San Diego Detective Aids In Laci Peterson case

KFMB-TV ^ | 3/4/03 | Unknown

[TexKat]

SAN DIEGO DETECTIVE AIDS IN LACI PETERSON CASE

(03-04-2003) - A private investigator from San Diego made an unusual discovery in Northern California that just might help police in their search for missing Modesto woman, Laci Peterson.

Bill Garcia spotted a chunk of cement by a waterway near Modesto.

“It was interesting because it was the only patch of cement we saw in about 20, 30 miles stretch. And there was a tire track through it,” said Garcia.

Last week, the couple who sold a boat to Laci's husband Scott, said cement residue in the boat wasn't there when they owned it.

Regardless of who might be responsible, Garcia, along with the help of a private field engineer, have made it their mission to find Laci, with no guidance from Modesto Police of Laci’s family.

“Her family needs to know what happened,” said Garcia. “Whether she’s out there and someone’s holding her or whether she’s no longer with us, and we bring her home, or we help in bringing her home.”

Recently, Garcia helped in the search for Danielle van Dam, and also tracked down Phillip Salcedo, the armored car driver accused of stealing money in January.

[Devil_Anse]

Well, if it was Laci or the maid who last used the mop, I'm confident it was well wrung-out. I think both of them would have cringed at the idea of leaving a dripping mop lying around.

[trussell]

Just a cyber hiccup. I have heard that a teaspoon of sugar will get rid of those. LOL

[Devil_Anse]

Actually, we could have used you when we were talking about the difference between "raw cement powder" and "pulverized bits of finished concrete." That was in relation to what police found in Scott's boat. Turns out there's a reliable report that it was the former.

We did have Yeti here at the time. He knows how to lay concrete and do other concrete work. I think he has a business doing that. Maybe you and he could talk concrete on here some time--for the edification of the rest of us! It is definitely of interest b/c we hear so much about cement when we read these Laci stories.

[Devil_Anse]

Okay, I'll be sure to always tell you when I talk about you behind your back!

I guess you haven't seen any good cannibalism threads lately, since you've been away. But there's a really good one on here somewhere about a guy who supposedly lost his head--literally--while fleeing from the police! If you're interested!

[Devil_Anse]

Yes, I can yammer on for quite a while! I guess b/c I am somewhat literal-minded, I seem to write that way, too. That is, I always try to be clear--but I go overboard a lot on that and over-explain my meaning!

As to my being literal-minded, you can just imagine what I thought when I saw jdontom's earlier post in which he said, "It's a little-known fact that jumpers often use leg-weights, to keep them from changing their minds."

You have no idea what a post like that conjures up in the mind of someone who likes to have everything thoroughly explained! But I did figure out later what he was talking about!

[trussell]

Yammer away, I actually enjoy it!!

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks, I'll try it! I hope by now that whole patch of cement has been carefully cut out of the ground and is on its way to the crime lab.

[Sandylapper]

Pay no attention to landerwy. He has just returned and he's still a little hyper. He even had the nerve to mention Richard Ricci on this thread!

Have you been away trying to break your addiction to FR, landerwy, and now you're in withdrawals?

[Sandylapper]

LOL. I'll try that!

[Devil_Anse]

Well, here's what I was tentatively thinking. I was thinking that if that cement came from Scott, that it was excess. Perhaps a partly torn bag was thrown down by him. Then I thought maybe the water lapping at the shore made that area just damp enough to possibly turn some of the cement powder into mush. The rest of the powder might have just washed away later. But the "mush" might have been off to one side, and maybe the tire rolled through it. Maybe the water didn't come up to where that part was for a while--long enough for it to dry into a sort of patch.

Or suppose the torn bag of cement was discarded on a damp bank. Suppose there wasn't enough water on the surface to do anything to the powder. But suppose the tire squashed a small portion of the powder into the wet ground on the bank, and that made it wet enough to mix some water with the powder that got pressed into the bank? I guess it would depend on whether the hardened cement was sort of embedded in the wet bank.

I wonder if the cement on the bank wasn't dumped later--to keep police from finding it?

I know it seems ridiculous that he'd be mixing cement there on the bank instead of at his warehouse or home. But hey, if a spot is deemed secluded enough to throw a body in the water... ? Also, he may have felt he had to mix it at the site where he was going to put it in the barrel--maybe he realized just how heavy hardened cement with a body in the barrel would be.

All of the above is only the rankest speculation.

[Sandylapper]

Re the mop and something I heard very early on that I'm not hearing about anymore. Naturally, I can't remember precisely, but I believe it was during an interview with Lee Peterson, SP's father. It was stated that he (Lee) called SP on the morning of the 24th just to say hi. During the conversation, Lee asked about Laci. Scott told him she was mopping the floor. Anyone else see that?

[Devil_Anse]

Yes, if he's trying to collect on the life insurance, you can bet they are checking it out! IF there is life insurance--we never confirmed that, but we do have Scott's statement from his Diane Sawyer interview, that there was insurance of some sort.

You know, it must be terribly awkward to have to fill in a claim form for life insurance at a time like this. But, hey, a person who pays his premiums is entitled to the payout, isn't he? I wonder if anyone here--especially the "don't try Scott in the media" crowd--would like to make a bet as to whether he's looked into claiming the life insurance proceeds yet! I don't mean as to whether he's actually received the money, I just mean, as to whether he's LOOKED INTO what conditions have to be fulfilled b/f his money can be paid to him.

There are several things that just make this murder--and I think we all know it is a murder--seem to have been planned. I've tried to articulate those things when talking to Doc Savage. I think Doc Savage is coming to that conclusion now on his own, anyway.

Some of the things that make it seem premeditated are explainable, others are just a feeling one gets. I've had that feeling from the beginning of this case--that this was not manslaughter, but planned and premeditated.

[Diver Dave]

KOVR 13 10 pm broadcast: Repeat of 5 pm broadcast. Nothing new added. Modesto PD very interested in the sight. Wasn't clear if they visited the sight today or will tomorrow.

[Devil_Anse]

I do remember that. I think Lee also said that he talked to Scott while Scott was fishing--contradicting Scott's assertion that he had left his cellphone in his truck while he was out on the boat.

I think Lee has been a lot more quiet since then.

[TexKat]

Thanks DA, runningbear and/or Diver Dave said the same thing.

[TexKat]

Thanks DA, runningbear and/or Diver Dave said the same thing.

[Diver Dave]

They are not archived for the exact reasons you suggest.

That's what I figured, but the thought did present itself.

Ride-along sounds interesting. Did it once with my b-i-l several years ago.

[TexKat]

Thanks DD.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks! I hope this gives them something to go on in finding the body! Won't that be an "Oh, sh--!" moment for Scott, if they do find it!

A while back, when Scott was supposedly in Guadalajara, people said it almost seemed like he dropped out of sight when the search got really intense--and people speculated that maybe the closer the search got to getting results, the more out-of-sight Scott was.

Don't know if that was true, but, well, Scott's whereabouts are currently unknown to the public.

[blondee123]

Some detective this guy is. He finds a chunk of cement by a waterway with a tire track through it and DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT on the spot? If I ever need a private detective I won't be calling this guy.

I don't understand your post! What do you mean that he does nothing about it on the spot? I would assume he did something, maybe he notified the police, he must have notified someone, the news media has the story.