http://www.ktvu.com/news/1931100/detail.html#
Rocha Family Breaks Silence
POSTED: 8:25 a.m. PST January 23, 2003
UPDATED: 11:32 a.m. PST January 23, 2003
The family of Laci Peterson broke their week-long silence Wednesday night, talking about the missing woman's case for the first time publicly since a series of stunning revelations came to light.
Laci's relatives had been interviewed by America's Most Wanted -- for an episode to be aired this week -- before it was revealed to them that her husband, Scott, was having an affair and had taken out a $250,000 life insurance policy out on her.
Since that meeting with investigators a week ago, a deep rift has developed between the families involved in the case. The Rocha family -- Laci's relatives -- asked to have their segment re-shot, which it was on Wednesday.
While they did not talk with reporters as they left the interview, one family member has broken her silence.
Kathy Rocha said the family felt betrayed when they were told about Scott's actions.
"I think our whole side of the family would like to talk to Scott," Rocha said. "We have a lot of questions--I think we just hung our head (when told about what was uncovered) and it just kind felt like a stab in the back. We don't have good feelings right now and we hope something proves us wrong."
Scott Peterson has repeatedly denied the police allegations.
At the same time when the Rocha were meeting with America's Most Wanted, Peterson's family was meeting in San Diego -- the city where Scott grew up. They were reportedly planning out strategy for a one-day search effort in the Southern California city for this weekend.
Meanwhile, Modesto police said they know who broke into the Peterson house over the weekend. They have refused to identify the suspect and no charges have been filed. The items taken have been returned.
It's been a little more than four weeks since Laci disappeared from her Modesto home on Christmas Eve day. At the time, Scott Peterson has told authorities he was on a day fishing trip to the Berkeley Marina in the Bay Area.
When he arrived home, his wife -- who was more than eight months pregnant -- had vanished.
While Peterson was traveling to the southland, work continued at a state crime lab near Modesto.
John Yoshida, a member of the crime lab staff, told KTVU Wednesday that "a lot of evidence" had already been processed in the case and returned to the Modesto police.
"We have processed a lot of things," he said. "And as the case changes, we change our priorities. We continue to get evidence in all the time."
Yoshida said the latest advances in forensic medicine have changed the way cases like Laci Peterson's are handled by police.
"We've done several cases (that have) been bodyless," he said. "In other words, no body has ever been found. Certainly as good as the science now is, it's easier to get a conviction. A lot of times, what we see is because the science is so good, it never sees the light of day."
"What we get is a lot of pleas because they (the legal system) trust the science much more now."
While work at the lab goes on, Modesto Police say they continue to track down leads in the case. However, they have not revealed where, or if, any searches were currently underway.
See post #108, john walsh has interviewed Laci's family and will be aired later this week.
#117.."Local news reporting body found at Millerton Lake about 20 miles outside of Fresno. No release yet as to sex or identity pending autopsy.117 posted on 01/23/2003 2:44 PM CST by iaf97 "
Thanks for post 108, very informative.