Detective: Peterson told lover he was a widower weeks before wife disappeared
Peterson allegedly called mistress Amber Frey nearly daily after his wife disappeared
"By Harriet Ryan
Court TV
MODESTO, Calif. — Two weeks before his pregnant wife disappeared on Christmas Eve, Scott Peterson told his new mistress he was a recent widower who would be spending his first holiday alone, a detective testified Thursday.
That same day, Peterson paid cash for the small boat prosecutors believe he used to dump Laci Peterson's body in the San Francisco Bay.
Those revelations were two of several bombshells from Modesto Police Detective Al Brocchini, the lead detective in the case.
Brocchini also told Superior Court Judge Al Girolami that Peterson placed affectionate calls to the mistress, massage therapist Amber Frey, in the days immediately after his wife vanished, promising they would soon be together.
"She heard from him on the 25th, the 26th, the 27th, the 28th ... saying he was out of the country and would be able to be with her more exclusively like Jan. 25th," Brocchini said.
The detective interviewed Frey Dec. 30 after she called a tip-line to report her relationship with the 31-year-old fertilizer salesman. Frey, who first met Peterson Nov. 20, may take the stand next week in the preliminary hearing to determine whether Peterson will be tried for the murder of his wife and unborn son.
In addition, Brocchini testified that:
Peterson said his wife was mopping the kitchen as he left to go fishing on Dec. 24. Investigators found a damp mop and bucket outside the front door, but a maid previously testified that she mopped the entire home the day before and said Laci Peterson didn't usually clean between her visits. Relatives have said that at nearly eight months pregnant, Laci Peterson was frequently weak and tired.
In San Diego, Peterson used a fake name when buying the used Mercedes that he was driving when arrested. The previous owner told Brocchini that Peterson paid in 36 $100 bills and gave his mother's name, Jacqueline, instead of his own. When the owner raised an eyebrow, Peterson said, "It was a 'Boy Named Sue' kinda thing." Officers found a hamper full of dirty clothes in the couple's bedroom on Dec. 24, but only three items in the washer — the clothes Peterson said he had worn fishing. Prosecutors have suggested Peterson cleaned up evidence of his wife's murder before reporting her missing.
When detectives asked about the specifics of his boat trip, Peterson said he had trolled for fish in shallow water strewn with trash, a seemingly improbable fishing technique.
Police found a loaded semiautomatic handgun in the glove compartment of Peterson's truck.
Brocchini also recounted remarks by Peterson that struck him as inappropriate for a man supposedly worried about his missing wife. Only a few hours into the investigation, as officers examined his truck, Peterson expressed concerns the investigators might "ding" the vehicle door. Later that night, he asked officers photographing the warehouse where he worked not to tell his boss that he kept the boat there.">
<<<<<<<<<< "Officers found a hamper full of dirty clothes in the couple's bedroom on Dec. 24, but only three items in the washer — the clothes Peterson said he had worn fishing. Prosecutors have suggested Peterson cleaned up evidence of his wife's murder before reporting her missing.
When detectives asked about the specifics of his boat trip, Peterson said he had trolled for fish in shallow water strewn with trash, a seemingly improbable fishing technique. >>>>>>>>>
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