Jillian Morris
Mrs. Flowers
Criminalistics CH300-01
April 17, 2015
Journey through Forensic botany of the Casey Anthony trial

Forensic science is a vital tool in the search for the truth in any legal proceeding. “Regardless of the type of legal proceeding or which side uses scientific evidence, the forensic scientist must be able to write a report and testify under oath about, what facts or items of evidence were analyzed or tested; what tests or analyses were used; how valid or reliable those tests or analyses have been found to be by other courts; why and how the forensic scientist was qualified to conduct those tests or analyses; and, what the results of the tests or analyses were and how those results are relevant to the issues in dispute.”(Coyle 2005). One analysis done during the Casey Anthony trial was forensic botany, which will be discussed later in this paper.
In 2008, the case of Casey Anthony became a public obsession, when she was charged with the murder of her two year old daughter Caylee. Casey was a 22-year-old single mother; she and her daughter lived with Casey’s parents in their Orlando home, but soon after Casey took her daughter and left her parents home. Casey waited an entire month before revealing to her family and authorities that her child was missing. She claimed her nanny a woman no one could prove existed had kidnapped Caylee. Casey’s car was in the tow yard, and her father George, picked up the car, and smelt a strong odor coming from the trunk of her car. Six months after Caylee disappeared, her skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area not far from her grandparent’s home. The exact cause of death was determined to be unknown. Casey Anthony’s defense attorney was named Jose Baez and Jeff Ashton was the prosecutor in the murder trial. A forensic botanist studies plant material as it relates to crime scenes. Forensic botanists use their skills to understand where and when a crime was committed and who committed the crime. “Similar to DNA and fingerprinting, plant material is often unique to certain plant species”(Coyle 2005). This allows a forensic botanist to identify the ecological and molecular restraints of various plant species and narrow down the possibilities surrounding the who, where and when of the crime. Forensic botany not only studies plant life, but also the way a decomposed body integrates itself with the plant life around it. Trees and roots are useful for determining time since a body was placed at a given location or the season in which a death occurred. Woody plants and trees often grow in annual cycles that vary with environmental conditions, growth rings can be counted to provide the timing of an event. This is particularly accurate if the roots grow through clothing or bone. Even partial damage to root growth can suggest the period since an interruption occurred. Which is what Dr. Bock was discussing during the Casey Anthony trial. One way to analyze the roots is when the roots come in direct contact with the remains, which was what happened in this case. “Roots in contact with the bones or personal effects of the deceased can be cross-sectioned at the point of contact and the annual rings counted, establishing a minimum time frame for time since death.”( Neufeld 2014). Most plant evidence, with the exception of pollen, may deteriorate, dry, mold, or be altered from the form in which it was first discovered. So, packaging is a very crucial step in the process of analyzing plants. The Casey Anthony trial exhibited confirmation when a forensic botanist testified. “Dr. Jane Bock stated that she had examined the crime scene on Feb. 1, 2009, and also reviewed reports from Welch, medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia, and the state of Florida’s plant expert”(Aquila 2014). “By examining photographs of the scene where the remaining parts were discovered, she expressed that the roots could have grown through the bones, skull, and a clothing pack in only two weeks which based that time through the example of leaf litter or fallen leaves” (Coyle 2005). Prosecutor Jeff Ashton indicated to the court that the photographs Bock inspected were not exceptionally solid, in light of the fact that they were not taken over seven weeks after the zone was cleared of vegetation. Ashton had some information about the example of leaf litter, representing that a portion of the leaves in the photographs were off the trees for more than two weeks taking into account their changing levels of rot. Ashton likewise uncovered that the 2-year-old's hip bone was covered in 4 inches of waste when her remaining parts were observed, which Bock reacted could have been because of an animal covering the bone. The state noticed that in Bock's past testimony, she expressed that she couldn't say when Caylee's remaining parts were put in the forested areas. “Bock conceded that the remaining parts could have been in the forested areas for over two weeks and that she had constrained experience in studying on roots developing into bones”.(Battaglia 2012) She also explained that the plant evidence found in Anthony’s car did not appear to have come from the scene where the remains were found. Forensic botany is a relatively new discipline being used. During the murder trial of Casey Anthony, forensic botany was used to determine how long Caylee’s remains were in the forested area. This case was exceptionally interesting, even after the lies that Casey told, even after reporting her daughter missing a month after; she was acquitted and could never be tried again for the murder of her daughter Caylee. The jury thought that there was a lack of evidence, and there were many misconceptions with the experts that testified. The death of two year old Caylee Anythony will remain a mystery.

Work Cited

Aquila, Isabella, et al. "The Role Of Forensic Botany In Crime Scene Investigation: Case Report And Review Of Literature." Journal Of Forensic Sciences (Wiley-Blackwell) 59.3 (2014): 820-824. Academic Search Elite. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

Battaglia, Nicholas A. "The Casey Anthony Trial And Wrongful Exonerations: How "Trial By Media" Cases Diminish Public Confidence In The Criminal Justice System." Albany Law Review 75.3 (2012): 1579-1611. Academic Search Elite. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

Coyle, Heather Miller, et al. "Forensic Botany: Using Plant Evidence To Aid In Forensic Death Investigation." Croatian Medical Journal 46.4 (2005): 606-612.Academic Search Elite. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

NEUFELD, RACHEL M. "When An Alleged Wrong Becomes A Protected Right: Casey Anthony's Life-Story And Future Book Rights Are Property Of The Bankruptcy Estate." Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal 31.1 (2014): 147-174. Business Source Elite. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.