ORLANDO, Fla. – Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy Anthony, was called to testify again in her daughter's murder trial Tuesday afternoon -- one of the final witnesses for the state.
Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick asked Cindy Anthony about the length of her hair in July 2008, and whether it was colored. Earlier Tuesday, Catherine Theisen, a forensic mitochondrial DNA analyst for the FBI and the quality assurance supervisor for the FBI laboratory, testified about hair samples in the case.
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Theisen identified evidence she received in the case, including bucal swabs taken from Casey Anthony and hair samples from the trunk of Anthony?s car and her daughter Caylee?s skull, both of which were brown.
Thiesen said that hair from the trunk and hair from Caylee?s skull were a mitochondrial match, which could match Caylee, Casey Anthony, Cindy Anthony or anyone else in the maternal line, including Casey Anthony?s brother. A hair and fiber expert for the FBI testified Monday about a so-called death band on the same strand of hair taken from Casey Anthony's trunk, indicating it had come from someone who was dead.
Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from mothers, but it is shared with siblings, Theisen said.
Cindy Anthony testified Tuesday that in 2008 she kept her hair short and dyed blond. She said that although she trimmed Caylee's hair, she never colored it in any way. She said Casey Anthony's natural hair color was brown, but that she had colored it numerous times. When asked about her son, Lee Anthony's hair, she said he kept it very short and shaved it every few weeks.
The state was trying to rule out that the hair found in the trunk of Casey Anthony's Pontiac Sun Fire belonged to anyone but Caylee due to its length and color.
During cross-examination, lead defense attorney Jose Baez asked Cindy Anthony if in the eight years the Anthony family owned the car, the hair length and color of all the family members had varied. She said yes, it had.
Cindy Anthony began to tear up when asked about a pink T-shirt that said "Big Trouble Comes In Small Packages" that Caylee was photographed in earlier in 2008. She said that although she typically did laundry for the family, she never saw the shirt before the photograph of it was shown to her during her deposition in the case. Lettering from the shirt was found in the area where Caylee's remains were found.
Cindy Anthony said she had not seen Caylee's Winnie the Pooh blanket since May 2008. A very similar blanket was found at the scene with Caylee's remains.
The state entered into evidence video and an image shot by Orlando TV station WFTV at the temporary Caylee search command post in the parking lot of the Publix on Chickasaw Trail and Lake Underhill on July 20, 2008. The video shows duct tape with the Henkel brand printed on it used to hold up fliers.
The same brand duct tape was found on Caylee?s skull and on a gas can owned by George Anthony and taken by Casey Anthony in July 2008.
Work records for George and Cindy Anthony for 2008 were also entered into evidence. The records show that Cindy Anthony was working during both of the instances when someone searched the word "chloroform" on the Anthony family computer and that George Anthony was working on one of the days. Computer forensics experts previously testified about searches on the family computer for "chloroform," "how to make chloroform," and "neck-breaking."
Cindy and Casey Anthony acknowledged each other as Cindy Anthony approached the witness stand. Earlier in the trial, Cindy Anthony notably did not acknowledge her daughter in the courtroom.
At the end of the day Tuesday, the state again called Jennifer Welch, a crime scene investigator for the Sheriff?s Office.
Welch photographed Casey Anthony?s tattoo, which said ?Bella Vita,? that she got on her back during the weeks that Caylee was missing. Bella vita means beautiful life in Italian.
Welch took 23 photos of Anthony.
Then, tattoo artist Bobby Williams was called. He said he is a tattoo artist and the manager of Cast Iron Tattoos. He said he has known Casey Anthony for seven years.
Williams said Casey Anthony called a few days ahead of time to make an appointment for July 2, 2008, and that she asked for the phrase "Bella Vita" in a feminine font. He said she came in and it took about 30 minutes to give her the tattoo. The defense said Caylee Anthony drowned on June 16, 2008.
Williams testified that Casey Anthony seemed happy when she came into the shop. Several of her friends have previously testified that her demeanor remained upbeat during the time that Caylee was missing before it was reported.
Williams said Casey Anthony told him Caylee was with her nanny, but when she made another appointment for July 19, 2008, she said Caylee would come with her for that. Casey Anthony was arrested on July 16, 2008.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the state called Orange County Sheriff's Office crime scene investigator Alina Burroughs. Burroughs was part of the team that searched the Anthony family home on Hopespring Drive.
The state presented a picture that showed the proximity of the Anthony home to the scene where Caylee?s remains were found off Suburban Drive -- just over a quarter of a mile.
Burroughs identified several sheets of heart-shaped stickers she collected in Casey Anthony's bedroom at the Anthony family home, as well as a heart-shaped sticker found on an envelope. Baez objected to each of the sheets of stickers being submitted into evidence for the jury to see.
On Monday, an FBI forensic examiner said she observed what appeared to be heart-shaped glue residue about the size of a dime on one of the pieces of duct tape found on Caylee's skull. She said the process of testing the tape for latent fingerprints caused the image to disappear before she could photograph it.
A heart-shaped sticker was found on a piece of cardboard found at the scene where Caylee's remains were found, but it did not match any of the stickers found in the Anthony home.
Baez also noted that the area where Caylee's remains was found is very close to an elementary school.
Jurors asked to see the sticker, as well as for a complete list of the evidence in the case. Baez said he wanted to make sure the sticker was shown attached to the piece of cardboard, which it has since fallen off of. Jurors were allowed to see and hold the sticker.
As court concluded on Tuesday, the state said it will present the definition of "Bella Vita" to the jury and then rest its case early Wednesday. The jury will then be excused for the day, then the defense will argue its motion for acquittal. The defense said it will be ready to begin presenting its case on Thursday.
Defense attorney Cheney Mason again renewed its motion for a mistrial and was denied.
Casey Anthony, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in Caylee?s death. Caylee was 2 years old when she was reported missing in July 15, 2008. Her remains were found on Dec. 11, 2008.