Casey Anthony Trial: Car Smelled Like Corpse, Had Maggots Inside
Casey Anthony's father testified in the murder trial Friday, saying that he smelled human decomposition from his daughter's car when he went to pick it up from a tow yard in July 2008. Caylee Anthony was reported missing later that day.
George Anthony picked up Casey Anthony's car from the tow yard on July 15, 2008. When he was within three feet of the car, he testified that he smelled a "pretty strong odor."
"I was very concerned about the odor," he said at the Orlando courtroom. "I had smelled something like that some years prior and I was concerned."
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Casey Anthony's father identified the odor as that of a human decomposing body.
"That particular smell whenever you smell it, it's something that you never forget," the ex-police officer said. "It's a very distinct odor."
George Anthony testified that he gave a quick prayer that the odor was not from Caylee Anthony.
"Please don't let this be Casey or Caylee," he said to himself.
When he opened the trunk, he found a white bag with trash and maggots in it.
Cindy Anthony called 911 later that day to report Caylee missing, telling the dispatcher, "It smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car."
On Thursday, George Anthony testified that the trunk of his daughter's call smelled like gas on June 24, 2008.
Simon Birch, the manager of Johnson's Towing, the company that towed Casey Anthony's car on June 30, also testified Friday that he smelled human decomposition coming from the car.
When he opened the trunk with George Anthony in July, he recalled the smell as "very potent" and "eye opening."
"In the back of my mind, I said to myself that's the smell of decomposition," said Birch.
Casey Anthony is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.
The defense says that Casey Anthony did not kill her daughter but that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool on June 16, 2008.
The 25-year-old could receive the death penalty if found guilty of first degree murder.
