Fresno Bee story
Peterson preliminary hearing today
By Brian Melley
Associated Press
(Published Wednesday, October 29, 2003, 5:42 AM)
Ten months after Laci Peterson vanished without a trace from her Modesto home, prosecutors prepared to show that her husband killed her and their unborn son nearly four months before they washed up in San Francisco Bay. The long-awaited preliminary hearing starting today in Stanislaus County Superior Court will determine whether Scott Peterson, a former fertilizer salesman, stands trial on two counts of first-degree murder and whether prosecutors will be able to pursue the death penalty.
The hearing is expected to reveal the most detail to date of the evidence amassed by investigators in the case that riveted the nation after the substitute teacher disappeared Christmas Eve.
Scott Peterson reported his wife missing when he returned home from a solo fishing trip near Berkeley. The case was portrayed as an American tragedy, with Laci Peterson's smile beaming from photos and videos. The expectant parents seemed like the All-American couple until Scott Peterson's paramour surfaced and he admitted having an extramarital affair.
After Peterson and other family members led hundreds of volunteers to search canals, reservoirs and wildlands in the Central Valley, the decomposed remains of the mother-to-be and her fetus were found in April by dog walkers, within miles of where Peterson said he had been fishing Dec. 24.
While the four-month mystery inspired around-the-clock cable news coverage and generated headlines around the world, the arrest and subsequent hearings did little to unveil what clues led investigators to suspect her husband from the beginning.
Leaks led Judge Al Girolami to muzzle players in the case and he sealed most of the police records outlining theories and evidence in order to protect Peterson's right to a fair trial.
Peterson, 31, has pleaded innocent to two counts of murder and special circumstances that could lead to his execution for the death of his 27-year-old wife, who was eight months pregnant with a boy they planned to name Conner. He has been held without bail since he was arrested in San Diego County, near the Mexico border, with his hair bleached and $10,000 cash.
Defense lawyer Mark Geragos has said he would not only prove Peterson innocent, but also would find the "real killers," a pledge that has led to suggestions that a satanic cult may have .......
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I believe KFBK will do many updates, or live in the court.....not sure...