Cindy Anthony gulped and wept as she was shown a photograph of a doll and a pink and turquoise backpack belonging to her two-year-old grand-daughter Caylee, holding a handkerchief to her face as she testified before a court in Orlando, Florida.

Mrs Anthony’s daughter, Casey Anthony, 25, is on trial for the alleged June 2008 murder of Casey, whose remains were found in a swamp in December that year, wrapped in a Winnie the Pooh blanket and with duct tape over her mouth and nose.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Anthony has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

The court has heard how Anthony, a single mother who lived with her parents in Orlando, lied for a month about Casey’s whereabouts before her mother finally called in police on July 15 2008.

The day before, Mr and Mrs Anthony were surprised to receive a notice from a car-towing service informing them that it had taken possession of their daughter’s white Pontiac Sunfire, which had been found abandoned.

After they collected the vehicle from the firm’s car lot, they noticed that it smelled bad.

Mrs Anthony recalled how she told her husband George: 'Oh my gosh. What’s wrong with the car? I said it smelled like something had died in the car,' she told the court.

She broke down as she explained: 'Then I noticed Caylee’s favourite doll sitting in the car seat…Then I noticed Caylee’s backpack in the trunk of the car.'

She added: 'Caylee’s doll smelled like the car, so…I set the doll down and I went and got a Clorox wipe and I wiped the face and the hands. It smelled pretty strong.' Read More