as a method of weighing the credibility of the testimony. When one side is inconsistent, they grant the other side credibility and jurors often reach a verdict based on whom they believe.

The defense inconsistency looks bad for Baez's client but it may be the just the flaw in their presentation that the jury needs to find justice for Caylee Marie Anthony.

Duct Tape and the Incredible Dr. G at the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

For me, the most powerful moment in the courtroom Friday came in the testimony of Dr. Jan Garavaglia. She explained to the jury that she made systemic observational studies caused her to reach the conclusion that the manner of Caylee's death was homicide. She pointed to the points that supported her conclusion:

The child was not reported to the authorities for an extended period of time.
The body was hidden
The body was in a closed container
The duct tape located on the skull

Then in a quavering voice she said: "There is no child who should have duct tape on its face when it dies. There is no reason to put duct tape on their faces after they die." Dr. G said it all.

The duct tape was the focal point of the day, coming up again and again. It was something I'd written about in my book, Mommy's Little Girl:

"When the process was complete, it would have been easy to persuade Caylee to inhale the sweet-smelling fumes. It would not have taken many whiffs to render the small girl-child unconscious. When she was out and unable to defend herself, multiple layers of duct tape were wrapped around the little girl's mouth and nose and into her hair to ensure that she never awoke from her chemically induced sleep."

When prosecutor Jeff Ashton made his arguments to the judge for the admission at trial of an animated demonstration of a photograph of Caylee superimposed on the child's skeletal remains, he confirmed my analysis of the evidence. "This demonstrates that a single piece of duct tape--testimony will show there were three--was sufficient to be placed over the nose and mouth of Caylee Anthony, thus ending her life."

Friday's testimony about duct tape--the murder weapon that took Caylee's life--may seal the deal in bringing justice to Caylee.

Getting Sick: the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday was an intense day in the Casey Anthony courtroom. The state called forensic scientists and the Medical Examiner to the stand for graphic evidence about the discovery of Caylee Anthony's body. Among descriptions of roots growing through the eyesockets of Caylee's skull and the presence of duct tape wrapped around it were photographs of the scene that had to rock every member of the jury.

The testimony also impacted Casey Anthony. She did not look at the photos but she did hear every word. For hours, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose while the evidence was presented. Then her breathing grew heavy and her chest visibily heaved. She bent over with her face near the surface of the table and Judge Belvin Perry recessed court for the day.

Was her reaction nothing more than crass manipulation designed to invoke the jury's sympathy? Or was Casey in the throes of a panic attack as the evidence that could result in a legal date with death stacked up in front of her? Only one person knows the answer to those questions: Casey Anthony. But no matter what she'd say, who could believe her? If lying were an Olympic sport she'd deserve a gold medal.

Casey's deceit weaves a corrupted fabric that rots in the courtroom until nothing remains but justice for Caylee.

[Edited to remove inaccurate information]

State Takes a Byte Out of Casey Anthony Defense

2011-06-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

Head injury, inhalation, death, internal bleeding, head injuries, making weapons out of household products, ruptured spleen, chest trauma, internal bleeding, neck breaking, hand to hand combat and how to make chloroform or "chloraform"--one site bookmarked and revisited 84 times. Holy cow! How many people did Casey plan to kill?

Wednesday was a mind-boggling day in the Casey Anthony trial. The day was heavy in nerd-speak and geeky detail but in the midst of it all were the damning search terms on the Anthony home computer--some of which were done when the only person possibly in the home was Casey.

Jose Baez tried to minimize the damage by pointing to the length of time that the user was on those sites and the fact that many of the terms seemed to have no relevance to what happened to Caylee. The jury must see past that smoke screen. If someone is looking on the Internet to figure out how to commit murder, that person would explore a number of options. And when the jury hears that these searches were manually removed from the computer, can't they assume that someone wanted to hide the Internet history. It is then not a stretch to think that Casey could have used other computers that could not be tied to her to do additional searches.

And did you see the June 7 National Enquirer article? It claims that the defense team's ultimate strategy is to push George Anthony to take his own life. Then, they would use his suicide to create reasonable doubt by claiming guilt drove George to this final act--his guilt over Caylee's death and the sexual abuse of Casey were too much for him to bear. If there is any truth at all to that claim, we're witnessing the most diabolical, cold-hearted defense plan ever.

We can only hope that each day, one step at a time, we are getting closer to justice for little Caylee.

Who Let the Dogs Out in the Casey Anthony Courtroom?

2011-06-08T02:41:00.000-07:00

Did I hear Jose Baez correctly? DId he really refer to the certificates of Canine Gerus hearsay evidence? Please, Baez, explain to me why an exhibit containing the training and experience of a law enforcement dog is any different from a curriculum vitae of an expert human witness?

One possible conclusion: Jose Baez does not like dogs.

I do like dogs and I found Jason Forgey to be a very credible witness. Dogs like Gerus have proven themselves in the field again and again: finding cadavers, helping to rescue people from collapsed buildings and identifying an assortment of concealed materials.

It seems apparent to me that Baez attacks the credibility of every witness and every process for one reason: he knows the truth will set his client behind bars until the day she dies.

The truth will lead to justice for Caylee Anthony. And that is one thing Jose Baez does not want.

Dr. Arpad Vass Day at Casey Anthony's Trial

2011-06-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

Dr. Arpad Vass a research scientist and forensic anthropologist from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory spent the entire day on the witness stand testifying for the prosecution in the trial of Casey Anthony. His work in the laboratory is multi-disciplinary crossing over into biology, chemistry and physics and includes research in the facility popularly known as the body farm.

During his direct examination, the defense frequently objected claiming that Dr.Vass was testifying outside his area of expertise. When cross examination began, it sounded more like Dr. Vass was simply testifying beyond Baez's level of comprehension.

I admit that I was a bit skeptical about the science behind the air analysis of the contents of the trunk of Casey's car. Dr. Vass removed my skepticism. He explained it well and thoroughly. I do not think the jury will have little difficulty considering his testimony during deliberations even though the defense will do their best to undermine his work.

The jury seemed to respond very positively to this witness. Reports from the courtroom indicated that the jury was fascinated with everything he said--leaning forward in their seats, alert and engaged. Compare this to reports on other days that some jurors were nodding off and the value of Dr. Vass as a witness is clear.

He was very personable with a charming voice. He was obviously excited and passionate about his work. At times, his emotions took control causing him to talk too fast for the court reporter. He delivered his testimony with great credibility. It seemed the jury was as impressed as I was.

Baez's relentless pit bull attack on Vass' character and professionalism, was so broad and all-inclusive that it lacked credibility. In all likelihood, the defense smear campaign backfired. Some of it was flat out goofy. He insinuated that Vass was responsible for being listed as a chemist on Facebook and Wikipedia. Vass doesn't have a Facebook account and never submitted anything to Wikipedia. Baez tried to make him to take ownership of the error. So does that mean Baez must embrace what people call him on Facebook like "bozo," "bumbling idiot." and other choice labels?

And somehow, I simply can't understand the marijuana testimony. Baez elicited information from Dr. Vass about the presence of marijuana in the car. How is that going to help his client?

Dr. Vass' conclusion were clear. The level of chloroform in the trunk was "shockingly high." The smell of the odor of decomposition in the trunk made him jump back in surprise. And he "can find no other plausible explanation" for what he found in that trunk than the presence of a dead body.

At the end of the day when Dr. Vass left the stand with a sigh of relief, we were one step closer to justice for Caylee.

Does Casey Anthony's Jury Get It?

2011-06-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

I hope that watching the jailhouse videos and seeing Casey Anthony's reaction to them in the courtroom had the same impact on the jury as they did on me. They revealed more about Casey than if she walked into the courtroom stark naked.

I hope they see that and know how it fits into the big picture of this case. If I could drop one thought into the jurors heads, it would be a small bit of common sense about the allegations made by the defense in the opening statement and insinuated in cross examination.

Jose Baez has one source for information about George, Cindy and Lee Anthony. That source is his client. Admitted Championship Liar. Master Manipulator. Malignantly Narcissistic Casey Marie Anthony.

I've read a lot of onliine comments from people who don't seem to get that vital piece of the puzzle. And even if there were any truth in the sexual abuse allegations, it is germane as a mitigating factor during the punishment phase of the trial but is irrelevant in the guilt or innocence portion of it.

The lies of Casey Anthony have stood in the way of justice for Caylee since June three years ago. I fervently hope that the jurors will see through the smog of deceit and determine their verdict without doubt and without hesitation. Caylee deserves that and more--much more.

Was this Baez's Biggest Blunder in the Casey Anthony Trial?

2011-06-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

Judge Belvin Perry slammed Jose Baez last December for having a cavalier attitude toward deadlines imposed by the court. Baez demonstrated that his attitude still hadn't changed in the intervening months.

This week, he objected to the admission of un-redacted video tapes of Casey Anthony's jailhouse conversations with family members. The judge pointed to the long-past deadline of December 31, 2010, and Baez pleaded other priorities. It seems Baez has not learned his lesson: the priorities of the court are more important than any of his own.

Baez moved twice for a mistrial because of these tapes. Watching them, it was obvious that Baez would have served his client better if he had made Perry's priorities his own. The videos served to undermine every point he made in his opening statement. No wonder he did not want the jury to see them. Flashes of contempt, self-absorption and even laughter at her attorney's expense may go further toward convincing the jurors of Casey's guilt on a visceral level than any of the scientific forensic evidence could.

They show his client as a person who can fabricate stories on the spot, spinning a non-stop web of deceit without breaking a sweat. Baez's motions for a mistrial only highlights his incompetence perhaps giving a post-conviction appeal more chance for success at the expense of his professional reputation.

And while the audio and video tapes played, the jurors had to have glimpsed over at the defendant and been appalled. During the sound-only interview with lead investigator Yuri Melich and his supervisor John Allen, Casey looked as if it was the first time she ever heard that conversation. At times, she shook her head in denial. Did she think she could convince the jurors that they couldn't believe their own ears?

When the videotapes played, Casey shed tears and wiped a reddened nose when she viiewed her own crying on the tape--a stark contrast to the cold tone of her voice when fatal possibilities about the fate of Caylee were described in the law enforcement interview. And endless prevarication, spewing out over and over from her own mouth. Baez acknowledged many of her lies saying that it was the psychological response of a sexually abused child.

I wonder, though, is that what the jurors are thinking? Or are they sharing my thought: when Casey's mouth is moving, she's lying. And by extension, do they begin to feel the same way about her defense team? Has Casey destroyed their credibility along with her own?

They have to be contemplating the fact that Jose Baez has only one thing to back up his wild accusations and illogical theories and that is the word of his client, a known championship liar. When he repeats her lies about the events of June 16th and about her childhood, does he really expect to be believed? Sorry, Baez, two lies do not make a truth.

And hopefully, truth will prevail and bring justice for Caylee.

The book trailer for Mommy's Little Girl by Diane Fanning focused in on the multitude of lies that governed this story from the beginning.

Lies, Dick Tracy,and Pinatas at Casey Anthony's Trial

2011-06-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

Jose Baez as Judge Perry's Pinata

Listening to testimony yesterday, it became apparent that Casey Anthony took living for the moment to an all new high. In the first thirty-one days following Caylee's death, she repeatedly told her mother that she could see Caylee tomorrow, or the next day. She knew her mother would never see Caylee again, nonetheless, she kept manfacturing lies to postpone the moment of reckoning, one day at a time. Casey never seemed to give a thought to what the future would bring.

One of the witnesses who drove that point home was Casey's brother Lee Anthony. The state had to work long and hard to extract the answers they wanted from Lee. They battled through objections, sidebars and Lee's faulty memory and finally got Lee to tell them what Casey said on July 15, 2008--the night Cindy reported Caylee missing. Casey told him that she was upset with her mother because Cindy called her an "unfit mother" and referred to Caylee as a "mistake, but the best mistake Casey ever made."

I couldn't help but wonder what was behind Lee's inability to recall the events of that dramatic night. Has he worked hard for three years to forget the pain of that unpleasant evening, thus, making it difficult to recall any details? Or was Lee's lapse of memory merely convenient and contrived?

Once again, Jose Baez voluntarily assumed the role of Judge Perry's pinata. At one point, he objected to playing the unredacted audiotape of Casey's jailhouse conversations with her parents. And in a replay of earlier court hearings, Perry rebuked him for still not taking motion deadlines seriously. He squirmed as the judge pointed to the length of time he had to prepare.

Baez whined: "We've been litigating this case tooth and nail for three years," protesting that the defense team had not been sitting around doing nothing.

Judge Belvin Perry showed no mercy. Deadline missed: tapes admitted as is. Then, Perry brought the whole proceedings to a screeching halt with the first question out of Jose Baez's mouth in his cross examination of lead investigator Yuri Melich. Baez asked: "Have you ever gone by a different name, Dick Tracy Orlando?"

That was a reference to the time when Melich was at home in September 2008 recovering from a broken leg and signed on to the chat group Websleuths. (He was reprimanded for this activity by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.) Baez argued that the participation on that forum impugned the credibility of the witness. Perry pressed for specifics based in the law--asking for statements that demonstrated Melich's bias against the defendant or a witness.

Baez pointed to the investigator's comment that a missing person's investigation is like a "murder investigation without a body;" and Melich's statement about to wanting to find Caylee "to bring closure to her family." The judge ruled that neither entry nor any of his other contributions were impeachable according to the definition specified in the law and that Dick Tracy should be mentioned no more.

Baez is like a busy beaver building a dam with rotting sticks--he keeps trying to stop the flow of justice for Caylee but the truth keeps busting through.

You can read the first three chapters of Mommy's Little Girl now on CriminalElement.com.

Emotions Run High at Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Cindy Takes the Stand in Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

Heaven knows Cindy Anthony has given us a lot of reasons to criticize and even dislike her. But when she took the stand in the murder trial of her daughter, I was flooded with nothing but empathy.

After writing ten true crime books, I know how difficult it is to be the loved one of a murder victim. I've learned to that being the loved one of a perpetrator is a heavy burden as well. Cindy is unfortunate to be filling both those roles at once. The horror of walking in Cindy's shoes was never more apparent to me than while I was watching her testimony on Saturday.

Cindy looked like a woman who had been through an emotionally exhausting ordeal and knew the worst was yet to come. She cried when she described her granddaughter Caylee's bed. Her tears seemed sincere expressions of grief not the acidic tears of self-pity we've seen so often from her daughter.

She broke down again when describing Caylee's playhouse. Her uncontrollable anguish prompted Prosecutor Linda Drane-Burdick asked if she needed a break. The judge granted the request. During that time of no audio, we witnessed tears of rage from Casey Anthony. We could not hear what she said, but her ire was apparent. From the hostile and sullen looks she'd cast at her mother, it was obvious the target of her anger was her mother.

When court resumed, with Cindy back in the stand, Linda Drane Burdick asked, "After June 15 of 2008, did you see your grandaughter Caylee again?"

Cindy's voice quavered as she answered: "No, Ma'am. I did not." Cindy swayed in her seat and looked as if she might pass out,

The state later asked her how long she continued to search for the real Zanny. Cindy admitted she never stopped looking until six weeks earlier. I know it sounds ridiculous, on the surface, that she had continued tilting at that windmill; but I could understand the desperation of a mother wanting to avoid the ugly truth about her own daughter.

The looks Casey gave her mother were the thing that really elevated my empathy for Cindy. I put myself in her shoes and imagined my daughter looking at me the way Casey looked at Cindy. That thought was nauseating and disturbing. The hatred shooting from Casey's eyes in Cindy's direction is the stuff of every mother's nightmare.

And as Dr. Lillian Glass wrote: "For the first time, when Cindy walked off the stand without looking at Casey,she literally walked away from Casey and her lies forever "

Perhaps now, Cindy Anthony has her focus in the right place--on finding justice for her granddaughter Caylee.

Question to my readers: I've recieved some harsh criticism for calling for Justice for Caylee. They say that it is ridiculous and fatuous phrase--you can't get anything for a dead person. What do you think about that opinion? Is it all about justice for Caylee? Or do you think the critics are right?

As currently planned, I will be on Nancy Grace this Tuesday night talking about this case--8pm Eastern on HLN.

If you missed my appearance on Justice with Judge Jeanine, that segment of the show is now online.

Talking Casey Anthony in New York City

2011-05-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

I sat on the set in front of Judge Jeanine Pirro and across from Gloria Allred in the Fox News Network studios to tape a show about the Casey Anthony trial which will air this Saturday night at 9PM Eastern. It was a pleasure to meet both of those women and a blast to be in New York City.

Energy crackles in the streets of Manhattan. Just walking three blocks from the Mela Hotel, on West 44th, to the studio, on West 47th, charged me up like three double expressos in rapid succession. No other city has this effect on me.

I sat in The Long Room, an Irish Gastropub, next to the hotel and had potato crusted salmon and a delicious Key Lime Martini. My table was right by the open French doors leading to the street--excellent spot for people watching. The drama was in high gear. The most amusing spectacle was the three sailors who came down the streets trolling for dates. They snagged two women immediately--one displayed her commitment to the evening by doffing a sailor's cap. The search for girl number three wasn't as easy. The sailors stopped a number of women on the street who listened for a moment and then faded away. They went into a bar and came out emptied handed. While they searched, the other two waited patiently on the sidewalk. Finally, number three was secured and off the new couples went up the street.

I also got to meet Yaniv Soha, my editor from St. Martin's Press, today. We've worked on a lot of books together over the past few years but this was our first face to face encounter. What a pleasure!

I fly back to Texas tomorrow but I can't wait to return.

Sidebar Fever In Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

After Monday's high drama where the state presented their case, the defense splattered the walls with every crazy excuse that crossed their minds and the first witness for the state, George Anthony, took the stand, Wednesday was a rather bland day in the Casey Anthony trial. The State called a series of Casey's friends to testify.

The big point the state made was that during the first month that Caylee was gone, Casey lived the life of a party girl and was always happy and upbeat. The defense countered in cross-examination by eliciting positive opinions of Casey as a mother--attentive, caring and a disciplinarian.

Throughout it all, the defense called for a sidebar every time anyone made them squirm. I didn't tally up the minutes but it seemed as if we were in sidebar or on break more often than in open courtroom proceedings.

I felt sorry for Anthony Lazzaro, the erstwhile boyfriend of Casey Anthony. It had to have been a shock initially to learn that the woman he slept was a murderer. Now, he has to be embarrassed sitting up there and admitting it to the world. He's received a lot of criticism for not asking about Caylee more often and more intently. But I think that is too much to expect of a young guy who was focused on his casual, month-long sex fling with a young woman who happened to have a child.

Anthony did paint the most chilling portrait of Casey Anthony. On the very same day that the defense claims Casey's child accidentally drowned and the state contends she intentionally murdered her child, Casey spent a relaxed happy evening with him watching a blockbuster movie and that night and all the next day, frolicked in bed with her new guy as if she didn't have a care in the world.

The cross examination of Lazzaro resumes this morning. I imagine it will be followed by re-direct from the state. Poor Tony is paying a high price for his relationship with Casey. Of course, it was no way near the price that little Caylee Anthony had to pay.

Diane Fanning is the author of the only book about the Casey Anthony case, MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL.

Baez Goes with All the Above in the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

We all wondered what tact defense attorney Jose Baez would take in his opening statements in the Casey Anthony murder trial. It was a multiple choice test. Would he:

A. Argue that Caylee lost her life in a tragic accident?
B. Blame someone else for Caylee's death?
C. Explain away all of Casey's behaviour as the result of incestuous child abuse and poor parenting?

Baez didn't chose one of those options, he picked D: All the Above. He claimed that in the first three to three and a half minutes, he would give the answers that would explain everything. After five minutes, he was still grinding out his preamble, listing points of fault with the state's case. Finally, seven minutes into his presentation, Baez dropped his bombshell: Casey never reported her child missing because she was never missing. Caylee died on June 16 in the family swimming pool.

Personally, I think that bomb was a dud. I might have believed it in the summer and fall of 2008. But Baez waits until trial day to reveal this bit of information. Does that mean he allowed his client to sit in jail for more than two years so that he could get more publicity and have his big moment on the national stage?

Baez then moved on to shred Casey's family to pieces. He spoke of "stories of a family that is incredible dysfunctional. You will hear about ugly things, secret things, thing that people don't speak about. He proceeded then to speak of them: George's inappropriate touching of his 8 year old daughter; putting his penis in 13 year old Casey's mouth; and additional acts of sexual abuse by her brother, Lee.

His client, he said, was raised to lie because of that incestuous abuse. So on June 16, when Caylee drowned in the swimming pool, George Anthony threw his very own daughter under the bus. He was responsible for the duct tape around Caylee's skull. He was having an affair. He attempted suicide over guilt for what he had done.

Casey, he said, was guilty of nothing but going into denial.

And what of the hapless city utility worker, Roy Kronk? Roy did not kill Caylee, he said, but he is morally bankrupt. He found the body somewhere that summer, held onto it for several months and then dumped it where he would know to find it in December 2008.

How did Casey react to the day's events? Throughout the State's straight-foward presentation, she sat with a pouty mouth, tearing up at appropriate moments, shaking her head at others. When Baez started talking, she cried on cue when he mentioned her child abuse, she held her head high. When opening statements wrapped up, the first witness took the stand: George Anthony. Casey never looked full-on at her father. She turned her head in his direction when he spoke, and in the attorneys' direction when questions were asked, but for the most part, she kept her eyes downcast, looking back and forth as if at a tragically boring tennis tournament.

At the end of court yesterday, I was left with one big question: Is Casey really that good of an actress or has she repeated her fantasy timeline to the defense team so many times that she now believes her own lies?

Today, I can't help but wondering what the jurors were thinking as they fell asleep last night. Will they see through the smokescreen erected by the defense? Or will they find justice for Caylee Marie Anthony?

Diane Fanning is the author of the only book about the Caylee Anthony story, Mommy's Little Girl.

Curtain Rises on Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

Today is rhe big day that many of us often thought would never come. I am looking forward to the opening statements that will be presented to the jury by the prosecution and defense this morning. I posted my thoughts on the upcoming drama on Women in Crime Ink today.

Justice for Caylee Anthony may just be weeks away.

Loss of Control in Casey Anthony Courtroom

2011-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

We all expect drama in the courtroom when the actual trial started for Casey Anthony. When it struck on the last day of jury selection, it took us all by surprise. Or did it? We've come to expect the unexpected with this case from Casey Anthony's first lie.

But on Friday, Casey didn't stir things up. Nor did her drama-prone attorney Jose Baez. While a prospective juror was enduring voir dire, a total stranger, Elizabeth Ann Rodgers, shouted out: "She killed somebody, anyway."

The 29 year old woman was hustled out of the court by deputies. The potential juror on the stand was escorted out, too. The defense insisted that the woman being questioned should be striken from the jury pool because she had been tainted by Rodgers behaviour. The state insisted she should tell them first if the event impacted her. The judge called for a five minute recess.

Rodgers was brought in to face the judge after the recess. She was a mess, sobbing to the point that she could barely speak. She begged for forgiveness and piled on the excuses. She was bi-polar, she said, ADHD, a PTSD sufferer and made daily visits to the methadone clinic. She said she was in the courthouse to attend domestic court over a situation with her boyfriend. Could it get much worse? And with a life that complicated why did she feel the need to heap on more problems?

Judge Belvin Perry seemed to feel her pain. But no matter how much empathy/sympathy he might have had for her, no matter how much he believed her story, he could not simply let her walk away from the incident. If he had, he would have encouraged repeat performances from others. And, odds are, many would have recited the same litany of woe that Rodgers uttered. He sentenced her to two days in jail, noting that the punishment was light because of her mental health issues.

Considering the craziness is already cropping up in the preliminaries, what will the next six to eight weeks be like? No matter how well the judge controls the courtrol the courtroom, there's not a thing he can do about the spontaneous actions of the mentally ill, the attention seekers or those who, for one reason or another, want to complicate the course of justice.

The curtains rise on the opening statements on Tuesday, May 24, at 9 am Eastern with a jury of twelves and five alternates. Save us from sidebars, spare us from histrionics and bring us justice for Caylee Marie Anthony.

Sweet Sixteen the Magic Number in the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Right now, sixteen people have passed through Judge Belvin Perry's scrutiny and may possibly be jurors at the trial. Twelve additional people are up for screening this morning. Perry's plan is to swear in a jury of twelve with four alternates this afternoon around 3 pm Eastern. Before he does, the state can exercise up to three more peremptory challenges and the defense team one on the jury panel itself. Then, both sides have the option of using a challenge on every single alternate chosen.

If the prosecutors and defense both exercise their peremptory strikes to the maximum, the end result of the pool of candidates, the final number would be an even dozen remaining--four short of the judge's sweet sixteen. And that is without accounting for the very likely possibility that some of the twelve new prospective folks might be dismissed for cause.

Perry's goal is possible but as the morning wears on, we'll learn how probable it might be. I certainly would hate for him to come up short today. Once the remaining group is exhausted, it won't be possible to get any additional prospects until next week--and at that time, there will not be a courtroom available. I have seen jury selection scheduled in a mock courtroom at a law school in another case. But, there does not seem to be a law school any closer to Clearwater than the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando. If today's efforts fail, could they bus a pack of potential jurors from Pinellas County to Orlando for questioning?

The plan has undergone massive changes since the beginning of jury selection. Perry hoped to seat the full jury last Friday--or on Saturday at the latest. From that start, I believed that was an impossible dream. He wanted to have a jury panel with eight alternates--he's cut that expectation in half. But it should work. The Michael Peterson trial in Durham, North Carolina, lasted twice as long as the estimated length of the Casey Anthony trial and they lost only three of the four alternates by the time it was over.

As the jury selection moves forward, we are getting incredible glimpses in the desperation of the defense team. I couldn't believe the begging and pathetic act they displayed in an attempt to convince the judge that he force the prosecutors to give a day by day breakdown of the witnesses who will be called to testify. But it was all for naught. As the judge said forcing the state to reveal which of the three hundred witnesses will be called on any particular day is an act "above my pay grade."

I suspect there will be more unpredicted moments in today's events. But I fervently hope Judge Perry can pull this off and seat a full panel with alternates by day's end. Because, in the end, all that matters is Justice for Caylee.

Much Ado About Nothing? The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

It appears from the opening in the courtroom that the drama was for naught. Business has proceeded as usual and there are eleven seating jurors. The next potential jury is now facing questioning.

If they don't seat a jury today, there is trouble for the case. Pinellas County does not bring in jurors on Fridays and there doesn't appear to be a courtroom to use there after Friday.

Back to the grinding our way through the process to find Justice for Caylee.

Most Dramatic Moment in Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

We all knew there would be lots of dramatic moments in the trial of Casey Anthony but I suspect most of us thought they'd come after jury selection and during the actual trial itself. But drama has struck already and the rumors are flying.

Yesterday at lunch time, Jose Baez disappeared not to return to the courtroom. Both sides, minus the lead defense attorney disappeared into chambers and reappeared only to hear Judge Belvin Perry suspend the selection of the jury. It was hard to believe. The same judge who'd been riding the prosecution and defense to finish up, who spurred on forward progress with dire warnings of no courtroom space after this week.

The official story was that Jose Baez had to attend to a personal matter. Some said he was sick. Baez himself spoke to the media urging the end to speculation. Did he really expect anyone to listen?

What is happening? A number of possibilities come to mind. It is possible that what the judge told us is true. Baez had an urgent personal situation or an emergency family problem that required his immediate attention. Or he could have fallen ill. But Cheney Mason's reaction and refusal to make even a token statement to the media creates reasonable doubt about that scenario.

It is possible, as I speculated last year, there is a plea bargain in the works. It is possible that Jose Baez was absent from the court because he was meeting with the State's Attorney. If there was happening, it would explain the shock on the faces of the prosecution. It would also explain the possibility of a cover-up story.

It is also in the realm of possibility that Casey fired Baez. She has stopped sitting next to me and has shown her displeasure with him every since he said she was acting like a two year old and it went out over an open microphone.

We should know just a little bit later this morning. But, then again, we may never know the truth. If there were attempts at a plea bargain but no agreement could be reached, the parties involved could keep their mouths shut and the court could return to business as usual.

Another issue that's come up in questions I've seen scattered across the Internet is why neither the state nor the defense has asked prospective jurors if they've read my book, MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL. I think there is a simple answer for that. I've heard Jose Baez ask a number of times if anyone has read a book about the case. Since my book is the only book, that is all he needs to ask. I imagine he does not want to give any more publicity or credibility to my book by saying it's title or my name in open court.

Finally, you'll find an interview with me talking about the case today on Women in Crime Ink.

And now we wait. Will the defense take a short cut to Justice for Caylee by admitting guilt? Or will we continue on the long road, spending weeks in trial and days in deliberation before Caylee Marie Anthony receives the justice she deserves?

Overwhelmed and Humbled: Defender of the Innocent award

2011-05-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Julie Rea and Diane Fanning, photo by Ginny Lee

At the tenth anniversary celebration of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project on Monday night, I was the main speaker and a recipient of a Defender of the Innocent award. I cannot find the words to express how incredible it was to be at an event with Julie Rea knowing that I played a role in obtaining her freedom after her wrongfully conviction.

Julie Rea, photo by Ginny Lee

Seeing her stand there, no longer behind bars, was an overwhelming joy topped only by learning she succeded in obtaining a Certificate of Actual Innocence from the State of Illinois. The process to get that document is extremely arduous and goes far beyond her second trial verdict of not guilty. The second trial said that the state could not prove its case against her. The certificate says the prosecution was unwarranted, Julie is totally unblemished by any blame or responsibility.

Julie and I got quite emotional up at the podium when she introduced me. But, honestly, it went far beyond us. We both had our emotional pumps primed by the speakers that proceded us to center stage. Herb Whitlock, freed after twenty-one years of incarceration for a crime he did not commit, introduced Michale Callahan, a former investigator for the Illinois State Police. Michale wrote one of the most important books I have ever read, TOO POLITICALLY SENSITIVE. His book exposes the wrong-doing perpetrated by law enforcement and prosecution in the convictions of Herb Whitlock and Randy Steidl as well as ripping back the shield that covered the dark stream of corruption polluting the agency where he worked for many years.

Kathy Saltmarsh, appeals attorney for Randy, was our emcee who provided valuable and moving commentary throughout--as well as an exqusite sense of timing that kept the event moving forward.

With Ann Masters Ogden Hamilton

It was quite humbling to look out over that room filled with people committed to helping the wrongfully convicted. Many of them have done so much to rectify the injustices committed by the state against so many.

The last two speakers were two men I deeply admire: Bill Clutter, investigator for the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, and Randy Steidl, an exonoree who spent seventeen years behind bars, mostly on death row. Bill is a workhorse, a man of principle and a incredibly gifted investigator who will make any personal sacrifice to free the innocent. Randy is a courgeous man and a beacon of hope to the wrongfully convicted everywhere. It was an honor to meet him.

Nadine O'Leary and Diane. Photo by Ginny Lee

I came from the event with a firm conviction of the value of the work of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project. They have recently received a large grant to facilitate DNA testing but they have a great need for funds to help in other cases. It is rare for a woman to be exonerated through DNA and with the female population experiencing a dramatic increase in recent years, more wrongfully convicted women are now behind bars.

If you hesitate to become involved or make a donation to this cause, remember this: for nearly every wrongfully convicted person, there is a perpetrator walking our streets, preying on new victims. That thought should be one that haunts every prosecutor and pushes them to always seek truth and ensure justice.

To learn more about, or make a donation to, the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, visit their website. Or check out their Facebook page.

Greed Knows No Bounds: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

George and Cindy Anthony have sent out cease and desist orders to anyone using the murder case against their daughter Casey to sell products relating to their murdered granddaughter Caylee. On top of that, they are trademarking Caylee's images and the phrase "Justice for Caylee." If I knew nothing else about the Anthony family, I believe I would find this action understandable. But I do, we all do.

Of course, they would trademark their granddaughter's images--they own them. As George and Cindy proved when they sold those photographs and videos for $200,000 to the highest bidder. It's not as if they want no one making money from the death of their granddaughter--it is simply that they want to make ALL the money.

One of their cease and desist letters went to CafePress who offer a tee-shirt bearing the phrase "Justice for Caylee." I cannot quite understand why they would oppose that product. After all, don't they want justice for their granddaughter?

Quite frankly, if my granddaughter had been murdered, I would love to see thousands of people wearing a tee-shirt like that proclaiming their support for a just cause. It would warm my heart knowing that so many people cared.

And what of the other Caylees? I did a little digging and found that there is only one individual named Caylee Anthony and that is their granddaughter. But there are as many as 1557 Caylees in the United States. What if something happened to one of them? Would their families be unable to cry out for justice for their Caylee if George and Cindy succeed in getting this trademark?

I would not be outraged by these legal maneuverings of the Anthonys if I felt that it was the product of their love and protective instincts toward their granddaughter. But I cannot believe that because of their track record and am appalled that they would attack the very people who are indicating support for the slain little girl.

Under the guidance of their new attorney Mark Lippman, they have also filed suit against an honorable man, Brad Conway, and now this attack on others. How long will it be before they turn on Mark Lippman, too?

Sniff Test, FaceBook and Another Lawsuit: The Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Caylee Anthony, still waiting for justice

After jury questioning, on Thursday evening, Judge Belvin Perry asked prosecutors why they kept asking prospective jurors about their sense of smell. The state said they had three preserved tins of air taken from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car--leftover from the air tests done in Tennessee. They want the jurors to open one and take a whiff. The judge will have to decide whether it would be allowed or if it went beyond the jurors' role in court. If he decides to allow it, it certainly will break new legal ground but it could also create an opening for a successful appeal.

Spicing up the questioning of the prospective jurors, the prosecutor pulled up one man's FaceBook profile and there he was chattering away about jury service. Judge Perry specifically told every one of those people that they could not mention it on any social media platform. To make matters worse, the state found this little tidbit in his comments: "Book coming soon!" If those were his plans, he sure blew it. He's outta there.

The judge clearly missed all his goals with jury selection. He originally hoped to have the jury seated by the end of today. Monday would have then been used to transport the jurors to Orlando and closing arguments would start on Tuesday. Unfortunately, after six days, a pitiful group eleven jurors remain--six women and five men. Perry wants a panel of 12 jurors and 8 alternates. The still-standing eleven have to still get through death penalty certification and peremptory strikes by both sides. I sure don't expect to see opening statements any time next week.

What would a week in the Anthony world be without Cindy and George Anthony stepping front and center to lash out at somebody new? This time, their new lawyer Mark Lippman announced, the couple will be suing their former attorney Brad Conway for violation of the lawyer/client privilege when he spoke to the media about the family. Lippman also said he will send a cease-and-desist letter to Conway and place a grievance on the Anthonys behalf before the Florida Bar. Yikes.

Whenever I think of Cindy and George Anthony these days, I think of Wal-nut Bowling on the Plants versus Zombies game. No matter who comes running to the Anthonys' side, Cindy and George always end of angry and treating them like Zombies--bowling them down with any nut they can find.

And while they play, Caylee Anthony waits for justice.

Defender of Innocents Award and More

2011-05-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Time for a personal note.

I'm heading up to Springfield, Illinois, to the Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project this Monday. The reason I'm going is to accept a Defender of Innocents award. I am thrilled, honored and just about beside myself.

I will be introduced by none other than Julie Rea. It was her wrongful conviction that I helped to set right. It will be a joy to see her acquitted and free once again.

Will I'm up north, I'll be doing an live interview with Steve Kane on WWNN, 1470 in Miami at 8am Eastern/7 Central. You can listen to the show live online.

I'll also be making an appearance on a radio station in Springfield later that morning. Unfortunately, I have no clue where I'll be transported and who'll be sitting in the announcer chair. But if you're in Springfield, play with the dial, you might find me.

Weird Flag Flies High at Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Casey is second from the left but the party is over now.

Two things really caught my attention Thursday. And one was dressed in Red. Her name is Rosalie Bolin and her addition to the defense team is simply an odd choice. You’ve seen her with an arm around Casey comforting her, mothering her, coaching. That sweet lady is married to a murderer. And she married him after his conviction. Over the telephone. She held a receiver in her apartment, he held his in jail. Doesn’t the romance send chills up your spine?

Good old Rosalie was married to a lawyer and the mother of four girls. She worked as an investigator for the Public Defender’s Office. On her case load was Oscar Ray Bolin, aka Bolin the Butcher. Bolin was first found guilty of the second degree murder of Natalie Holley and give a sentence of 22 years. By the time that trial was over, he was charged with six other felonies: murder, kidnapping, rape, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, escape and conspiracy to kidnap. He received a death sentence for the two other murders and a total of 75 years on the rape and kidnapping charges.

For that miserable excuse of a man, Rosalie left her husband, renowned defense attorney Victor Martinez, and abandoned her children. It seems fitting that Jose Baez brought a woman like this to the trial to hold Casey’s hand. And look at Rosalie’s hand—see if you can spot the five carat diamond—her engagement ring from her first husband. She still wears it, she quips, because she “earned every carat.”

The other real attention-getter was the loud crunch and crack of bones as Baez threw George and Cindy Anthony under the bus. The list of mitigating factors given in court, according to the defense, included Casey’s young age, her lack of maturity, lack of impulse control, lack of parental guidance. She was taught to project fake appearance. She was used as a decoy or a pawn by her parents and a scapegoat for parental misconduct.

Oh, poor Casey, she couldn’t help herself—she had rotten parents.

I’d try to feel sorry for her but, unfortunately, the person who had the worst parent of all was little Caylee Anthony.

Lucinda Pierce Found her Nook

2011-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

All four books in the Lucinda Pierce series are now available on Nook from Barnes and Noble. The great reduced prices on Kindle are available on Nook, too.

Book one: THE TROPHY EXCHANGE $2.99
Book two: PUNISH THE DEED $2.99
Book three: MISTAKEN IDENTITY $2.99
Book four: TWISTED REASON $7.99

All four books in the series for less than you could buy one hardcover copy. If you've got a Nook, fill it with Lieutenant Lucinda Pierce today.

Crazy Reigns in Casey Anthony Court Proceedings

2011-05-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

Who's smiling now?

One of the highlights of Wednesday’s crazy day in the courtroom was the image of a pale Casey Anthony being helped out of the courtroom. She erupted in tears as Judge Belvin Perry read the details of the charges against her and the possibility of the death penalty to yet another group of prospective jurors. The second time it happened, her tears led to a bout of nausea and dizziness.

It seemed as if Casey Anthony didn’t believe this time would ever come. As if she fantasized for eighteen months that she would wriggle her way out of this situation just as she had done all of her life. I think she is stunned and dismayed to find herself sitting there while people are being selected to determine her fate--individuals who literally hold her life in their hands.

Makes me wonder how she is going to hold up when the state makes its opening statement. Will she keel over when a prosecutor points an accusatory finger at her and condemns her to the jury and the world and ask them to take her life?

Outside of the courtroom, Mark Lippman, George and Cindy Anthony’s attorney, fired a warning shot across the bow of the defense team. He insisted that George did not ever molest Casey and had nothing to do with the death of his grand-daughter Caylee. Lippman said if those charges were made in open court, he might be forced to take legal action. We knew there would be appeals filed if Casey received a guilty verdict but now there is a possibility that whatever the verdict, the courtroom high jinks will continue after the trial.

The third day of jury selection continued to offer new surprises. Jonathan Greene, an employee of Publix, Florida's ubiquitous supermarket chain, was called for jury duty but did not want to serve. After receiving instructions from the judge to keep his mouth shut about the case, he sought out a producer with In Sessions and talked about the case. He told the judge that he did it on purpose to be excused from the jury but then said that he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong or illegal.

An angry Judge Perry asked him: “What, sir, did you not understand about what I told you?” He had no explanation for that and he didn’t offer an apology. Perry held him in contempt of court and fined him $450. Ominously, he added: “I will not imprison you this time.”

By the end of the court day, at 7 that night, Perry had gone through nearly two hundred people in the jury pool in three days. The litany of hardship rolled on. One woman who served as the caretaker for an elderly mother said that if she had to serve on the jury, she might have to put her parent in a nursing home. Perry sent her home. Another woman who’d been married for forty-two years was terrified at the prospect of spending the night away from her husband. Apparently she had never done since she wed. Perry kept her in the group. When the night was over only sixty-nine individuals remained.

Ideally, at this point, there would be 110 possible jurors to face the one at a time questioning about their exposure to the case, followed by being qualified for the death penalty. In response to the defense’s second request to dismiss the jury because it didn’t have a sufficiently diverse ethnic make-up, Perry suggested recruiting jurors from the nearby homeless shelter. That move would be unprecedented, but it doesn’t appear to be illegal.

If Thursday in the courtroom goes as planned, with one juror after another filing into the judge’s chambers, it promises to be a boring day for the trial. But then, with this case, when has anything, ever been predictable?

The only thing that is certain is that Caylee Anthony deserves justice.

Another SNAFU in Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

The court of Judge Belvin Perry grabbed its gavel and moved out of town for jury selection in order to find a jurors who had no connection to the Casey Anthony case and had not been exposed to the intense local media exposure present in Orlando. So what did they get? A potential juror on the list of possible witnesses.

Of course, they did. The atmosphere surrounding the quest for justice for Caylee Anthony has been volatile from the beginning. A defendant who has taken prevarication to new heights, physical confrontations with demonstrators in front of a suburban home, character assassination of many who were on the scene to help the case from the hapless city worker who spotted the body to the dedicated head of a nationally known search organization--the list of unexpected occurrences and quirky characters began on July 15, 2008 and has never let up.

From the moment Judge Perry stepped up to the bench to replace harried jurist Stan Strickland, the court has been committed to move the case forward without further delays. Many thought that it was an impossible goal. But Perry did it. He started the jury selection on May 7, just as he promised. When he said that the jury would be selected in one week, it seemed if anyone could make that happen, it was Perry.

So naturally, fate intervened in the form of a prospective juror with all the common sense of road-flattened armadillo. The person in question admitted to being ineligible to serve on the jury because of being on the list of possible witnesses and for service as a volunteer for Texas Equusearch, the organization that once led the search for Caylee's remains. The person should have announced his presence to a deputy or someone with the court clerk's office on arrival and been sent home right away.

Instead the potential juror avoided sharing the information with those in authority and instead engaged in a discussion of the case with forty-eight others in a group that waited to appear before Judge Perry for instruction. Perry had no choice. He dismissed the entire group of forty-nine, putting his goal of begin opening arguments on Tuesday, May 16, in jeopardy.

Another group will come in to replace them Wednesday morning. Common sense should have informed the disqualified group that they shouldn't discuss the case while they wait. But it didn't so the new group will be brought before Perry for instruction immediately to hopefully avoid a repeat of the incident.

The defense seemed dismayed by Perry's threat to move jury selection back to Orlando in they failed to fill a jury in Clearwater. Attorney Cheney Mason objected more often today to the requests that jurors be dismissed because of hardship. He argued against the release of some potential jurors saying the experience would be an inconvenience not a hardship.

When Cheney objected to releasing a disabled man on a fixed income who could not afford care for his seven dogs, Judge Perry asked if the dogs could stay at Cheney Mason's house for the duration of the trial.

Somewhere in Orlando, Stan Strickland must be counting his blessings and breathing a sigh of relief.

Jury Selection Location Revealed in Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

I was really concerned that something unexpected would happen to delay the first phase of the trial of Casey Anthony but it appears is if everything is right on schedule. Jury selection begins today at noon in the Pinellas County Courthouse on the west coast of Florida in Clearwater.

The wheels of justice are now turning for little Caylee Anthony.

Update on Casey Anthony Trial

2011-05-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you a quick update about what has transpired since I wrote about the Casey Anthony case.

Over the defense objections, Judge Belvin Perry allowed George and Cindy Anthony to be an exception to the witness sequestration rules. They will be able to sit in the courtroom for the complete trial.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the media-submitted appeal that requested the court to require Judge Perry to reveal the location of jury selection. That decision means that Perry can move forward with his compromise plan to provide access to journalists while doing what he can to ensure that Casey Anthony receives a fair trial.

Any media outlet signing a confidentiality agreement promising not to reveal the chosen county before court on Monday can learn where they need to go on Sunday. Since the defense also dropped their motion for a 30-day delay to respond to the media appeal, jury selection should move forward without a hitch on Monday morning. I imagine, though, this situation will be one that journalists debate for long after the trial is over.

Finally, Cindy Anthony requested a visit with her daughter on Saturday morning. The jail send that she would be allowed pending Casey's decision to accept her deny. This morning, Casey refused to see her mother.

What a week! But every piece of craziness gets us just a little bit closer to justice for Caylee Anthony.

Will Casey Anthony's Trial be Delayed Again?

2011-05-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

Jury selection day was just around the corner and it seemed as if Judge Belvin Perry was going to pull it off and actually keep everything on schedule as he promised. Now, at the last minute, the media may be responsible for stopping the forward progress of this slow-moving wheel of justice.

Quite some time ago, Perry decided that the trial venue would not be moved but that jurors from another region would be imported into Orlando for the trial. No one had a problem with that--every reporter wanted to be the one to find that secret location but despite their efforts, nothing more than rumour and possibility emerged.

The current brouhaha started when the judge, in the interest of a fair trial, informed the media that they would not be informed of the location of the jury selection until Sunday and would only learn it then if they signed a confidentiality agreement swearing not to divulge the information until after the actual process began. He said that "the Court is apprehensive that the new locale would be inundated with media coverage which would thereby again cause concern with the defendant's sixth amendment right to obtaining a fair and impartial jury."I'm sure Perry thought this was the perfect compromise. He could protect the jury pool and allow the media to make preparations to be present to cover the events in the courtroom. But the journalists thought otherwise. A group of media outlets, with the Associated Press leading the charge, appealed the decision before the judge and when we denied their motion, they took it a step further.

A 28-page appeal was filed with the Fifth District Court of Appeal. "News organizations request that this court [the Fifth DCA] find that the trial court departed from the essential requirements of the law in implementing and enforcing the confidentiality agreement," and it ask the judges to "vacate the trial court's order with instructions that the press and public be provided immediately with the location of the upcoming jury selection proceedings."

The three judge panel is reviewing the document and will render a decision. But no one knows if they'll deliver the word by Friday or if they will stay the start of the proceedings while they consider their ruling.

But are we surprised to see one more complication in the convuluted course this case has taken since the start? I'm not but I am getting impatient. Justice for Caylee is long past due.

Prosecution Hid Evidence in Hannah Overton Case

2011-05-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote about the Hannah Overton case on Women in Crime Ink in September 2008. She's the Texas mother of five who was convicted of capital murder and given a sentence of life without parole for failing to obtain medical assistance quickly enough for adopted son, Andrew Burd. A harsh and incomprehensible sentence for what at worst was negligent homicide and what at best was an accident.

In October 2009, Hannah lost her appeal in the 13th District Court of Appeals. I had a difficult time believing that any judge would find her punishment fair and just--even if she was slow at addressing Andrew's health crisis.

Now, all those questions about responsibility have been turned on their heads. Hannah was not negligent at all. In fact, Andrew did not die from an overdose of salt. Her new appeal makes it clear--the prosecution possessed a report from a medical examiner who was asked to assess the level of sodium chloride in the four-year-old's body clearly stated "there was an indication that the gastric contents of Andrew Burd did not have a high sodium chloride level."

The prosecution did not share this exculpatory evidence with the defense. There is no gray area here--this is a clear cut case of prosecutorial misconduct. It simply boggles the mind. The people we put in a position of trust, whom we call upon to seek truth and find justice actually hid the truth and perverted justice.

Unfortunately, it is a story that has become increasingly familiar. I wrote about another travesty of justice perpetrated by yet another ethics-fee prosecution team last week in Women in Crime Ink. Prosecutors need to be held personally and professionally accountable when they intentional subvert justice.

Nice Week in My Back Yard

2011-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

My backyard is a constant source of delight for me--thanks to Wayne's green thumb and hard work. This week was filled with several beautiful moments.

We have new baby birds, cardinals and sparrows, flapping their wings and demanding food for their overworked parents.

A Brown-headed Cowbird pair has taken up residence. The male displays a subtle beauty--glossy black feathers on its body and a warm, cocoa brown head. Notorious for their lazy parenting, the female Cowbird lays her eggs in nests built by others--turning over the care and feeding of her babies to another bird. A female Cowbird in peak production can lay as many as three dozen eggs in one year.

Most fascinating of all, this week, was our sighting of an Indigo Bunting. The male of that species appears to be the most vibrant hue of blue of any bird. In actual fact, this bird is really black. The unique structure of its feather create an optical illusion of color caused by light defraction.

Interestingly, the Brown-headed Cowbird has a preference for using the nest of the Indigo Buntings, explaining why the two showed up in the same week. If the Cowbird is a bit premature and deposits an egg before the Bunting has laid any, the Bunting will abandon the nest and build another. But if the Cowbird times it right, after the Bunting starts laying its own eggs, the Bunting pair doesn't object to their role as foster parents.

Caylee Anthony's Autopsy Photos

2011-04-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, prosecutors presenting the case against Casey Anthony submitted paperwork to the court that listed the items of evidence the state intends to introduce at trial. Included in those documents were the autopsy photos of Caylee Anthony.

When I saw that I cringed. The thought of that beautiful child reduced to a pile of bones, rot and duct tape turned my stomach. I suspected the defense team might do at trial what many do: show the photo over and over in order to desensitize the jurors to the horror of the image.

Personally, I want to remember Caylee as she is in the happy photos--the ones where her mother isn't glaring or grimacing behind her back. I don't want to struggle to sleep at night with the imprint of her bones festering in my mind.

After giving the matter a bit of thought, though, I can understand the need for the state to put the autopsy photos on exhibit. The defense is positing that Caylee was not murdered because the medical examiner could not determine a specific means of death.

Nothing will bring home the cold reality of this homicide more than those horrific photographs. No words. No testimony. No arguments. Nothing will help the jury understand more.

Those photos have the potential for ensuring justice for little Caylee. I just wish there were another way.