Atwater woman questioned by Modesto police as trial proceeds in Redwood City
Friday, February 20, 2004
- The Modesto Bee
By Mike Conway and Garth Stapley
An Atwater woman says Modesto police questioned her Wednesday in connection with the deaths of Laci Peterson and her unborn, even as Scott Peterson’s murder trial is about to get under way.
The contact came the same day that Peterson’s attorney, in a Redwood City courtroom, berated authorities for withholding information that he said could clear his client.
The 30-year-old Atwater woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said Modesto police Detective Ray Coyle called to ask her where she was on Dec. 31, 2002 - one week after 27-year-old Laci Peterson was reported missing. “He asked if I knew Laci Peterson.”
Stanislaus County Chief Deputy District Attorney John Goold said Thursday that he could not confirm whether police continue to follow leads in the case, which was moved from Modesto to San Mateo County because of crushing media attention.
“I’m sure if there still is remaining investigation to do, they’re going to be out there doing it,” Goold said. “If they stop, the defense will complain that they stopped.”
The Atwater woman said she briefly lived in South Modesto in 2000 but didn’t know Scott or Laci Peterson.
The detective told her, “’Your name is one of the ones that came up,’” the woman said. “He said there were 300 people he had to check.”
The woman produced pay stubs indicating she was working in Texas on Dec. 31, 2002. The woman said she moved to Texas in June 2002 and didn’t return to Atwater until April.
She said she has no idea why authorities contacted her. She said Coyle told her some people he was checking were required to register with authorities because of convictions for certain sex crimes.
The woman admitted being a heavy drug user in the past with a history of auto theft. She said she was convicted of misdemeanor charges of annoying or molesting a child under 18, which requires her to check in regularly with police.
She said she served time in the Merced County Jail and in the women’s prison in Chowchilla, but none of her offenses was a violent crime.
“They better look at all the people with violent records,” she said. “I think they’re fishing for different people. I do have a record, but not that bad.”
The woman said Coyle asked if she would take a lie detector test regarding her whereabouts Dec. 31, 2002, and she said she would.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” she said.
The conversation ended without arranging a polygraph, she said.
The significance of Dec. 31 to the investigation remains unclear. More than a thousand people gathered that evening for a candlelight vigil for the missing mother-to-be, including her husband.
The day before, Scott Peterson’s girlfriend contacted police for the first time and agreed to cooperate with their investigation. Amber Frey, a Fresno massage therapist, said she didn’t know Peterson was married when they began dating in late November 2002, learning the truth in news reports.
Scott Peterson, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing his wife and their unborn son. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
Peterson’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, complained passionately Wednesday, saying authorities only this week handed over hundreds of pages of documents that he should have been given long ago.
Geragos said the documents listed seven people connected to the case, one of whom could provide information clearing Scott Peterson of murder. Geragos did not name any of the people, saying he did not want to run afoul of a gag order preventing trial participants from talking about evidence.
http://www.mercedsun-star.com/news/newsview.asp?c=96488Maybe that list of 300 was a list of Registered Sex offenders in the area that they were just rechecking. I still can't see that MPD would be that irresponsible that they would not check every CREDIBLE lead. This is a very high profile case, the Nation/World is watching. I don't think they would want to be liable for wrongful prosecution, negligence while investigating, or wasting the taxpayers money pursuing a case against a man wrongfully accused.
""Peterson’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, complained passionately Wednesday, saying authorities only this week handed over hundreds of pages of documents that he should have been given long ago.
Geragos said the documents listed seven people connected to the case, one of whom could provide information clearing Scott Peterson of murder. Geragos did not name any of the people, saying he did not want to run afoul of a gag order preventing trial participants from talking about evidence.""
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Complained, and states there are at least 7 others identified possible connected? Geeish, Geragos, produce them, fess up! ;o)<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<