Casey Anthony Trial - Day 1 - State's Opening Statement

Finally, the day is upon is. Opening statements are scheduled to begin at 9:00 this morning. Already, a drama -- CFNews13 and Orlando Sentinel tweeted that a lady waiting in line for tickets was pulled aside by a deputy after people complained she reeked of alcohol. She was ejected from the line, went and changed clothes and tried to sneak back into line. When asked her name, she replied, "Lindsay Yo-Mama." Classy!

At precisely 9:00, Judge Perry takes the bench and the clerk calls the case. The judge asks to see lead counsel at sidebar prior to starting.

Linda Drane Burdick delivers opening statement for the state:

This is a story about Caylee Anthony. Caylee was born August 9, 2005. She lived nearly every day on a quiet residential street in Orlando called Hope Spring Dr. Her doting grandparents filled her room with toys. It was decorated with every imaginable Winnie The Pooh item. In the backyard, every little girl's dream -- a playhouse.

Caylee's grandparents moved to Orlando in 1989 from Ohio. They came with their children, Casey and Lee. They have been at the address on Hope Spring Dr ever since. George has worked a variety of security jobs. Cindy is a nurse.

When George and Cindy learned Casey was pregnant, they committed to helping her and to providing a loving and stable home for Caylee. They believed Casey worked at Universal, that she was a hard-working single young mother. Over the next 2.5 yrs, Caylee appeared to have an idyllic life. She was loved by her grandparents. They took lots of pictures of her -- she was the apple of their eye.

She did things like swim in the backyard in the above-ground pool. She watched Spongebob with Jo-Jo (what she called her grandfather). Casey appeared to outward observers to be what her parents thought she was -- a loving mother working hard to provide support for her daughter.

But as the evidence in this case will show, that was an illusion. Casey was not employed. Casey dressed in work clothes, had a Universal ID and went who-knows-where for 2 years after Caylee was born.

Although the cracks in Casey's facade begin to appear in the weeks, months prior to June 2008, Father's Day -- June 15 2008 -- started as typical Sunday. You'll hear that George at that time had a security job that had him working regularly from 3-11pm. Cindy worked as a nurse-manager 8am-5pm. George worked Father's Day 2008. Cindy took her beautiful little granddaughter to see her great-grandfather (Cindy's dad) who was in a nursing home.

Cindy took her video camera and a still camera with her to record the events of Father's Day 2008. Cindy unknowingly took the last known photo of Caylee. On that Father's Day in Mt. Dora, Caylee snuggled with her great grandfather, who she called Papa. She read, colored, sang. Eventually in the afternoon Cindy decided they needed to leave. She returned to the family home and they swam in the pool and Caylee had fun. Casey spent most of that day with her new boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro.

Casey returned about 7:30 in the evening. That evening, everything appeared to be fine. Went to bed, readied themselves for the typical start of a work week. On Mon, June 16, Cindy goes to work between 7-8am. George works 3-11 shift. Was up early, had breakfast with Caylee. George specifically recalls that at 12:50pm on June 16 2008, Casey left the residence with Caylee.

Caylee was wearing pink shirt, jean shorts, sunglasses and a backpack. Jo-Jo (George Anthony) kissed his granddaughter goodbye...and never saw her again. In fact, no one but Casey Anthony ever saw Caylee Marie Anthony alive again. (Anthony is shaking her head "no" over and over). The next time a photo is taken of Caylee is on Dec 11, 2008.

The story of this case is not about Casey Anthony. It's about what happened after the photo taken on Father's Day 2008 and the photo taken Dec 11 2008. What happened to Caylee Marie Anthony.

(Anthony is bawling, shaking her head no.)

You will hear during testimony that no one had any idea anything had befallen Caylee until July 15 2008. What happened between June 16 and July 15? Where was Caylee Marie? Thirty days passed between the time that anyone besides Casey Anthony saw Caylee and when she was reported missing by her grandmother. So what happened?

Day 1 -- Mon, June 16 2008. Cell records show she did not leave the area of her parents' house til after 4pm that day, despite the fact her father saw her leave at 12:50. When she leaves, she tells George she's going to spend the night (with Caylee) with the babysitter. Told her mother the same and that the babysitter's name was Zanny.

You will learn that there IS no Zanny. Like Casey's job, the babysitter was a figment of her imagination. When she appears on the Blockbuster video the night of June 16, where is Caylee?

Day 2 -- Cell records shows she was Tony's til 2pm, when she traveled to her parents' house and was there from 2:45-4:30. Her car was seen backed into garage by neighbor. He didn't see Caylee with her. Casey told her mother they'd be spending the night again with Zanny. She spent the night with Tony. He will testify Caylee wasn't there. Where is Caylee?

Day 3 -- Wed, June 18th. Again, cell records show Casey was at Tony's until about 12:30. From then until 1:15, she's attempting to call her parents' home. The neighbor, Brian B., sees Casey again. She backs the car into the garage. About 1:30/2:30 in the afternoon, she asks him to borrow a shovel. She had the shovel for about an hour. Didn't notice anything unusual about it when she returned it.

George worked that day. Cindy again inquired about her granddaughter who had never spent more than a day away from her grandparents in her life. Casey told her mom she was going to conference in Tampa and Caylee would be with Zanny and two other people -- Juliet and Annabel. There is no Zanny, Juliet or Annabelle. She spent the night again with Tony, but Caylee wasn't with her. Where is Caylee Marie Anthony?

Day 4 -- Thurs June 19 2008. George typically didn't work Thursdays. Cell records show she was in area of Tony's apt for a while, then that she went looking for an apt for her boyfriend. No one saw Caylee that day. Where is Caylee?

Day 5 -- Fri June 20 2008. George is not working on that date. Cindy wants to know where Caylee is. Caylee tells her that she is still in conference at B. Gardens in Tampa and it's going to go over into Saturday. On that date, she went to Fusion with her boyfriend and participated in a hot body contest and was photographed at it. Caylee wasn't there. Caylee wasn't at Tony's or with her grandmother. Where is Caylee?

Day 6 and 7 -- Sat and Sun, June 21 and 22. Cindy kept pressing, asking where Caylee was. A friend of Casey's boyfriend's roommate says to Casey, "Where's Caylee?" Casey tells her Caylee is at the beach. She continues to tell her mother she's in Tampa.

Day 8 -- Monday June 23 2008. She is at Tony's til about 1:30 in the afternoon. Records show she headed in direction of parents' home at about 2:30. Casey calls her boyfriend about 2:45, saying her car had run out of gas. Tony finds Casey and Casey takes him to parents' house where they break into shed and take her dad's gas can.

Cindy is still inquiring about her granddaughter. Casey spoke with her about 5:30 and adds another detail -- Zanny was in a hospital in Tampa because she was in an accident, and that Caylee is with Juliet and Annabelle while Casey tends to Zanny in the hospital. You will hear that she wasn't in Tampa. She was at her parents' house taking her dad's gas gans.

Day 9 -- Tues June 24 2008. George decides to mow the lawn. Goes to the shed and sees lock broken. So George calls LE and says someone burglarized his shed. Fills out a statement, tells the neighbor that there's a vandal, keep a lookout.

George ended up having an interview for another security job that evening. Casey showed up at 2:30. No Caylee, no Tony. Just Caylee and her white Pontiac Sunfire. Her dad wants to know where Caylee is. "I miss Caylee - where is she? We miss her." Casey dismissively says "I have ten mins, I have to get back to work." George has an idea that the missing gas can might be in Casey's possession. So he tells her he needs something from her car and that he's gonna go get it. She rushes past him, goes to trunk of car. Pushes the gas cans at him and says, "Here's your fucking cans," gets in her car and leaves.

Fingers are tired...gonna take a break and listen/watch for a while. More later.

Think I'm going to tweet in real time and update the blog later on. Bit difficult to do both live since the opening statements are narratives and *everything* said by LDB is important. Click the twitter stream on right side of page to read tweets. New post for defense opening statement after lunch recess.