Anthony Trial Update: Defense Rests, Casey Won't Testify

By Elisha Maldonado | June 30 2011 3:28 PM

The defense in the Casey Anthony murder trial rested Thursday afternoon without testimony from the Florida mother about the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, CBS News reported.

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Forensic examiners investigated computers used by Casey and discovered online keyword searches such as “how to make chloroform,” “inhalation,” “alcohol,” “neck breaking,” and “self defense.” It was 3 months before Caylee was reported missing that these searches were made. Other searches included “Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez" made on July 16, 2008. No searches of that name were made anytime before that date. According to forensics investigation, a website related to chloroform was visited over 80 times. The search history was deleted, but investigators were still able to recover data found in the hard drive.

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When Casey Anthony did not take the witness stand, Judge Belvin Perry asked her if it was her decision not to testify. She said it was and that she has had time to discuss the matter with her attorneys.

Without her testimony, the defense team's claim that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool will go unsubstantiated. Prosecutors, meanwhile, claim that Casey Anthony smothered her toddler daughter with duct tape in June 2008.

Earlier in the day, the defense called Krystal Holloway, who testified that she an intimate relationship with Casey's father, George, who, allegedly, told Holloway that Caylee's death was an accident.

Anthony, 25, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Caylee's death. She faces the death penalty if convicted of that charge.