16:44 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nA mother accused of killing her two-year-old daughter in 2008 broke down in tears in a Florida courtroom during the opening statements of her murder trial.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyers say Casey Anthony’s daughter Caylee drowned in a pool in the care of her grandparents and that the grandfather covered up the death.<\/p>\n
But prosecutors say the child died after tape was placed over her mouth and that Ms Anthony, 25, kept the body in the boot of her car for weeks.<\/p>\n
The case has drawn intense scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Caylee’s decomposed body was found in December 2008 in woods near her house.<\/p>\n
‘Abused’<\/span><\/p>\nCasey Anthony’s lawyer, Jose Baez, said a catalogue of family secrets led to the cover up of Caylee’s death.<\/p>\n
Mr Baez said Casey Anthony was abused by her father as a child, and alleged her brother made advances toward her and was given a paternity test to see if he was Caylee’s father.<\/p>\n
The lawyer suggested Caylee accidentally drowned in a family pool a day after her grandmother, Cindy, forgot to put up a ladder that prevented the toddler from climbing into the pool by herself.<\/p>\n
The family panicked and didn’t call the police, Mr Baez said.<\/p>\n
“Casey should have called 911. That’s what she’s guilty of she’s, not guilty of murder. This is not a murder case,” Mr Baez said.<\/p>\n
Mr Baez said Casey’s father George Anthony planted duct tape matching the brand later found over Caylee’s mouth in a way that would implicate Casey.<\/p>\n
“George Anthony took certain steps to make sure he was as far away from this situation and that Casey would end up taking the blame for this,” Mr Baez said.<\/p>\n
‘Chloroform’<\/span><\/p>\nBut prosecutors said they have based their case on forensic evidence, which shows Ms Anthony kept Caylee’s dead body in the boot of her car.<\/p>\n
An autopsy was never able to conclude the toddler’s cause of death.<\/p>\n
However prosecuting lawyer Linda Drane Burdick offered up a theory for the first time on Tuesday that Caylee died after three pieces of duct tape were placed over her mouth and nose.<\/p>\n
Everything Ms Anthony did was based on a web of lies, Ms Drane Burdick added.<\/p>\n
“Casey Anthony… appeared to be… a loving mother, trying to provide support for her daughter,” the prosecutor said.<\/p>\n
“But as the evidence in this case will show, that was an illusion,” she added.<\/p>\n
During the month Caylee was missing, Ms Drane Burdick told jurors Casey went shopping, visited friends and hung out with her boyfriend.<\/p>\n
She also described internet searches done on a computer at Casey Anthony’s home that showed queries for chloroform, neck-breaking and alcohol.<\/p>\n
Casey Anthony was emotional throughout the day, crying periodically and wiping her nose with a tissue.<\/p>\n
Ms Anthony is also charged with aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and providing false information to law enforcement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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