Casey Anthony Trial Update: Casey's mom says she did chloroform computer searches
(CBS) - A bombshell this afternoon in the Casey Anthony murder trial.
Pictures: Casey and Caylee Anthony, Personal Photos
Casey's mother, Cindy, has taken the stand testifying that she was the person who did computer searches on chloroform on the family computer. The prosecution had called witnesses to the stand to testify that Casey herself was the likely computer user at the time the searches were done.
Cindy Anthony said that she did the searches because one of the family's two Yorkshire terriers was acting listless and she believed that chlorophyll or chloroform might have been to blame.
In her testimony, Cindy Anthony also said that friends of the family used the Anthonys' desktop computer, located in a spare room at the home. This would suggest that there were other people who may have been responsible for heavy computer traffic and Internet searches of topics such as neck-breaking and other macabre topics in the hours and days after Casey Anthony's 2-year-old daughter Caylee went missing.
Cindy Anthony has also testified that trunk stains existed in Casey's car when the family originally purchased the used Pontiac Sunfire vehicle for Casey's brother, Lee.
Earlier today, the trial veered perilously close to a mistrial when prosecutors tried to shift the burden of proof on evidence testing to the defense. Presiding Judge Belvin Perry Jr. stopped the testimony and ordered the jury out of the room before that could happen. When the jury returned to the courtroom, Judge Perry underscored the fact that the defense has no burden of proof in the case.
Post contributed by Lisa Meyer-Steinhaus.
The Casey Anthony case was recently reported on by "48 Hours Mystery."