Laci Peterson- The Search Goes On

Modesto Bee ^ | 01-07-2003 | Ty Phillips

[landerwy]

Search goes on for their sub

Light blue and yellow ribbons adorn trees at Ustach Middle School for missing Laci Peterson, a substitute teacher. Complete Coverage Photos Laci Peterson Website TED BENSON/THE BEE

Jacqueline Peterson, mother of Scott Peterson, and Sharon Rocha, mother of Laci Peterson, listen to Modesto police Detective Doug Ridenour update reporters on the search. His words: 'Right now, I haven't got a clue.'

January 7, 2003 Posted: 05:35:11 AM PST

By TY PHILLIPS BEE STAFF WRITER As the widespread search for Laci Peterson continued Monday, nine divers spent a second consecutive day focusing on a small section of Lake Tulloch.

Sheriff's divers from Stanislaus and Calaveras counties concentrated in the area under O'Byrnes Ferry Bridge at the border of Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

Patrick Kelly, a member of the Stanislaus dive team, said he didn't know whether a tip or evidence might have pointed investigators to Tulloch, but nothing had been found there so far.

Police did not return calls seeking comment about the Lake Tulloch search effort Monday.

At an afternoon news conference, police said there were no significant developments in the case, now in its second week.

Laci Peterson was reported missing on Christmas Eve. Her husband, Scott Peterson, told police he last saw her that morning as he left for a fishing trip at the Berkeley Marina.

The last time Laci Peterson is known to have spoken with anyone other than her husband was Dec. 23 about 8:30 p.m. when she had a phone conversation with her mother, police said.

[Eva]

The police are asking that anyone who saw the husband on Christmas Eve come forward and corroborate his testimony. Since the husband has declined to go on TV, that's a little difficult. You would think that the guy would want his picture all over the tv, if he was really where he said he was, when he said he was.

[Yaelle]

DNA cannot totally convict, a good defence lawyer can explain away all of the evedence, I've seen it on many occasions.

Yes. In the local case here, the wife's blood in the car tells the world that probably she met her demise due to foul play, but of course there is always that "possibility" that the woman, who completely disappeared off the face of the earth before they found the car in a strange place with some blood in it, simply had a minor cut and that's how the blood got there. Sigh.

[CurlyDave]

Yes. In the local case here, the wife's blood in the car tells the world that probably she met her demise due to foul play, but of course there is always that "possibility" that the woman, who completely disappeared off the face of the earth before they found the car in a strange place with some blood in it, simply had a minor cut and that's how the blood got there.

I don't know about you, but I know for a fact that I have left my blood in numerous cars, but I am still here alive & kicking. It would be a travesty to convict or even accuse someone of murder just because of blood in a car.

[GummyIII]

Otherwise, it would be possible if the husband is involved, he could have done it the night before.

Several news reports have said she was seen Tuesday morning walking the dog by a neighbor/someone. I'll try to dig up a link if I have time.

[giotto]

I don't know why nobody has mentioned this possibility:

1. The husband reads an article about sturgeon fishing just before Laci disappears.
   
2. Laci has not been seen or heard of since 8:30 the night before.
   
3. Scott is a fertilizer salesman with a warehouse where he keeps and possibly bags (here I'm speculating) the fertilizer he sells.
   
4. He goes fishing to a spot 150 miles from home--a place known for its sturgeon fishing.
   
5. Sturgeon like pickled herring and chunks of meat.
   

As grisly as this scenario sounds, it makes sense.

[Sweet Hour of Prayer]

I'm praying that Laci was kidnapped for her baby and that she's being held until she delivers. I'm hopeful that she'll be found, soon. If not, doctors, nurses, clinics, (all the way to the Mexican border) need to be on the look-out for newborns that were adopted.

[jdontom]

LE will leak some specific info that dose not exist, in this case I would say the receipt that was supposed to be in scotts truck from the boat ramp, this is the first sign that LE suspects he could have done it. Even tho the receipt dose not exist in a panic to hide something he may have not remenbered whether he got the receipt or not. I have not tracked these threads to verify what agency says the receipt exists, and it possibly could, I'm just assuming it dose not. Could someone search to verify it dose exist, or is it from an unnamed source.

[daler]

Ever notice that every time a serial killer is nailed the neighbors talk about how "kind", "quiet" and "helpful" he was?

And, of course, the media reports it as if the police just tore a model citizen from his neighborhood...

[oldironsides]

It is hard to blame a husband when there are so many nutballs roaming America. The young boy vanishes while riding his bike with his chums. Paperboy vanishes from the face of the earth. Massachusetts female teen vanishes from Worcester County. Young female vanishes from her bedroom and never found and her sister watches the intruder and tells nobody until much later. We seem to have more than a few sicko's roaming our nation.

[Doc Savage]

I have five daughters. It Laci had been my daughter I would have been in this guy's face minute one. I would have demanded he voluntarily take a lie detector tests (valid or not and I don't care what people think about the test itself since my purpose would be to challenge him.)

If he failed to agree I would be on national television announcing the fact and denouncing him for not agreeing to do so. Put the spotlight of public opinion on him. Shame him for hiding from the press and not cooperating fully with the police.

I'd hire private detectives to start looking into every aspect of his life concentrating on life insurance policies, girlfriends, debts he owed etc. And when I found out damaging information I'd leak it to the press. And if he failed to admit he killed her I would take the ultimate revenge at my own time and choosing. No one is going to kill my daughter and live, one way or another! Either the state will do him in or I will!

[sonserae]

What guy goes fishing alone on Christmas Eve especially when his wife is 8 1/2 months pregnant? Sounds fishy from the very beginning.

[DCPatriot]

"...No one is going to kill my daughter and live, one way or another! Either the state will do him in or I will!"

I'm with you on this one. Nicole Brown-Simpson and her waiter friend immediately come to mind. I can't believe any jury would convict Mr. and Mrs. Brown had they settled the score themselves.

[Devil_Anse]

Is that the Fitzhugh case you're referring to? Someone quite a while back said they'd been on the jury in that case. I can't remember who it was--was it you?

[Devil_Anse]

Each of you has proposed the possibility that someone kidnapped Laci for her baby, presumably so they could do a "home Caesarian", get the baby, and no doubt kill poor Laci in the process.

I realize there are black markets for babies, but I can't help but think that there must be an easier way for these black marketeers to get their "product!" Yes, I realize there have been a few cases in recent years in which some savage actually has killed a pregnant woman for her baby.

Then there are still a few times when people might defeat the now-enhanced security of a hospital maternity ward, by posing as hospital staff or whatever. Doing that would definitely be easier to at least TRY, than trying to cut out a baby from a live mother.

Let's think about the 3 or so sensational cases (fairly recent) in which people have done the "home Caesarians." To my knowledge, in each of these, it was an individual who wanted the baby for him- or herself--not a black marketeer. BTW, I know of one case like that involving a black mother/baby--and, sadly, there is no dearth of adoptable black infants, such as would make them a hot illegal "property."

Someone who runs a vice operation such as selling babies is going to get their "product" in the easiest way possible--and kidnapping pregnant women and cutting their babies out of their abdomens ain't it.

Also, to my knowledge, in the cases we do know of, the mother's mutilated body was found rather early on.

The fact that Laci herself seems to have vanished from the face of the earth tells me that it was she who was the target of the murder (yes, I think it's already a murder case, not just a disappearance.) The baby was just an incidental victim.

JMO--I'm just thinking of the odds.

[landerwy]

Excellent point! He sure isn't acting as I would act if I were innocent!

[landerwy]

I hope so too!

[Marysecretary]

That was my feeling, too. This is the strangest case.

[Marysecretary]

So he's being tried and found guilty on FR? What is his motive? Her family thinks he's innocent. What right have we got to try him? He may well be innocent and you just look foolish when you try and execute him before the jury gets a chance.