Casey Anthony Trial Day 29: Casey's mental health, odor and psychic in focus

On Monday (Day 29), Casey Anthony trial resumed with Chief Judge Belvin Perry confirming that Casey is competent to stand for trial even as a private investigator revealed that a psychic had directed him to the spot where Caylee's remains would later be found.

On Monday, Chief Judge Belvin Perry revealed the reason for Saturday's unexpected recess, saying that the defense attorneys had filed a motion to examine if Casey is mentally competent or not to stand for trial.

Three psychological experts conducted independent examinations on Casey over the weekend. The results showed that Casey is competent to stand for trial.

“Based upon the reports that the court has reviewed, the court will find that the defendant is competent to continue to proceed,” Perry said.

But the judge didn't disclose why the attorneys had asked for mental examination, and he also sealed Casey's psychological reports from the psychologists.

Detective Yuri Melich, who testified on last Friday, testified again on Monday. He admitted that he had misstated the dates of which he subpoenaed cell phone records for Roy Kronk, a meter reader who reported finding Caylee's remains in December 2008.

According to what Melich testified on last Friday, the cell phone records came from July to December 2008. But he modified the date on Monday, saying that the date was from June through July 2008.

When the defense attorney Jose Baez asked if Melich had made a deliberate mistake or not, Melich replied, “you’re suggesting that I intentionally misinformed the jury, and I did not.”

“It was simply that you are asking me questions based on a three year investigation, a lot of cell phone records, I don’t know what you are going to ask me,” Melich said.

Kenneth Furton, an expert in human decomposition in Florida International University, testified that until now there's no scientifically valid instrument to examine chemicals related with human decomposition.

His testimony is positive for Casey Anthony whose attorneys had rebutted the finding of Dr. Arpad Vass. Vass had earlier said the chemicals in the air sample from Casey's car is consistent with the odor of human decomposition.

Vass also testified that the chemicals in human decomposition is very unique, but Furton denied with an example that some certain fatty acids could be found in the milk. According to Furiton, the chloroform can also be found in household cleaners, such as bleach.

During the cross-examination, Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton questioned if Furton had found a bleach stain in the car, Ashton said no.

Ashton also showed the jurors a little trash from the garbage, which was once placed in the trunk of Casey's car, identifying that there's no organic material in the trash bag. And he asked Furton whether Furton agrees with his theory that the odor of trash wasn't so similar with the odor of human decomposition.

No, I can't say that, Furton said, adding that it would be speculation, the same fault he found with the Vass analysis of the odor from the car.

On Monday, Dominic Casey, a private investigator, also took the witness stand. He revealed that a psychic had directed him to the wooden area, where Calyee's remains was found a month later.

Dominic Casey, who was working for Casey’s parents, George and Cindy in November 2008, said he tried to find Caylee's whereabouts. when he contacted a psychic, he was told that Caylee's remains was in the vicinity of wooden area near Casey's house.

Casey went three times to the area on Nov. 15 and 16 and appeared to have walked directly over the place where Caylee's body was later found on Dec. 11.

James Hoover, an investigator who worked with Mr. Casey, also testified in the court. Hoover narrated a video he took of the private investigator walking through the woods and using a metal probe to search for buried remains. No remains were found.

Hoover was asked by Baez about his interactions with Dominic Casey.

“What in the world were you and Dominic Casey doing in that wooded area one month before Caylee was found,” Baez asked.

“Looking for Caylee’s remains,” Hoover said.

Hoover's testimony is potentially very important to the defense case because it looks set to support the defense theory that Caylee’s remains were placed in the wooded area much later than what prosecutors have said.

The trial will resume on Tuesday.

About Casey Anthony trial:

Two-year old Caylee was last seen alive on June 16 and it was only on July 15 that she was reported missing by her mother Casey Anthony to the police. Cindy, Casey's mother had also alerted the police by calling a 911 dispatcher and saying that she had smelled a dead body in the trunk of Casey's car that was spotted in an impound lot. The car was later towed by authorities for forensic analysis.

Initially, Casey told the police that a babysitter called Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez (Zanny the nanny) had abducted Caylee. Investigations showed Casey was lying as the babysitter Zanny was fictitious. Five months later, in December 2008, Caylee's decomposed skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near the Anthony home by a meter reader who was relieving himself.
The prosecutors say Casey chloroformed Caylee and then put duct tape over her nose and mouth, suffocating the girl.

Casey's lawyers claim Caylee was not murdered. They say the toddler accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool and George, Casey's father, helped her keep the death a secret. George has denied the claim.

Casey has been charged with seven counts, including first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and misleading the police in the death of Caylee. If she is convicted of first degree, she could be sentenced to death by the seven-woman, five-man jury. The trial is expected to take another 2-3 weeks before a verdict is reached.

Casey has been charged with seven counts, including first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and misleading the police in the death of Caylee. If she is convicted of first degree, she could be sentenced to death by the seven-woman, five-man jury. The trial is expected to take another 1-2 weeks before a verdict is reached.