Bombshell: Surprise Witness In Casey Anthony Murder Trial?
There was a bombshell revelation late yesterday in the Casey Anthony murder trial in Orlando, Florida, as defense attorney Jose Baez stated he would be asking the court to add another last-minute witness — Vasco Thompson (pictured above, right) an Orlando felon who had served a prison sentence beginning in 1998 for a violent kidnapping. Thompson was released in 2004.
Casey Anthony is on trial for the first degree murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony, in 2008. Anthony has pled not guilty, and could face the death penalty if convicted of the crime.
Now that the prosecution team has finished their arguments, the defense team has begun this morning with its own side of the case. In the defense opening statement provided weeks ago, attorney Baez alleged that Caylee Anthony accidentally drowned in the family pool, and that grandfather George Anthony convinced a fearful Casey to let him “handle things.”
In today’s breaking revelations, attorney Baez alleges that Thompson had exchanged 4 phone calls with Casey’s father George Anthony on July 14, 2008, just one day before Caylee Anthony was reported missing by Casey’s mother, Cindy Anthony.
According to Baez, Thompson’s addition to their list of witnesses was late because they had they just learned about Thompson’s alleged conversations with George. According to court documents, Thompson was a “recently discovered witness through the ongoing efforts of defense investigators.”
There is a high likelihood that Judge Belvin Perry will allow the new witness, in order to avoid being seen as bolstering the defense team’s likely call for an appeal if Casey is found guilty.
If phone call record evidence shows conversations between Thompson and George Anthony, expect sparks to fly in the already emotionally charged courtroom. If Thompson takes the stand and indeed testifies to phone exchanges with George Anthony, this trial could get rapidly turned on its ear. Either way, this trial, which has already captured the attention of many, is about to heat up further.
Late this morning, George Anthony’s attorney Mark Lippman denied his client had any knowledge of or contact with Vasco Thompson. Lippman went on to say that Thompson would confirm in a press conference later this afternoon that he had no contact with George Anthony; however attorney Richard Hale just released a statement to the media that Vasco Thompson is now seeking other counsel, and that the press conference is cancelled.
Follow Technorati