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Friend: Peterson was frantic
The Modesto Bee ^
| 12/05/03
| Garth stapely
Posted on 12/08/2003 5:52:00 AM PST by runningbear
Friend: Peterson was frantic
Friend: Peterson was frantic
By GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: December 5, 2003, 07:25:21 AM PST
Scott Peterson sounded frantic when he called a friend after Peterson's pregnant wife disappeared Christmas Eve, Modesto businessman Gregory Reed said Thursday. Reed's name surfaced in the intrigue-packed preliminary hearing for Scott Peterson. The hearing ended Nov. 18 with a judge ordering the 31-year-old former fertilizer salesman to stand trial on charges of slaying Laci Peterson and their unborn son, Conner.
Other former acquaintances of the defendant, also mentioned at the proceeding, refused to comment.
Reed and his wife, Kristen, held private Lamaze sessions attended by the Petersons, who lived a few blocks away in the La Loma neighborhood. Gregory Reed previously said the Petersons brought meals and visited after the Reeds' child was born.
"They were good people," Reed said Thursday.
At the preliminary hearing, detectives testified that on the night of Dec. 24, Scott Peterson told them he fished alone briefly that day in San Francisco Bay. Peterson said his wife, who had been planning to walk their dog when he left, was gone when he returned.
Prosecutors contend that Peterson used his pickup to transport the body of his wife to his work warehouse and then to the bay.
Steve Jacobson, a prosecution investigator, testified that Peterson used his cell phone to call Reed shortly after leaving the Berkeley Marina on Dec. 24, and again later that evening. There was nothing unusual about the first call, Reed said.
"I could tell he was driving," Reed said, "but I don't know where. I could hear road noise and feedback.
"A few hours later I did get that frantic phone call. I caught up with him and went over to the house."
Family members, friends and neighbors gathered that night to post fliers and search for the mother-to-be.
Peterson's attorney, Mark Geragos of Los Angeles, appeared at the hearing to draw the image of a man concerned at having returned to an empty house. Jacobson confirmed that Peterson made numerous calls the evening of Dec. 24, including several to his wife's mother, Sharon Rocha, and sister, Amy Rocha, and later to 911........
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Taping calls is legally tricky
By GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: December 6, 2003, 07:01:58 AM PST
Amber Frey secretly taped her phone conversations with suspected double-murderer Scott Peterson, but such an action is only legal under very specific circumstances. Recording calls is against the law in California -- unless the one taping gets the other person's consent. Another law permits covert recording to gather evidence of certain crimes, including murder.
That's how Frey did it. In fact, she had help from detectives who bought her a recording device and showed her how to use it -- hoping she could extract evidence from her boyfriend.
Peterson, 31, is scheduled to stand trial Jan. 26 on charges of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
In a preliminary hearing last month, authorities suggested that the defendant's romance with Frey may have provided him with a motive to kill his wife.
Frey approached Modesto police on Dec. 30, six days after Laci Peterson went missing, and began cooperating with authorities. Detective Al Brocchini testified that he gave her taping equipment that same day.
Brocchini said he bought some of it at Radio Shack. The store sells a "recorder control" for $24.19 -- with a caution urging buyers to check local laws because taping without consent is illegal in some states.
Questioning from a defense attorney suggested that Frey had begun taping their calls on her own as of Dec. 16.
In any case, she continued recording their calls for about seven weeks. Transcripts from one featured Peterson saying he was "longing to hold onto" Frey; he repeatedly deflected questions about having previously lied about his wife and unborn baby.
Authorities also obtained wiretap warrants for Peterson's cell phones allowing them to record all of his calls. Those recordings were not discussed at the preliminary hearing, though prosecutors reserved the option of introducing that evidence at trial.
Before 1967, anyone in California could tape a phone chat without fear of going afoul of the law. But state legislators that year adopted a series of eavesdropping statutes, including one prohibiting one-party-consent recording.
"To me, it's just offensive that people record conversations, in terms of .......
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Superior Court, Stanislaus County December 5, 2003
Minute Order: Findings on Sealing Orders
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Superior Court, Stanislaus County December 5, 2003
Minute Order: Correction to Minute Order of 12/3/03.....
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(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: avoidingchildsupport; baby; babyunborn; conner; deathpenaltytime; dontubelievemyalibi; faker; getarope; ibefishing; laci; lacipeterson; liar; nohewasnt; phony; phonybologna; smallbaby; smallchild; sonkiller; unborn; wifekiller
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To: Velveeta
I have that site bookmarked, and yes, that's what I was thinking of. But I hadn't realized that what I was thinking of wasn't on page 1 of the site. If you go to that site, you'll see "Magazine Articles" and they have them arranged in two categories--I think it's before Sept., and after Sept. If you click on after Sept., it takes you to what I remembered--a whole bunch of tabloid articles, including some from October.
It lists an NE article from Nov. 1. So I take that to mean that there WASN'T an NE article from Oct. 28? Does this mean we're looking for an article but we have its date wrong? The only two tabloid articles this site lists for October are Oct. 7, and Oct. 14.
I don't see any article from NE or any other tabloid listed for Oct. 28!
To: MaggieMay; All
Hi all... been a little busy this week. Thanks Maggie... much appreciate postiing. I'll have a little more time tomorrow morning, then it is 'hit n miss' sort to say til Monday, the 22nd.... I'll be back... ;o)
362
posted on
12/16/2003 5:19:27 AM PST
by
runningbear
(Lurkers beware, Freeping is public opinions based on facts, theories, and news online.......)
To: runningbear
Hi runningbear!! Are you a Mrs. yet?
Merry Christmas in advance!
To: Devil_Anse; Velveeta
364
posted on
12/16/2003 5:32:22 AM PST
by
maggief
To: Devil_Anse
It's a mystery! Rickamorti misses one week of posting the NE article and we're befuddled. LOL
To: maggiefluffs
Thanks Maggie, but that link just leads you to the current discussion. Is there any chance that you could cut and paste the article?
To: Velveeta; Devil_Anse
I found this at WS, though it's only a summary:
Title: New Laci Murder Breakthrough: The 300 Calls that Will Nail Scott!
Subtitle: Amber Tapes will Nail Laci's Husband
Summary:
Amber went to "amazing lengths to help police nab (Scott) for the murder of his pregant wife Laci...secretly setting a trap to lure
him into taking a lie detector test he'd been dodging!"
Enquirer's learned the content of the 300 calls.
Amber sought to "trap (Scott) into taking the poly test to 'prove' to her his innocence".
Amber is called the "most important civilian witness in this case" per Craig Silverman, legal expert from Denver (take that J. Weintraub!!) Says jury will "hate his guts" when they hear how obsessed he was with Amber will pretending to look for Laci.
Says Amber and the tapes provide a motive. Show that Scott lies when it suits his purpose.
Poly sting was set-up in "a flurry of phone calls between Amber, her LE handlers and a leading poly examiner" over a 17 hour period ending 02/01 (didn't he leave for Mexico the next day??) Laci had been missing for 6 weeks at this point.
Scott didn't know Amber was working with LE. Says Amber was constantly "quizzing" Scott during the calls and was "loosely following an FBI script and asking him more and more pointedly whether he had anything to do with Laci's disappearance."
01/31/03 is when detectives decided to "move things along a little faster". At 7:06pm Scott called Amber and they talked for 25 minutes. 6 minutes after that call ended, he called her again. At this point, Amber told Scott "you keep telling me how much you love me and want to be with me. But I have to know that you had nothing to do with Laci's disappearance." She took a deep breath and then went on: "Will you take a lie detector test and put my mind at rest once and for all?"
Says Scott hesitated and the call ended at 7:49pm. Within seconds, Amber called Det. Buehler. She called the Det. a 2nd time and then after that call, she called Scott. During this call, which ended at 11:59pm, she "played her trump card". She told Scott, "If you'll take the poly, I'll come with you and take one to prove that I knew nothing about what has happened". Amber knew she had nothing to fear from the poly, she already passed one on 12/30. After this call to Scott, she called the Det. back. Her and the detective talked again the next a.m. Both were confident enough to call a poly examiner and set up the test.
After her talk with Det. Buehler, she called Melvin King at 9:19 a.m. She called the Det. again and then Scott at 9:36a.m and the Det. again within minutes of hanging up with Scott.
Says the detectives were "elated". Two undercover cops were already in Fresno, ready to bust Scott if he revealed what they hoped.........
Says Scott got "cold feet". Even though Amber approached taking the test casually with him, she knew he had already declined police previous requests. Says at first he went along with Amber's suggestion about taking the test (that's when they called Melvin King), then when she called Scott to say she was on the way to take the test, he told her he was gonna do it but his " lawyers say I can't. The police are trying to frame me."
Melvin King is under the gag order. (meaning he will be/may be called as a witness).
65 of Scott's calls, totaling more than 3.5 hours, were made during the period when "the supposedly grieving husband was denying to LE that he had ever been unfaithful."
Says he shared 2 romantic calls with amber just before he joined the Rochas/Grantskis at the candelight vigial. The calls were at 11:42 a.m and 2:59pm on New Year's Eve. Says on this date he was still pretending to be a widower!!!!!!! and telling Amber he loved her. Says Amber "had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming "you liar!'".
12/20 was last time Amber saw Scott and he told her he was going to Maine to spend Xmas with his family there. So, assuming he was in Maine, she called him at 8:23 a.m. Xmas day wish him a Merry Xmas. NE says no family in Maine, editorialize that he "invented a family there".
Says on 12/30, Amber finally "found out from a friend" that Scott had a pregnant wife who was missing. That's the day she went to LE.
Amber was under instructions from day 1 to "not let Scott know she knew he had a missing wife--and in both calls he acted lovey-dovey, as if nothing had happened."
Right after vigil, Scott "made it clear that he was planning to flee the country". He asked Amber to think about moving to Europe with him and live with him there!!!!!!!
01/05 Amber got Scott to admit he was the husband of Laci. Says Amber blew up at him for lying and letting her think they had a future. Says her burst of anger "dismayed her police handlers, who worried that Scott's phone calls would end and they would loose their best link to the chief suspect."
Phone logs show Amber and Scott didn't talk for 2 days after. Then, she called him and it lasted 1 hr. and 20 min. She got Scott "back on the hook".
367
posted on
12/16/2003 6:17:21 AM PST
by
maggief
To: maggiefluffs
Thanks! Even though it's a summary like the other article, there's no mention of conversations *about* Cory Carroll between Amber and Scott.
To: maggiefluffs
Yes, thanks for posting that! A good refresher!
Nothing in it about Cory Carroll. The reason we were looking for the article was b/c there was a misperception that Cory Carroll had been discussed or mentioned in a conversation btw Amber and Scott, but that is an error.
I, for one, do not think that Amber knew of Carroll's existence, much less knew him. And it still remains to be seen whether Carroll ever met Scott at all.
To: Devil_Anse
370
posted on
12/16/2003 7:26:28 AM PST
by
maggief
To: maggiefluffs
Thanks. Both articles do indeed say that Amber learned of Carroll, and his allegations, around September. I believe it.
But a skeptic will say that she was just pretending that she first learned of them then. :)
To: Devil_Anse
not yet... Saturday.. yeow!!!... lol.. After 2 pm... heehee..
372
posted on
12/16/2003 8:01:38 AM PST
by
runningbear
(Lurkers beware, Freeping is public opinions based on facts, theories, and news online.......)
To: runningbear
I'd like to join those wishing you much happiness in your new life. Love truly can be "more loverly" the second time around. Speaking from experience here. Don't forget "us" though.
To: Devil_Anse
I watched it too!! Only when they appealed to his "pride" or "arrogance" by having him declared a "serial" killer would he give up the rest of the info. He didn't think he was important enough if he was just a killer.
374
posted on
12/16/2003 11:34:26 AM PST
by
Canadian Outrage
(All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
To: Canadian Outrage
And just a half hour ago I was watching some of a documentary on Gary Ridgway, Green River killer. I know several people here have seen that one. One thing I noticed was when they said, "Ridgway was not happy at the birth of his first child, a son. Because of the pregnancy and birth, his wife was not available to him as much as she had been."
Hmmm. Sounds familiar.
To: Devil_Anse
Yeah sounds familiar!! These are ALL self-absorbed, self-centred, me myself & I types. I'd like to heard a bunch of them into a pen (ie: trapped ) and then get out my gun and pick them off one by one. Nowhere to run or hide. Let these useless wastes of skin feel the terro they inflict on others.
376
posted on
12/16/2003 8:38:17 PM PST
by
Canadian Outrage
(All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
To: Canadian Outrage
No argument there--as long as we include pedophiles.
To: Devil_Anse
But of course - they definitely deserve to be included.
378
posted on
12/16/2003 9:45:08 PM PST
by
Canadian Outrage
(All us Western Canuks belong South!!)
To: Canadian Outrage; Devil_Anse; Velveeta; Sandylapper; MaggieMay; All
I heard real briefly on Greta last night that the judge in Amber's lawsuit rulled that it will proceed. I'll go look for a link.
379
posted on
12/17/2003 6:05:15 AM PST
by
Jackie-O
("The horror...the horror"- Col. Kurtz)
To: Jackie-O
I'm just getting caught up on the posts of the past few days now.
Sorry for what you have been through - fortunately you managed to get to full term with your pregnancy.
You could be right - Laci may have been having some sort of pains. I have always wondered why Scott would have taped her up exactly the way he did, and now with the mention of the draw string of her pants being pulled so tightly - it does seem like Scott feared the baby might be coming sooner then expected.
380
posted on
12/17/2003 3:22:54 PM PST
by
Cloe
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