06/22/11The Defense WrestsJose Baez, Casey Anthony's lead defense attorney, offered up some very odd theories in his opening statement on May 24. Now, everyone is waiting, with great anticipation, to hear the evidence that has eluded us since that day. The strange accusations about a meter reader, sexual molestations and George finding Caylee's body in the backyard pool threw the trial out of whack and it took the State by complete surprise. While prosecutors quickly rebounded, it's the defense running the show now, and it grows more convoluted with each passing day. Exactly how this will unfold remains to be seen, but that's the defense story and they're sticking to it. Trust me, I'm just as curious and impatient as the rest of you, but first, some basics. Generally, in criminal trials, the... Posted at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments: 31 |
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06/20/11A Velvet Glove on an Iron FistWhat we've got here is failure to communicate. - From the movie Cool Hand Luke There is no better way to describe the explosive dynamic between Casey Anthony's defense team and state prosecutors. They are like oil and water; yin pitted against yang and ebb against flow in a dichotomous whirlwind of turmoil and frustration. Sitting amidst this turbulence is Judge Belvin Perry Jr. I think we all recognize a judge must be just, and Perry is. On Monday morning, he listened to both sides disagree over legal issues before bringing in the jury. Perry put an end to the heated discussion after almost 25 minutes. Enough, he said. He looked at prosecutor Jeff Ashton and asked him to tell him the time on the courtroom clock. 9:25, Ashton replied. Then Perry asked Jose Baez the... Posted at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments: 27 |
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06/20/11What's Next? Hauling A Load of Kronk?Forensic entomologist Dr. Tim Huntington was called to the stand last week. Of most interest was his testimony that he had received a phone call from Linda Kenney Baden, then a defense attorney hired by Casey, on December 11, 2008 to let him know that the unidentified remains of a child were found near the Anthony home. Suddenly, the date of the call became a mystery. Why would the defense team contact a potential expert witness without knowing the identity of the remains? Did Jose Baez know all along where the body Caylee was located? Although this has piqued the interest of many, the answer is most likely no. A good defense anticipates trouble down the road. To be honest, as soon as I heard the news about the discovery two weeks before Christmas, I knew who it was. We... Posted at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments: 38 |
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06/17/11The Defense Lays a FoundationThursday marked the third anniversary of Caylee Marie Anthony's death. No one in the courtroom made mention of it, but everyone clearly knew that this morning marked the beginning of the Baez Blitz, aka, Casey's Last Stand. First to face his charge was Gerardo Bloise, a CSI investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Baez's initial line of questioning seemed routine. He asked Bloise about examining Anthony Lazzaro's vehicle. Lazzaro was Casey's boyfriend before and during the time of her first arrest. Bloise was also asked about his involvement in searching the Anthony home for evidence, and the scope of his responsibilities, such as collecting only Casey's clothing for clues. While examining evidence, Baez asked Bloise about his... Posted at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments: 34 |
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06/14/11The State RestsFor all intents and purposes, the State of Florida rested its case on Tuesday. There will be no more witnesses. Wednesday morning, prosecutors will do some minor housecleaning before ceding the floor to the defense. Two of the things that need to be swept up pertain to cans holding evidence. What the State plans on doing with those cans wasn't explained, but the last thing the judge said to the jury before he dismissed them was that he would see them all in the morning. Will the cans be "open" for inspection? The idea has certainly crossed our minds, and the odor of decomposition would impact the jury tremendously, but I won't speculate. I think the tattoo testimony was the most fitting way for the prosecution to end their case. There is also the matter of judicial... Posted at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments: 22 |
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06/12/1116 DaysEarly Saturday afternoon marked the end of sixteen days of intense testimony from the people who have almost become household names over the past three years. Some we've vilified, while others we've grown to know and respect. The list is long and varied, and it will grow even longer this week as the State nears the final stages of its case against Casey Anthony. So far, we've seen a veritable who's who in this case, from law enforcement and expert witnesses to Casey’s immediate family, her former friends and her erstwhile lovers. We've watched and listened to cross-examinations, readdresses, recrosses and redirects, not to mention what must be close to a record number of sidebars. The past weeks have brought us quite an education in many respects. We've learned a lot... Posted at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments: 31 |
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06/10/11I Was ThereThere are moments in life when we say, "I was there." When Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon, I watched it unfold LIVE, on glorious black and white TV. I remember watching John Glenn orbit the Earth, sitting in my grade school cafeteria in delight. Those were but two glorious moments in time, and I was there. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, we were ushered into the very same cafeteria to be told the news before we were sent home. Visions of the Twin Towers falling from the sky are etched into our hearts and souls, and we will never forget. Tragedies never escape us. Today was one of those moments in time. No, Caylee Marie Anthony's death... Posted at 12:37 AM | Permalink | Comments: 35 |
06/08/11A Mixed BagTrash Talk Gerardo Bloise took center stage once again Tuesday morning. Bloise, if you recall, collected evidence from Casey Anthony's white Pontiac Sunfire, including a white bag of trash removed from the trunk of the vehicle. Part of the job description of the CSI Level 2 investigator is to sift through some of the worst stuff, like someone else's garbage, after it has sat in a steamy Florida trunk in July. It's hot enough to bake a pizza! After he set the garbage aside, he noticed that it no longer imparted the horrible odor of human decay and it took on a much more palatable aroma of baked rubbish, so what that proved to him was that wherever the smell came from, it wasn't from the contents of that bag. As he examined bit after bit of goo and muck, he photographed... Posted at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments: 20 |
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06/07/11Classical VassYou could tell from the moment he took the stand that Dr. Arpad Vass was going to be more than just your usual witness. A senior research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he tested air and carpet samples for the state of Florida in its case against Casey Anthony. Human decomposition odor analysis is a relatively new science, and by that, I mean it's never been used in a trial before. Before this one, that is, and it's also another notch in the resume of State Attorney Jeff Ashton. His first claim to fame was way back in 1987. While prosecuting a rape case, he was the first in the country to use DNA evidence successfully in a trial. Arpad Vass is a veritable who's who of -ologies, meaning he's got a ton of scientific studies under his belt. He's the somebody in... Posted at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments: 24 |
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06/05/11How the Cards StackAfter two full weeks of trial, so far the state has presented a highly credible chronological account of the events in the life of Casey and what happened to Caylee, starting in June 2008. With all the defense bumbling and missteps throughout pretrial motions and hearings, just how is Jose & Co. handling affairs in the courtroom, now that the trial against Casey Anthony is underway? One of the things we must recognize is that Jose is not only lead attorney by name, he is walking the walk – guiding her defense through thick and thin. Despite error after error, he's not really doing all that poorly, based on how he handled cross examinations and readdresses on Friday and Saturday. Considering that he has a liar and thief for a client, and his tactics have not always been on the... Posted at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments: 23 |
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About This Blog
'Marinade Dave' Knechel
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Dave Knechel has been blogging about the Casey Anthony case since late 2008, drawing readers from all over the world. Best known as “Marinade Dave,” a nickname he got when he made marinades and also blogged about marinade recipes, Knechel is on assignment to blog about the case exclusively for orlandomagazine.com as Anthony goes to trial for first-degree murder. His posts will appear regularly on this site.
Recent Posts
- The Sad End of a Saga | Comments: 39
- A Farewell to ‘Marinade’ Dave | Comments: 45
- Q&A With Dave on Thursday | Comments: 197
- Dumbfounded, With Prejudice | Comments: 71
- Justice Didn’t Take a Holiday | Comments: 57
- Pets, Lies and Duct Tape | Comments: 148
- The End Is Near . . . For Whom? | Comments: 23
- A Fool's Errand | Comments: 52
- All Fired Up | Comments: 47
- The Truth About Cindy's Testimony | Comments: 48
