Casey Anthony Trial Update: Caylee's remains found near road, witness testifies
(CBS/WKMG/AP) ORLANDO, Fla. - Caylee Anthony's skull and most of the rest of her remains were found just 19 feet from a road, a crime scene investigator testified Saturday at the first-degree murder trial of Casey Anthony.
Pictures: Casey and Caylee Anthony, Personal Photos
Stretching a tape measure across the courtroom, defense attorney Jose Baez demonstrated the remains were virtually steps from the road, which could be significant because the defense claims the meter reader who found the remains tampered with them.
The defense has said that 2-year-old Caylee accidentally drowned in her grandparents' swimming pool and meter reader Roy Kronk placed Caylee's remains in the woods to be able to collect reward money.
But, Dr. Neal Haskell a professor of forensic science with a forensic entomology doctorate, believes that Caylee's remains were in the trunk of Anthony's car for a few days before they were moved to the wooded area where they eventually were found. Evidence of insect activity at both locations supports the theory, he said, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
"I have no question that that body had been out there for many, many months," Haskell said, according to the station.
Haskell said blow flies are usually the first insects to arrive at a decomposing body, but as the body decomposes and the biochemistry changes, blow flies are no longer interested and other groups of bugs move in. He said he found a blow fly leg in a paper towel from the garbage in Anthony's trunk.
The fact that there was not much evidence of blow flies in the wooded area where Caylee's remains were found indicates that her body was not placed there immediately, Haskell testified, reports the station.
The high-profile murder trial of Casey Anthony now enters its fourth week, with testimony set to resume today in Orlando.
Anthony, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee, in the summer of 2008. If found guilty, Anthony could face the death penalty.
The Casey Anthony case was recently reported on by "48 Hours Mystery."