Guilty by goatee? Hardly!

In response to "Guilt by goatee" (Letters, Feb. 25, Page B-6), I do agree that Scott Peterson has acted callously toward the disappearance of his wife, Laci Peterson, and that he has provided the police and the public with reason to believe he knows more than he is telling. But to conclude he is guilty by reason of growing a goatee is ridiculous.

Laci's family taking timeout

Rochas return to somewhat normal schedule in an effort to 'regroup'

By Dave MyhraSAN JOAQUIN BUREAU

MODESTO -- Laci Peterson's family, which hase been searching for her since her disappearance on Dec. 24, has decided to take a step back from its nonstop schedule.

Most of the family members are back at work this week, after spending most of their time since December dealing with news reporters and looking for Peterson.

"The family is back to work, they need to pay their bills, they've been off for almost two months now," said Kim Petersen, family spokeswoman.

The family is burned out, and are not planning on staging anymore searches for now, she said.

"We want to have a chance to regroup as a family, and decide what we are going to do later," said Ron Grantski, Laci Peterson's stepfather, during an appearance on CNN's Larry King Live.

The Rocha family organized three searches, covering the Delta Mendota Canal, the New Melones reservoir and Lake San Pedro. The searches did not turn up any evidence that would lead to the missing woman's recovery.

But the family has not lost all hope of finding the missing substitute teacher.

To find her alive "is certainly their hope, but they are realistic, they know that as each day goes by, chances get slimmer," Petersen said.

The Modesto police served a second search warrant on the Peterson residence on Feb. 18, officers spent two days in the house.

During that time, officers meticulously measured the house, and took out more than 70 bags of evidence.

The police department surrounded the house with yellow crime scene tape during the search, but did not declare the area a crime scene.

On Feb. 18 Scott Peterson's recently purchased Dodge Ram Pickup was also taken away to be examined, but authorities returned it to him that day.

The police still have Peterson's Ford F-150 and 14 foot aluminum fishing boat. Police took custody of those vehicles during the first search of the house on Dec. 26

Scott Peterson's current whereabouts are unknown, even to the police.

"The police department does not know where he is, we do not have a mandate to know where he is at all times," said Detective. Doug Ridenour, police spokesman.

The police have still not named Peterson a suspect, nor have they cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Officers are still searching Stanislaus and the surrounding counties, although the amount of manpower dedicated to the search has been greatly reduced.

"As you continue to move into an investigation, things taper off, but we are still maintaining the same kind of focus in trying to find her or her body," Ridenour said.

Laci Peterson disappeared on the morning of Dec. 24, while walking her dog in East La Loma park in the Dry Creek Area of Modesto. She was eight months pregnant on the day she went missing.

At the time of her disappearance, Scott Peterson has told authorities he went fishing in Berkeley Marina.

Was baby the motive?

Mother-in-law writes of theory

By FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MODESTO -- With few clues to a missing woman's whereabouts, Scott Peterson's mother thinks her daughter-in-law may have vanished because of her baby.

In an e-mail to a newspaper, Jackie Peterson said that while she worked at the Laci Peterson volunteer center, she received two e-mails from men who said their pregnant wives had been abducted, and learned of three cases in the San Francisco Bay Area and one in Fresno.

Modesto police will not comment on details of the Laci Peterson case, but have said they have received 8,000 leads since she disappeared.

She was reported missing on Christmas Eve by her husband and was due to give birth to the couple's first child, Connor, Feb. 10.

Though he has not been named as a suspect in the case, suspicion has surrounded Scott Peterson after he revealed that he had an affair with a Fresno woman. Peterson told authorities he went fishing at the Berkeley Marina the day his wife vanished.

But Jackie Peterson pointed to three other missing-person cases in California.

The case in Fresno was not an abduction of a pregnant woman, news reports showed, but rather the abduction of a newborn child from Kaweah Delta Hospital in Visalia.

According to reports, police believe the female infant was abducted in December by her mother, Marcy Duarte, who had tested positive for drugs. Social workers took over care of the baby.

The baby's father later found her and returned her to authorities. Duarte was arrested in December and is awaiting trial. Last year, a San Francisco man reported the abduction of his pregnant girlfriend, Evelyn Hernandez, 24, and her son Alex, 5. The report was filed in May, one month after the woman had disappeared. Her remains were found in the San Francisco Bay in July and police concluded she, her son and her unborn child all were killed. The case still is under investigation.

A pregnant Fremont woman was reported missing in October 1999. Michelle Chan was believed abducted, but returned home a week later and said she needed time alone. She disappeared again a week after that. Fremont officials said Thursday that she has not been found.

In November 1999, 21-year-old Alice Sin disappeared. Sin was four months pregnant and left behind a 1-year-old son. Her body was found in 2000 in the Nevada desert. She was found dead of gunshot wounds. That case is still unsolved.

Scripps-McClatchy Western Service contributed to this report.

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