Casey Anthony Trial, Day 18: Jury Examines Defendant’s ‘Bella Vita’ Tattoo

Casey Anthony Trial, Day 18: Jury Examines Defendant’s ‘Bella Vita’ Tattoo

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

ORLANDO, Fla. — Bella Vita. The jury eyed an FBI evidence photograph of Casey Anthony’s infamous “beautiful life” tattoo behind her left shoulder during day 18 of her first-degree murder trial.

Bella Vita, Then Pizza

Learning also that during her July 2 visit to Cast Iron Tattoos — approximately 17 days after prosecutors say she murdered her daughter — the jury heard testimony that the defendant treated those in the shop to pizza after the appointment. On June 15, the state plans to translate into English for the jury the words Bella Vita.  The state could choose to reference the tattoo in their summation, helping to show a motive of wanting freedom to pursue the unfettered lifestyle she demonstrated after Caylee was last seen.

A Mother’s “I Love You”

Today’s proceedings took on airs of symbolism.  From the defense table, Casey Anthony considered the remnants of her “beautiful life.”  Later, she seemed to pay more attention to the FBI’s evidence photograph of her tattooed left shoulder than she did to her mother, who mouthed, “I love you,” after testifying and passing her daughter.  Turning her head away, Anthony denied her mother a single nod, in much the same way she has made minimal eye contact with either parent.

Cindy Anthony had just testified she never had seen the pink “trouble comes in small packages” shirt, whose remnants were discovered among her granddaughter’s bones off Suburban Drive;  when asked, the defendant’s mother said she also had not seen Caylee’s “Winnie the Pooh” blanket since May 2008.