Casey Anthony's stunning defense was revealed on the first day of her murder trial. Her attorneys made the shocking claim that Caylee Anthony accidentally drowned in the family's swimming pool. INSIDE EDITION has more.
Casey Anthony's lawyers revealed her shocking defense on the opening day of the trial. They claim Caylee Anthony was not murdered, but instead accidentally drowned in a swimming pool.
"The answer is actually relatively simple. Caylee Anthony died on June 16th 2008 when she drowned in her family swimming pool," said Casey's lawyer, Jose Baez, during his opening statement.
That was followed by an even more sensational claim, that Casey was sexually abused by her father, George Anthony.
Baez said, "It all began when Casey was 8 years old and her father came into her room and began to touch her inappropriately. And it escalated."
George sat stoically in court as the accusation was made to the world.
The defense claimed Casey had been raised in a world of lies and secrets.
"This is a tragic accident that happened to some very disturbed people," Baez told the court.
Casey broke down just minutes after the start of the trial.
"She's really good at crying on cue, and I am positive that at some point in time that the defense has said, 'Casey let me tell you something, if you can't come up with tears, you better put your head down, [and] at least show some emotion,' " says jury consultant Susan Constantine.
Prosecutor Linda Drane-Burdick told the jury Caylee was drugged with chloroform and suffocated by duct tape placed around her mouth and nose so she couldn't breathe.
The atmosphere was somber and electric inside the courtroom at the dramatic start to the trial. Jurors wiped away tears during the prosecution's powerful opening statement, and there is a lot of graphic testimony ahead for the jurors to deal with.
They'll be asked to actually open a can holding fabric from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car, which prosecutors say contains the smell of death.
"There is an overpowering smell, indescribable smell, associated with that car," the prosecutor said.
The prosecution claims that smell and other evidence prove Caylee's body lay in the trunk of Casey's car for days.
If convicted, Casey Anthony faces the death penalty.
