Roommates say Caylee not seen after Casey moved in with boyfriend
Orlando, FL, United States (AHN) – Keeping to the timeline the state laid out Tuesday during its opening statement, prosecutors on Wednesday morning questioned three roommates of Tony Lazzaro, Casey Anthony’s boyfriend at the time.
Cameron Campena, 23, Nathan Lezniewicz, and Roy “Clint” House, both 25, all attended college at Full Sail University in Orlando in 2008 during the time Caylee went missing.
During direct examination, Assistant State Attorney Frank George asked the roommates if they had ever seen Caylee.
In separate testimony. the state established that during the periods of May 2008 to July 15, 2008, Campena and Lezniewicz said they only saw Caylee two or three times. House said he saw Caylee there five times.
When the state asked about Casey’s behavior, they all said that there was nothing unusual. The three testified that Casey never seem scared, nervous, or upset.
“She was a regular 22-year-old girl, seemed normal, just your average 22-year-old,” said Campena.
“She seemed normal. You know, happy. Everything is fine,” Lezniewicz said.
House testified that Casey’s demeanor never changed. She also spoke about a nanny but never used a name.
Prosecutor George established that every time Casey got a phone call, she always went outside to speak.
Campena said that Casey would go outside and down to the lake area. When he asked Casey, she told him this was the only time to vent. None of the roommates ever overheard any of Casey’s phone calls.
All three testified that Casey Anthony told them she worked at Universal, and that Casey would get ready in the morning to go to work.
Near the end of June 2008, Anthony moved in with Lazzaro. After that, the roommates said they never saw Caylee again. The witnesses said Casey told them Caylee was with the nanny at Disney World and at Cocoa Beach, enjoying the summer. None of the witnesses said they thought it was unusual for a child to be enjoying herself.
All three testified that all of them hung out at a night club, Fusion, with Anthony and Lazzaro.
House testified that Anthony tried to promote a business that he and Lazzaro were running inside the club.
Fusion was a sushi bar by day, and turned into a martini bar at night.
House testified that he would DJ there, and Casey would text all her friends and made suggestions about what outfit’s the female employees wore. However, House said she was unsuccessful at getting her friends to show up.
House also testified that Anthony participated in “hot body” contests. After a sidebar, the state was allowed to introduce only one or two photographs from the contests..
House said that Casey was partying and having a good time, drinking and dancing, and that she and Lazzaro seemed happy together.
All three said that Casey would come over and cook them dinners and do the laundry.
Lezniewicz was the only roommates at home on July 15, when Cindy Anthony found Casey there and quizzed her about Caylee. Lezniewicz said Casey left the apartment and an argument ensued between Cindy Anthony and Casey’s friend Amy Huizenga. Casey never returned. Casey’s brother, Lee, came by later and picked up her belonging.
The drama wasn’t just in the court room. Walking into the court house, defense attorney Jose Baez almost got into a fist fight with reporters and photographers. He seemed mad.
Co-counsel Cheney Mason threatened them, saying “I’m a senior citizen and I’ll charge you all with felony assault.”
As testimony proceeded, Judge Belvin Perry threatened to hold court on Sundays because he said the two sides weren’t communicating about witnesses. Every time the state calls a witness, the defense has to ask for a 10-minute recess to get the files.
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