海角大神

The father of a Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter testified on Wednesday 鈥� in a reversal of an earlier statement 鈥� that the odor in his daughter鈥檚 car back in 2008 was the unmistakable stench of human decomposition.

In emotional and at-times angry testimony, George Anthony also denied that he sexually molested his daughter, and he lashed out at defense attorney Jose Baez, who has accused Mr. Anthony of participating in a coverup of his granddaughter Caylee鈥檚 death.

鈥淵ou are trying to take this joy of my life away from me, and you can鈥檛 do that anymore,鈥� Anthony told Mr. Baez.

At several points in his testimony, the father broke down, sobbing after he was asked about trying to take his own life in despair over Caylee鈥檚 death. As he cried on the witness stand, his daughter, Casey, sat stone-faced at the defense table, revealing no hint of emotion.

In his testimony about the car, Anthony disavowed an earlier sworn statement that the smell in the car was not human decomposition but the smell of trash left in the car trunk for several weeks.

鈥淚 could smell it three feet away on the passenger side,鈥� Anthony told the jury. 鈥淵es, human decomposition. Yes, I will say it. Human decomposition.鈥�

The admission is a victory for prosecutors in the first-degree murder trial of Casey Anthony, who is accused of smothering her daughter and then hiding her body for several days in the trunk of her car. The skeletal remains were later recovered in December 2008 in a wooded area near the family home.

A key issue in the case is whether the strong odor in Ms. Anthony鈥檚 car in the weeks after Caylee鈥檚 disappearance in June 2008 was caused by decaying trash or Caylee鈥檚 decomposing body.

Baez sought to undercut the force of Mr. Anthony鈥檚 testimony by pointing out that at an earlier deposition, the father had told prosecutors it was the stench of trash, not human remains.

鈥淭he decomposition that I smelled on July 15, [2008], at Johnson鈥檚 towing smelled like human decomposition,鈥� Anthony testified Wednesday. He said he had direct experience with the stench of dead bodies from his past work as a police detective.

鈥淚 can close my eyes and smell that again,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow dare you tell me I said something different than what I did.鈥�

When Baez pressed the issue of how he could make statements that tended to support his daughter鈥檚 case in 2009 and yet testify to something significantly different in 2011, Anthony delivered his second bombshell of the morning.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to believe back then [in 2009] that my daughter would be capable of taking the life of her daughter,鈥� he told the jury.

Assistant state attorney Jeff Ashton seized on the statement during cross-examination.

鈥淥n Aug. 5, 2009, [at the deposition], you still believed that your granddaughter was killed by someone and it happened not in the custody of your daughter,鈥� Mr. Ashton asked.

鈥淵es,鈥� Anthony said.

During the deposition, you were upset, Ashton told Anthony, because you were being called upon to give testimony against your daughter in the murder of your granddaughter?

鈥淐orrect,鈥� Anthony answered.

鈥淏ut today, you no longer believe that your granddaughter died in the custody of someone other than your daughter,鈥� Ashton asked.

The question prompted an immediate objection from Baez. It was sustained by Chief Judge Belvin Perry.

Ashton then asked about a July 2008 statement that Mr. Anthony gave to investigators. 鈥淒id you ever tell police that you thought your daughter murdered your granddaughter?鈥� he asked.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 believe that at that time,鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淣o.鈥�

The implication for the jury is that while Anthony did not believe it in 2008 and 2009, perhaps he believes it now.

As expected, Baez also questioned Anthony about whether he had ever sexually molested his daughter.

鈥淚 would never do anything like that with my daughter,鈥� the father testified.

鈥淵ou would never admit to molesting your child,鈥� Baez asked.

鈥淪ir, I would never do anything like that to my daughter,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would never do anything to harm my daughter in that way.鈥�

Earlier in the morning, Cindy Anthony, Casey Anthony鈥檚 mother, was asked if she was aware of an incident involving her son, Lee, going into Casey鈥檚 room at night.

鈥淣o,鈥� she answered.

On Tuesday, Baez sought to call a former boyfriend of Casey Anthony to testify that she once told him that she鈥檇 been molested by her brother. During questioning outside the presence of the jury, Jesse Grund said Casey told him that her brother had entered her bedroom late one night while she was sleeping and groped her.

Prosecutors objected to the testimony, and it has not been heard by the jury.

Mr. Anthony broke down in tears on the stand at several points. One point came after Baez asked him if he attempted to commit suicide in January 2009.

He admitted that he went to a hotel, drank alcohol in combination with assorted medications, and then wrote a suicide note.

Such details are important to the defense case because defense lawyers are seeking to paint Mr. Anthony not only as a child molester, but also as someone who would help his daughter cover up Caylee鈥檚 death.

Mr. Anthony has denied any involvement in a coverup.

During cross-examination by Ashton, Anthony was asked why he tried to take his own life.

He said when Caylee鈥檚 remains were found, it 鈥渓eft a deep hurt inside.鈥� He said it was 鈥渁 breakdown inside me, and seeing what my wife and son went through.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚 just decided that it was time for me to get away from all this to spend time with Caylee.鈥�

Ashton entered Anthony鈥檚 suicide note into evidence. Prosecutors say the contents of the note demonstrate that Mr. Anthony did not know how Caylee died and was not aware of the location of his granddaughter鈥檚 body until after it was discovered on Dec. 11.