Peterson seen driving to marina 3 times

Peterson seen driving to marina 3 times
Amber Frey not expected to testify at Modesto hearing

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Modesto -- Scott Peterson drove rental cars to the Berkeley Marina three times in the days after his pregnant wife disappeared, gazing at the water before returning home to Modesto, a detective testified Thursday.

Peterson spent only a couple of minutes each time at the marina, where he had told police he went fishing the day his wife, Laci Peterson, disappeared on Christmas Eve, Modesto police Detective Al Brocchini said. Officers who tailed the double-murder suspect saw him driving erratically at one point, as if trying to elude them, the detective said.

Peterson, 31, a former fertilizer salesman, has pleaded not guilty in the slayings of his wife and their unborn son, whose bodies washed ashore in April in Richmond, a few miles north of the marina.

Laci Peterson's body was clad in tan maternity pants and a 12- to 18-inch- long piece of duct tape was "attached to the groin area," Detective Philip Owen testified Thursday.

Also on Thursday, attorney Gloria Allred said her client Amber Frey, a Fresno massage therapist who was romantically involved with Peterson, will not testify at the preliminary hearing to determine whether Peterson is tried.

"I think that if she had been called to testify at this preliminary hearing, that the defense might have chosen to re-victimize her," Allred said.

Peterson visited the marina on Jan. 5, 6 and 9, Brocchini testified Thursday, and "stared out toward the bay" each time. While driving back to Modesto on Jan. 6, Peterson "began doing countersurveillance," making U-turns and stopping on the side of the road, Brocchini said.

But during cross-examination, defense attorney Mark Geragos asked the detective if he was aware that a Modesto newspaper had reported that divers were searching for Laci Peterson in San Francisco Bay on the same days Peterson visited the marina.

Geragos also noted that Peterson's truck had been impounded by police and suggested that his client had been driving in a way to shake off reporters. "You'd rather just come to the conclusion that it's suspicious because he's returning to the scene," Geragos said.

Brocchini also testified that Frey was introduced to Peterson after a friend of Frey's met the defendant at an agricultural conference in Anaheim. After the friend discovered that Peterson was married, she confronted him on Dec. 6. Sounding tearful, he said, "Look, I'm not married. I lost my wife. Let me break it to Amber," according to Brocchini. ..........

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By Harriet Ryan
Court TV
Thursday, November 13, 2003 Posted: 9:44 PM EST (0244 GMT)

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MODESTO, California (Court TV) -- Two weeks after his pregnant wife went missing, Scott Peterson made three suspicious trips to the bay where her body was ultimately found, a detective testified Thursday morning.

Modesto Police Detective Al Brocchini, the lead investigator in the disappearance of Laci Peterson, said surveillance teams tailed Peterson to the San Francisco Bay January 5, 6 and 9.

On each occasion, Peterson parked at the Berkeley Marina and "stared into the bay" for a few minutes before driving away, the detective told Superior Court Judge Al Girolami.

Peterson never took his own SUV on the trips and on two occasions rented vehicles immediately before setting out for the hour and a half-long drive, the detective testified. He also said that, when Peterson discovered police were following him as he returned from the Bay January 6, he began "driving erratically" in an effort to lose them.

Peterson is accused of killing his wife in their home and then dumping her body in the bay December 24. Her remains and those of the couple's unborn son washed up on the bay shore in April. Peterson insists he was on a fishing trip in the bay when his wife vanished and had nothing to do with her murder.

The description of Peterson's brief and strange bay visits was not the only damaging testimony the detective offered Thursday, his third day on the witness stand at Peterson's preliminary hearing.

The detective also related the account of Shawn Sibley, a business associate of Peterson and the matchmaker for his extramarital relationship with masseuse Amber Frey. Sibley told the detective that, when she met Peterson at an agribusiness conference in October, he told her he was single and begged her to set him up with one of her friends.

On December 6, a few weeks after Frey and Peterson began the affair, Sibley learned from a colleague that Peterson was married and confronted him, the detective testified.

"He said, 'Look, I'm not married. I lost my wife. Let me break it to Amber,'" Brocchini said. Sibley recalled Peterson sounding "extremely upset like he was crying," the detective said.

He later called back and said he had told Frey the truth: that he was a widow, the detective said.

Brocchini also cast doubt on the efforts of Peterson and his family to search for his wife. His parents and siblings established a separate tip line after becoming frustrated with the direction of the police investigation. Peterson, however, promised to turn over tips from the line to investigators. .......

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Amber Frey, right, who acknowledged an affair with Scott Peterson, will not testify at his hearing. By Jerome T. Nakagawa, AP

MODESTO, Calif. — Scott Peterson's former mistress won't testify at a hearing to decide whether he will stand trial for the murder of his wife and unborn son.

Massage therapist Amber Frey, who taped her phone conversations with Peterson for police after he became a suspect, had been the most eagerly awaited witness after eight days of testimony. She was on the prosecutors' witness list, but her lawyer, Gloria Allred, said late Thursday that prosecutors told her Frey won't be called.

Prosecutors apparently want to spare her from early cross-examination by Peterson's lawyers. She is certain to testify if Peterson goes to trial next year as expected.

Allred's bombshell came on a day when defense lawyers accused police of a single-minded focus on nailing the former fertilizer salesman for the murders, ignoring other possible explanations for Laci Peterson's Christmas Eve disappearance.

Defense lawyer Kirk McAllister contended that detective Al Brocchini tried to get Peterson fired from his job and told friends he was going "to take Scott Peterson down." Brocchini denied that, insisting that every tip was pursued. "My intent was to catch, not get, whoever got Laci," he said.

When prosecutors detailed how Peterson returned three times to the spot where they say he dumped his wife's body, the defense countered that there were innocent explanations.

Brocchini said police tailed Peterson when he drove from his home here to San Francisco Bay three times in January. Once there, he got out of his car, stared briefly at the water, then left.

Prosecutors believe Peterson killed his pregnant wife and dumped her body in the bay. They'll try to prove that his purchase of a fishing boat two weeks before she vanished is evidence he planned the crime in advance. They're seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutor Rick Distaso sought to show that Peterson returned to where they allege he dumped her body, 85 miles from his home, on Jan. 5, 6 and 9.

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) Nov. 13 (AP) — A lawyer for Scott Peterson's former mistress says she will not take the stand during his preliminary hearing.

Attorney Gloria Allred says that prosecutors have decided not to call Fresno massage therapist Amber Frey to testify in the hearing that will determine if Peterson stands trial in the killings of his wife and unborn son.

Allred says prosecutors determined they have presented enough evidence without Frey.

A detective testified that Frey called police about a week after Laci Peterson vanished to say she had been romantically ........

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Amber Frey will not take stand in preliminary hearing MODESTO POLICE WERE SUSPICIOUS OF PETERSON FROM THE BEGINNING

MODESTO - Three times within days of Laci Peterson's disappearance, Scott Peterson drove a rented car 90 miles to the Berkeley Marina -- the place police believe Peterson dumped his pregnant wife's body after killing her -- looked out across the water for a couple of minutes, then drove home without speaking to a soul, a detective testified Thursday.

The testimony from Modesto police Det. Al Brocchini implied that Peterson, not realizing he was being tailed by police, returned to the bay in early January to see if Laci's body had surfaced. But Peterson's defense lawyer said the trips to the marina were innocent -- he was simply a concerned husband checking up on the search effort by divers there. And although he was driving his wife's Land Rover around Modesto, he rented a car because his own truck had been impounded by police.

• Prosecutors decided they would not call Peterson's mistress, Fresno massage therapist Amber Frey, to the stand during the preliminary hearing, held to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to make Peterson stand trial for the deaths of his wife and unborn son. She could still testify at trial, however.

• Brocchini described how Peterson, a 31-year-old fertilizer salesman, was a married man on the prowl, asking a woman he met at a convention to set him up with one of her friends. That's how he got Frey's phone number and began the affair.

• The detective testified that Peterson had obtained a fishing license dated Dec. 23 and 24, casting doubt on the suspect's statements that he had planned to play golf the day his wife disappeared -- Dec. 24 -- and only changed his mind that morning to go fishing instead.

• Testimony revealed that Laci's body, which washed up along the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay last April, had remnants of tan maternity pants -- pants her sister has testified Laci was wearing the night before Christmas Eve, not the black pair her husband said she was wearing when he left the house Christmas Eve morning. The remains also were wrapped with duct tape around the groin area -- testimony that sent Laci's mother and close friends out of the courtroom near tears.

Police believe Peterson killed his wife sometime late Dec. 23 or early Dec. 24, put her body in his fishing boat, towed it to the Berkeley Marina, and dumped it in the bay early Christmas Eve morning. The bodies washed up separately months later about a mile north of the marina..........

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MODESTO, Calif. — Scott Peterson (search) has admitted to family members and friends that he cheated on his wife, Laci Peterson (search), at least four times with different women, Fox News has learned.

One relative, who does not believe Peterson is guilty of murder, described him as a sex addict.

"He has a sexual problem and has a need to sleep with other women," the relative told Fox News.

Scott Peterson's family has contended that his wife was aware of the affairs, and that although she would get angry she'd eventually put them behind her. Peterson's mother has told relatives and friends that she knew her daughter-in-law was aware of at least one affair, and that she once saw the couple arguing over it.

Amber Frey (search), a 28-year-old single mother and massage therapist, came forward as Peterson's lover shortly after his arrest in April for the murders of Laci and their unborn child. She has maintained that she did not know that Peterson was married, and that she knew nothing about the murders.

Peterson has told his family that his relationship with Frey, who is expected to testify in his preliminary hearing, was "strictly a physical relationship."

Laci Peterson's family has said they don't believe she knew about her husband’s indiscretions, Frey included.

Fox News has also learned that Scott Peterson's parents have sold old cars and refinanced their house to help pay the $1 million cost of their son's defense by high-profile attorney Mark Geragos (search).

Testimony continued Tuesday in the preliminary hearing to determine if Peterson, a former fertilizer salesman, will stand trial on two counts of murder.

Peterson has read almost 10,000 pages of the discovery material in the case while he sits behind bars.

He also spends his days doing yoga and making items out of toothpaste and toilet paper in his cell, where he has placed four or five photos of Laci, including one of the young woman sitting in a toy car during her pregnancy, sources told Fox News.

A police officer said Tuesday that he saw a bucket and mops in plain sight in front of the Peterson home as officers began investigating his pregnant wife's disappearance. ......

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November 14, 2003 -- MODESTO, Calif. - Double murder suspect Scott Peterson made several suspicious trips to the waterfront where cops believe he dumped the body of his murdered wife, a detective testified yesterday. Modesto Detective Al Brocchini said investigators in January watched Peterson drive at least three times from Modesto to the Berkeley marina where he claims he set out on a solo fishing trip Christmas Eve, the night his pregnant wife, Laci, vanished.

Defense lawyer Mark Geragos admitted Peterson took the trips, but only to see police dive teams looking for Laci's body.

Meanwhile, Peterson's former mistress Amber Frey won't be called to testify at his .......

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MODESTO, Calif. -- Scott Peterson's former mistress Amber Frey, rumored to be the centerpiece of the double murder case against the Modesto fertilizer salesman, will not testify at the preliminary hearing.

Frey's lawyer, Gloria Allred, said prosecutors "obviously made a determination" they have presented enough evidence to convince a judge to order Peterson to stand trial for the murder of his wife, Laci, and his unborn son.

Meanwhile, Modesto Police Det. Al Brocchini testified that police received a tip that a man who looked like Scott Peterson was seen driving toward San Francisco Bay before dawn Dec. 24 hauling a boat containing a blanket-swaddled bundle.

Brocchini said he got the tip Jan. 9 and anonymously relayed it in February to a hot line established by Scott Peterson and his family to see if they would pass the clue on to police.

"We weren't sure if he was culling out tips that were on him or on Laci sightings that we didn't know about," Brocchini said. "I was worried a good tip would come in and wouldn't get followed up on."

He said the Petersons never passed the message on to police, who had already investigated the tip. Brocchini said he interviewed the witness, but revealed nothing else about the man.

The testimony came on the eighth day of Peterson's preliminary hearing as prosecutors attempt to show there is enough evidence to have the 31-year-old fertilizer salesman tried on murder charges in the slayings of his wife and unborn son.<.......

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Yes, I do suspect that, hergus. MPD from the beginning could have said a little more than they told the public. Their posture was that "lives could be in danger", that "they were being very methodical", but when they take that position, they only made more interested people curious and suspicious.

Now, we're learning that they had tips that they should have followed up on. Any tip about that park or neighborhood should have had a thorough investigation, IMO. It should have been a priority. How "methodical" is that?

Laci starts her walk in the park at 9:30 a.m.

How could this be??scott said she was mopping the floor at 9:30..............and then was gonna go shopping and then walk the dog huummmm seems he knew more about what she was gonna do then what laci knew he was gonna do

Homer Maldonado reports that he saw her between 9:45 and 10:00am in front of 211 Covena.

Mike Chiavetta sees her at the park at 10:45am, changes his timeline later to sighting at 10:30am, then tells Greta about 9:45am.

Campos sees her at 10:45am at the far end of the park, near the hospital about a 20 minute walk (for Greta) from the Covena home.

Vivian Mitchell sees her between 10:00 and 10:15am, 10 plus blocks away from the park.

***In November, Laci complains to her doctor's office that she is short of breath when she walks.***

I'm guessing that since her keys were found in her closet, we'll learn that the house was unlocked at trial

You are exactly right, RR. Early in the testimony (so it must have been Officer--now Detective--Evers' testimony) we are told that Scott said he returned to find the French doors unlocked.

Greta and Laura were a bit winded after making the walk from the Campos sighting site, to Laci's house?

But, you see, Laci just really hustled along that morning, with her rather widened pelvis and her spirited dog. "Gotta get going, I've got an appointment with two dirty men that anyone in their right mind would turn around and run from if they saw!"

This Campo woman's story is also subject to the work records. Many supervisors are very well aware of when their employees take breaks, and how long the breaks last. Whatever the woman's work was, there might be a record of when she was doing work that day, and when she was "away from her desk" or away from her mop, or away from whatever tools of her trade.

And the men are saying, "Shut your f---ing dog up"? Maybe some of those homeless might say that to someone whose dog barked at them. But if the dog is barking furiously, I don't see how they simultaneously just walked up and took possession of the dog's owner. If they got her, there in the park, how did Laci's body get to the Bay? Did the two dirty-looking men put her in their 2003 SUV and drive her there?

So Campos did say 10:50 a.m. several times. Whether she ever said 9:50, well, where's the proof that she did say that? (I don't think Mr. Geragos' testimony qualifies as proof that she said 9:50.)

Also, does this mean that this witness was definitely alone while taking her smoke break? There were a lot of butts in that ashtray Greta showed. I find it hard to believe there wasn't another person or two also taking their break there. And Campos sees this scene happen, with this pregnant woman being cursed at, and does NOTHING??? She's got a chainlink fence protecting her from the men... she doesn't even yell out?

I know, I can't forget Geragos' past performances whenever I see him on TV. In particular, I can't forget how his major tactic in defending the fat-hipped ex-Rapist-in-Chief on TV consisted of simply talking over other people. Just talked right over what they were saying, on and on, until they shut up.

Here we have a classic case of why police don't always want to release ALL the information on a crime while they are investigating it: they have to weed out the nuts and fame-seekers and overeager persons who just want a brush with "something important". These cops were taciturn about the case; Scott and the family put out Scott's story from the get-go. I'm sure the family was just doing it at the time b/c they weren't sure initially if there was foul play, and they were keeping their hopes up.

Then the fame-seekers and overeager persons come forward, with stories that dovetail beautifully into that initial account. But they can be easily weeded out when the other details--the details police kept to themselves--are later revealed.

So some of those people that the police "carelessly didn't bother to follow up on" had already been eliminated by the police themselves, b/c they knew so many details early on that the public didn't know.

Geragos did not cite one instance where the 9:45an time was used by Ms. Campos.

Really?? You mean he couldn't even show her to have said it ONCE??? Then he was throwing out stuff in his questions that didn't agree with the testimony that must have been previously given. "Assuming a fact not in evidence".

You're right, that looks desperate. And any judge knows the difference btw what counsel says, and what the witness says.

And why did the witness not scream or call security? People usually come running to help a pregnant woman--at least, that was my experience. The witness was protected by a chainlink fence and the near presence of her co-workers. So she could have screamed. Or she could have quietly alerted her employer's security staff.

Oh, and then the body ends up 90 miles away in the Bay. Well, probably Dirty and Skeeter strapped this dead pregnant woman to the back of a Harley and took her there right then.

You two got it right. We mustn't forget that Geragos and Greta are big buddies, both politically and professionally. Just as before the gag order, Geragos is feeding info (in this case, erroneous info) to his media buddies, and they are dutifully putting it out there. Case closed.

They keep some information under their hats at first so that they can easily eliminate nuts and publicity-seekers who come to them. That is a solid rule of investigative work. It cuts down the amount of material they have to follow up on--it allows them to prioritize the many tips they receive, by seeing which are more probable and putting those first.

Plus, how are they supposed to follow up on tips when the Petersons are running a tipline of their own which BURIES tips and doesn't turn them over to police??

I know, I can't forget Geragos' past performances...

Ah yes. The modes operandi of one Markarios Gregarios. Is he not infamous for making sensational courtroom claims that are later shown to be total fabrication?

SOS. He's about due for a sanction call.

He sure looks guilty in my book, too, but it bothers me that so much of this info was leaked to the press, and that everyone knew where he had gone fishing. If anyone ever wanted to set up this jerk, or cast suspicions on this jerk, the police sure helped....

"If they got her, there in the park, how did Laci's body get to the Bay? Did the two dirty-looking men put her in their 2003 SUV and drive her there?"

I think I'm done with all of the talking head shows. They latch on to one thing, take it out of context, and fail to thoroughly analyze it. They talked about the importance of this witness but failed to point out various factors such as the one you mentioned. A good share of the time it appears that these talking heads haven't even read the transcripts, or the news reports for that matter.

"He sure looks guilty in my book, too, but it bothers me that so much of this info was leaked to the press, and that everyone knew where he had gone fishing. If anyone ever wanted to set up this jerk, or cast suspicions on this jerk, the police sure helped...."

Good point...but...why would someone want to set him up? If this is what Geragos wants to argue then he is going to have to come up with an answer to this question. (I know the defense technically doesn't have to prove anything, however, I think a jury will want some kind of reasonable answer to this question.)

They latch on to one thing, take it out of context, and fail to thoroughly analyze it.

Exactly! These talking head shows are passion plays for the middle class. (Um, that would be... us.) They assign the roles of good guys and bad guys. And we cheer or jeer from the pit.

And embedded in the middle of these little theatrical productions are whatever messages they want to get out to the public. Such as, whatever messages Geragos might want to see thrown out there, to help him sway his jury later on.

why would someone want to set him up?

Sandylapper is the only one who has even a halfway decent hypothetical answer to this question: that Scott hired someone else to do Laci in, that he didn't pay them or didn't pay them enough, and that they turned around and put the murder on him.

Which scenario, if true, STILL MAKES SCOTT GUILTY OF CAPITAL MURDER.

I don't believe the scenario (no offense, Sandy) but at least it's an explanation of sorts. Which is more than we've gotten out of the defense, during this prelim, as they cast their nets out and just expect that judge to believe that someone gratuitously went to all the trouble of setting up this insignificant manure salesman.

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