Justin Falconer, previously known to the world as Juror No. 5 in the Scott Peterson murder trial, speaks with the media after he was kicked off the jury Wednesday.
JOHN GREEN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted on 06/24/2004 5:54:22 AM PDT by runningbear
MODESTO False alarm near ex-Peterson home
MODESTO False alarm near ex-Peterson home
Charlie Goodyear
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
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When a group of children reported hearing screams and seeing a woman's body in a creek not far from the former home of Scott and Laci Peterson, police in Modesto geared up for the worst Tuesday night.
A short time later, authorities, using a helicopter and searchers on the ground, found what had prompted the scare -- a large beaver.
The false alarm came in around 8:30 p.m. with disturbing details. The children, at least one of whom was 11 years old, said a dark-haired woman's body, clothed in a ripped white shirt, was floating in Modesto's Dry Creek........
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Peterson's account of events is attacked
His wife's pregnancy ended her walks in the park, friends testify.
By John Cote and Garth Stapley -- Modesto Bee
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, June 22, 2004
REDWOOD CITY - A string of prosecution witnesses testified Monday that Laci Peterson frequently complained of fatigue and had pledged to give up exercise walks in the weeks before her disappearance. Scott Peterson claims his wife planned to walk the couple's dog the morning he left for a solo fishing trip and returned to an empty home.........
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Juror dismissed from panel
By Jason Dearen
Snip it:
"Breaks in the case
The major break for detectives came in late December, when Amber Frey called the Modesto Police Department's tip line. "I was standing behind the clerk's desk; she was typing in a claim from someone claiming to be his girlfriend," Brocchini said.
Brocchini and another detective drove to Frey's house to check her story. Moments later they were at a Radio Shack, purchasing a recording device for her cell phone.
"I told her not to tell (Peterson) you are working with the police. Just let him keep talking to you ..." Brocchini said. Distaso asked how long it took for Frey to record a call.
"She recorded a conversation while we were there," he said.
The other break came while studying a photograph of Scott Peterson's boat two months after it was taken. For the firs time, Brocchini noticed a pair of pliers with a hair attached resting on the boat's bottom. The hair discovery "was kind of an exciting moment for us," said Brocchini. That hair has not been identified as Laci's, but has been excluded by DNA testing from belonging to Peterson.
At one point in the video, Brocchini tried to confuse Peterson but had the tactic backfire. Peterson said he made two calls to Laci from the marina that day, one at 2:17 p.m. and another on his way home around 4:30 p.m. "I have a couple of concerns. One is from the cell phone call at 12:17, you said 2:17 but the time stamp (on Peterson's cell phone) says 12:17," Brocchini says in an accusatory tone.
Peterson grabs the cell phone and checks the time stamp. After checking he tells Brocchini he mixed up the times. "You said it," Peterson said. With a slight pause to look at his notes, Brocchini admits, "Yeah, you're right."".....
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Juror No. 5 removed, motion for mistrial denied
Justin Falconer, previously known to the world as Juror No. 5 in the Scott Peterson murder trial, speaks with the media after he was kicked off the jury Wednesday.
JOHN GREEN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Snip it:
"Falconer said he would not vote to convict Peterson of murdering his wife, Laci, an unborn son, Conner, from the testimony so far presented. Speaking to a media throng outside the courthouse, he declined to comment on whether other jurors felt similarly. "
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
>>Would YOU engage a random person you'd just met, to be your dog-walker, giving her a key to your house? I wouldn't!
I mean, I might go to someone who had advertised a dog-walking service, but I wouldn't just get someone I'd just met, who was not in the "dog-walking business", so to speak. And I think I'd find a way to do it w/o giving them a key to the house, if I knew I was going out of town!<,
Wouldn't you be even more careful of strangers than usual if you thought that your wife had been abducted??? Doesn't make since that he would even let a stranger get close to him!!! IMHO
>>but I got banned yet again at CTV last night.........LOL.<<
Way to go!! GRIN!!
You BET Geragos has got people doing spinning for him on TV!
He is, IMO, far more concerned about his public persona, than he is about anything else. Why else would he care so much what the media are saying, when the jury isn't supposed to see ANY of that? And Geragos IS concerned about the media--he thinks they are terribly misrepresenting the whole thing, he said so on the record, in a conference in the judge's chambers.
Hey, Meg, about the boat having supposedly been "a present for Ron"... I've heard that, too.
Okay, so suppose this young couple got this $1400 boat as a present for step-dad. So, where are the comparable presents for the rest of the family, such as for Laci's mom? Did they get similarly impressive presents for HER? And for Brent and Amy and Dennis, and for Lee and Jackie?
Would've cost them a nice chunk of change if they did.
What was so special about Ron? Frankly, I got the impression from Brent's or maybe Amy's testimony that Ron wasn't necessarily the kids' favorite parent of all time. I don't mean they didn't like him, I just mean that it seems that they preferred their own biological parents. So, wouldn't they have given said biological parents gifts which were at least as spectacular as the fishing boat?
I was older than Laci was during my pregnancies, and I never got to the point where I had to be wheeled around in a wheelchair--
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I had a bad experience with my twins. I sneezed one time at the end and pulled a muscle in my back and I was front heavy and I realized the importance of back muscles then. I had to be pushed out of bed to potty often at night "we" didn't get much sleep toward the end. Thing is I never felt dizzy, short of breath, or morning sickness, but I did have swollen ankles.
Laci being dizzy and short of breath while 'just walking' makes me suspicious. I wonder why her doctor wasn't suspicious. Also, she was pregnant during the winter months where heat wouldn't be been a factor for cause so why tell her walk later in the day in November? That's odd to me.
Exactly, I knew I saw that guy somewhere before. It's Kato on steroids.
>>>>where are the comparable presents for the rest of the family,<<<<
Exactly.
How about a comparable gift from Scott to Laci?
LOL--a fat, stupid Kato on steroids!
From what I've read, he got her a wallet??
I've been married for 29 years, and if my husband only gave me a wallet, he'd have a serious problem!LOL!!!
Gift for Laci? Yeah, he gave her a Louis Vuitton wallet--and some say that the wallet was something he got as a free bonus when he purchased his Louis Vuitton luggage.
Oh, brother...
You're right--it's definitely easier being pregnant in winter than in summer. The heat makes a big difference!
I think most people have the swelling, too. But shortness of breath, dizziness--naw.
I know what you mean about how uncomfortable it is towards the end. But another thing--she wasn't THAT close to the end. She still had over a month to go.
Drjulie just threw out an idea that maybe if poison was involved, maybe Scott was trying to cause a miscarriage. Very intriguing idea, I think.
>>But shortness of breath<,
I had a bit of shortness of breath when the baby was very high, and pressing on my diaphram, but it used to bother me mostly when lying flat on my back, not walking around.
This column can be found in the sidebar at PsychesKnot.com. (I think.)
Heather says that when Geragos was starting in on the questioning of Brocchini about the excised portion of his report--this had to do with the witness Peggy O'Donnell who supposedly saw Laci at Scott's warehouse--at that moment, that guy (talking head) Jim Hammer made a gesture to Heather across the courtroom.
She says that Hammer motioned with his hand (presumably pointing towards the witness) and mouthed to Heather, "This is huge".
Okay, later Heather describes "Janae", who is the head bailiff and according to Heather "rules the courtroom with an iron hand." Okay, so APPARENTLY Janae didn't pick up on the unseemly incident of a SPECTATOR MAKING MOTIONS AND MOUTHING WORDS ACROSS THE COURTROOM, IN CLEAR COMMENTS ON THE TESTIMONY.
This sucker Hammer should be barred from the courtroom if he continues to do pantomimes that comment on the testimony, in full view of JURORS. Hammer is "ex-homicide prosecutor Hammer" and HE KNOWS BETTER.
Ping to my post 353. I know I can never ping everyone I want to ping, and I always end up giving up and putting "All" in the namebox.
I think that Hammer jerkwad needs to leave the courtroom if he can't behave better. He is not some 20-something ex-airport-security doofus. (Okay, he may be a doofus...) He is supposed to know how to act!
You know I've been wondering what was going on with Jim Hammer. Before the trial started he was banned from commenting on it by the S.F. district attorneys office(where he is a prosecutor).
The ban has obviously been lifted, but ever since he's been back he's been very biased against the prosecution.
Before the banning he was pro-prosecution.
It was the kind of wallet that runs about 3 to 400 dollars!
The surprise for Ron , I read on another forum, was in Geragos's opening statement...DUH...This is not a fact. It makes no sense.
We are missing Hammer turning and mouthing "THIS IS BIG" so the media, if not the jurors saw it...and the short recess requested ...so Geragos could escape the courtroom and be seen grinning wide and his staff almost break out in giggles ...I read in that daily diary...an abc station, I believe.
"The ban has obviously been lifted, but ever since he's been back he's been very biased against the prosecution."
He was banned because he was employed as a prosecutor in a neighboring district, however, shortly after the "ban" he resigned so that, presumably, he could be a TH. I used to really like him - he knew California law, the local culture and was pretty balanced in his assessment of the case. Lately, he's been a bit off the wall. What DA posted about him mouthing something in relation to the testimony in court is really appalling. I'd guess the jury knows who he is and could be influenced by his reaction. Maybe it's all gone to his head.
"So gradually poisoning Laci with arsenic over time... nah. But the miscarriage thing, now that's an intriguing thought you had!"
I don't think he would poison her over a period of time either. One reason I think he may have preferred a miscarriage is because things seemed to be working well (in his mind) until Laci got pregnant. He was able to be a playboy and have a wife who cleaned up after him, provided gourmet meals, etc. It's the best of both worlds! Laci even worked and perhaps made enough for spending & grocery money. Whenever things seem to be "working" and something like this happens you always have to consider what changed. I see the pregnancy as a big change, as well as inheritance money. We may also hear more about financial problems at work.
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