Lawyer: Caylee's death an accident

ORLANDO, Fla., May 24 (UPI) -- Prosecutors in the Florida trial of Casey Anthony Tuesday said she deliberately killed her daughter but the defense said Caylee Anthony died accidentally.

Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, said during the first day of the trial that 2-year-old Caylee drowned in her grandparents' swimming pool in 2008 and Casey and her father decided to cover up the death, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

"The fact of the matter is this is an accident that snowballed out of control," Baez said. "This is not a murder case. This is sad, tragic accident.

"This family must keep its secrets quiet," he said. "And it all began when Casey was 8 years old and her father came into her room and began to touch her inappropriately," Baez said. "These ugly secrets will come out at this trial. And you'll see what makes Casey Anthony act the way she does."

An attorney for George Anthony issued a statement after court adjourned for the day saying George Anthony and his wife Cindy were "shocked and appalled that the Defense would resort to lies about them in today's opening statement. Baez's idle speculation today certainly are not facts. The only result achieved by the defense in this statement was to further hurt this grieving family."

Caylee disappeared in June 2008. Her bones were found months later, after her mother had already been charged with murder, in a swampy area near the Anthony home in Orlando.

Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick suggested Casey Anthony used duct tape to kill her daughter by asphyxiation.

Anthony did not report her daughter missing until mid-July and then told police she had been kidnapped by a babysitter.

"Caylee's death allowed Casey Anthony to live a good life at least for those 31 days," the prosecutor said as she concluded. "At the end of this case, you will have no trouble concluding that Caylee Anthony was murdered by her mother."