'Scott Peterson is Innocent'

Time Magazine ^ | April 20, 2003 | JILL UNDERWOOD

[Humidston]

Have you heard the story about Scott claiming to have helped two separate people who had car trouble, and his parents received notes from those people - praising Scott? (Someone said that happened, earlier in this thread.)

[maggief]

"Lee Peterson: We're just very critical of the way the Modesto police has handled this investigation. They worked strictly on a theory that was dreamt up by this lead detective within the first eight hours, and they've pursued it backward from there and they have neglected so many good leads. Chief (Roy) Wasden made a comment during his news conference that on the evening before Christmas Eve, Laci's mother had spoken to Laci at 8:15 and that's the last time anyone saw Laci. Not true. There are several people who saw Laci.

Jackie Peterson: Several people who the police immediately tried to discredit the minute they came forward, so they're not coming forward.

Lee Peterson: And one of these gentlemen — and they are prominent people — he's a three-term council member up there and an attorney, and they saw her and they know her and the police have disregarded this. If it doesn't fit their theory, by God, they don't want to investigate it. I just can't be any more emphatic than that. And we're gonna pursue this thing. "

Do they mean the Mitchells? I thought we discredited them at the get go! Viv was looking out the window and Bill was watching football when they saw 'Laci' walking the dog. AGAIN! ... No football was on TV Dec. 24!

[Howlin]

There were no witnesses.

There is no way in the world Scott Peterson could have known on Chritmas Eve when the police arrived at his house that nobody saw him at that marina.

He had no choice but to say he was there.

[maggief]

... no drugs...

Except Viagra.

[Howlin]

Tell me about the Mitchells? Is he the council member Lee Peterson was talking about?

[maggief]

Vivian and Bill Mitchell told The Bee they saw Laci Peterson at about 10 or 10:15 a.m. Dec. 24, wearing white and black clothes and walking with a golden retriever. The Mitchell home is about 10 blocks from the Covena Avenue home where Laci Peterson, 27 and nearly eight months pregnant, disappeared during the day.

"I had seen Laci walk by the house several times before," said Vivian Mitchell. "When she walked by on Christmas Eve, I hollered to Bill, 'Oh look, it's the lady with the golden retriever.' "

Bill Mitchell, who served three terms on the Modesto City Council, said he saw them go around the corner.


http://www.fresnobee.com/local/crime/story/6284369p-7234614c.html

[Howlin]

And they said he was watching football while that all happened?

BTW, Lee Peterson said that he had gone to the marina himself and that HE had names of people who saw Scott there -- did you ever see those names?

[RGSpincich]

Do they mean the Mitchells?

Yep, they mean the Mitchells. Not only was Mitchell confused about the day he saw a dogwalker, they were confused about the length of time they waited to call authorities.

[It's me]

Instead of asking their son the HARD questions and insisting that he be direct and cooperative with LE, providing direct, honest answers to LE investigation,

Oh, I'm sure they did ask him the questions. Only thing is that SP convinced them that he was innocent. Sad really...

[Humidston]

Last I heard, the only eye witness who said they saw Scott was the groundskeeper at the marina. And he saw Scott PULLING HIS BOAT OUT of the water somewhere around noon. (Can't recall exact time.)

Short fishing trip, eh? And after such a long drive too! /sarcasm

[runningbear]

not really, but I do recall the beginning of this case, about SP did this and that and couldn't hurt a animal... Look up the archives in the Modesto Bee... Dec 26th or so...

[RGSpincich]

Don't forget about the elderly lady he befriended while in high school and how SP brightened her life. So says Jackie.

[laz17]

I'm sure the Petersons also believe that Bush stole the 2000 election, that Saddam was a great humanitarian, that Iraq has no WMD, and that Janeane Garofalo is the second-smartest woman on the planet (after Hitlery, of course).

[Calpublican]

The article says that Mrs. Peterson indicated another pregnant woman had been found in the Bay. Is that true?

[runningbear]

well, they keep repeating lots of stuff that was discredited... It is so out of here.. They must be out of reality of not wanting to face the facts that SP could do such a thing...

[maggief]

MSNBC
2/28/03

ABRAMS: In the Laci Peterson investigation, new information that could bolster Scott Peterson’s claim that he had nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance.
A couple who live about ten blocks away from the Petersons say they told police they saw Laci walking her dog the morning she disappeared. They say police never called them back to follow up.
Vivian and Bill Mitchell say they saw Laci at about 10:15 in the morning, which is 45 minutes after the time Scott says he left on a fishing trip.
I spoke with the Mitchells earlier and asked Vivian Mitchell exactly what she saw that morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VIVIAN MITCHELL, NEIGHBOR OF THE PETERSONS: I happened to see this golden dog and the lady was walking the dog. And I never met her personally, but I did have a very good view of her for, oh, probably 10, 15 seconds. And then I hollered at Bill, “There’s that pretty dog.”
ABRAMS: First of all, are you sure it was Laci Peterson?
V. MITCHELL: Well, I’m pretty close to positive after seeing all the pictures of her. And I had seen this lady walking dogs several times before. I’ve been recovering from a broken hip, and so I had a lot of time to look out the window.
ABRAMS: All right.
V. MITCHELL: Until I was able to walk again.
ABRAMS: Mr. Mitchell, let me ask you about the time, then. How are you so sure it was 10 or 10:15 in the morning and not earlier or later?
BILL MITCHELL, NEIGHBOR OF THE PETERSONS: I’m sure it was well after 9:30. The football games began at, I think, 9 a.m. California time. Or 12 p.m. eastern time. And I was checking which ones were on and where I’d find them.
And I was in front of the television in the living room.
ABRAMS: So based on the timing of the football-I apologize for interrupting you.
B. MITCHELL: Sure.
ABRAMS: Based on the timing of the football games, you’re confident -
” again, this is such an important detail, you are confident, you feel certain that this was well after 9:30? It could not have been 9 or 9:15?

B. MITCHELL: That’s correct.

---

The only 'witness' I've read about is the marina groundskeeper.

[Humidston]

Oh man.... From all they say, he should be nominated for sainthood!

BTW, MSNBC just aired part of an interview with the Petersons and the second half will be aired shortly...

[Cvengr]

Lee Peterson: We were with them the week before Christmas, and you never saw a more loving couple.

Except of course couples where the prospective father isn't carrying on an adulterous affair with another woman, but let's not get into that.../sarcasm off

[ScottinSacto]

Um... that's how all crimes are solved...

But way before that is the problem of the 24/7 news media that tends to shred the concept of innocent until proven guilty. Oh sure they drop in their obligatory "alleged" caveats, but no one really dwells too much on that. Kinda like "taking the 5th" has become synonomous with being guilty. Knowing someone who took the 5th and the reasons they did changed my perception of that too.

A lot of the same things were being said around here about Condit in regards to Chandra. Not saying he isn't a sleazeball, but he was branded a murderer instead of the freak he is.

With a little baby boy on the way and a very pretty wife, I myself did not want to believe that this was what happened. As soon as we heard about the $10k, new hairdo, goatee and carrying the brothers ID, my wife and I both yelled "guilty" at the tv.

[maggief]

"...they were confused about the length of time they waited to call authorities."


Correct!!!