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Baez deposes witnesses in Casey Anthony murder case
Woman's daughter last seen in June
Published On: Jan 12 2012 05:19:58 PM EST Updated On: Oct 30 2008 03:30:18 AM EDTThe attorney for Casey Anthony, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of her 3-year-old daughter, on Thursday deposed witnesses for the first time in the case, which has garnered national attention.
Jose Baez and his defense team questioned key witnesses in the case involving his 22-year-old client's missing daughter, Caylee, who was last seen in mid-June but was not reported missing until mid-July.
Among those who were scheduled to testify under oath were Anthony's former boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro; the manager of an Orange County Amscot, where Anthony's abandoned car was discovered; the tow-truck driver who took the car to Johnson's Wrecker Service; and two wrecker service employees, including one who said he was with Anthony's father, George Anthony, when he picked the car up and said the vehicle smelled similar to one in which a man had committed suicide.
Lazzaro was with Anthony hours after detectives think Caylee may have been murdered. Lazzaro told investigators that Anthony would often have nightmares and discussed moving.
"She actually used to say that she was getting ready to not live at her house anymore with her child," Lazzaro told detectives.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Letters From Scott Peterson Refuted
The California Department of Corrections told Local 6 News on Wednesday that a published report stating that convicted killer Scott Peterson has been writing Anthony is false.
The Orlando Sentinel, citing sources, said it is not known if Anthony has responded to Peterson.
A spokeswoman for the California Prison System said the report is "not true" and that officials know with "100 percent certainty" that Peterson, who is on death row, did not write a letter to Anthony.
Peterson was convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner, three years ago. Laci Peterson was reported missing in December 2002 from her Modesto, Calif., home.
"We have no knowledge of any communications between Orange County inmate Casey Anthony and California inmate Scott Peterson. There is no public record which would reflect or confirm such communications. All mail coming into the Orange County Jail system is screened for contraband, money, and other security-related issues. Policy forbids Orange County inmates from writing each other, but there is no prohibition against writing or receiving mail from inmates in other correctional institutions," Allen Moore of the Orange County Corrections Department said in a statement.
Todd Black, the spokesman for Baez, said Anthony has not been corresponding with Peterson.
"It is wholly false that convicted murderer Scott Peterson is writing to Casey Anthony," Black said in a statement. "Attorney Jose Baez is in possession of the letter in question, and it is from an entirely different individual."
Caylee Tips Released
About 1,500 pages of new information have been released in the search for Caylee.
Thousands of tips called in to investigators about the missing 3-year-old, who was last seen in mid-June but was not reported missing until a month later, were released on Tuesday.
The majority of the tips reviewed by Local 6 News were submitted by seers and psychics, who phoned in visions and dreams.
Some of the tips included photographs of where to search, while others were very vague.
None of the tips reviewed by Local 6 News involved a sighting of Caylee being alive.
Baez requested the information two weeks ago to help prepare his case.
Trial Date Set
Anthony was arraigned on Tuesday and will stand trial, which is scheduled to start Jan. 5.
Anthony was not present at the arraignment on Tuesday. She had entered a written not-guilty plea on Oct. 17 to a charge of first-degree murder.
Anthony said she left Caylee with a baby sitter. The girl has not been found.
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