Peterson Defense Team Seeks Abduction Witness

Laci Peterson (search) may have been abducted on Christmas Eve day, sources from Scott Peterson's defense team told Fox News.

The defense sources say they have at least one witness who claims to have information that the pregnant woman was kidnapped on Dec. 24. Several neighbors said they saw a strange van in the area that day, parked near the Peterson home.

The remains of Laci Peterson, 27, and her unborn son, Conner washed up in San Francisco Bay last month. Her husband Scott Peterson (search), 30, was arrested days later in San Diego. He has pleaded not guilty to two murder charges. Stanislaus County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Defense team sources told Fox News that attorney Mark Geragos (search) wants a woman to come forward who has information that may tie one of several people seen in the van or individuals involved in a burglary to Laci's murder.

Two men were arrested for burglarizing the house across the street from the Peterson home on Dec. 26. One is still in custody. Defense team sources theorize that the van and the burglary may be related and may be tied to Laci's murder.

Police maintain the burglary was not tied to Laci's disappearance and they believe the van contained some gardeners who were working in the area.

Peterson, who is being held without bail, said he last saw his wife Dec. 24 as he left to go fishing in Berkeley.

Police have searched the couple's house, the storage warehouse where Peterson, a fertilizer salesman, kept supplies, and seized his boat, truck and trailer. They also used a search warrant to get a DNA sample from Peterson.

A judge on Friday sealed more court documents in the case after prosecutors said the investigation was ongoing and claimed that revealing evidence would jeopardize Peterson's chances of getting a fair trial.

Judge Al Girolami sealed court papers that contained evidence police used to get a warrant to arrest Scott Peterson and to conduct another search after his arrest.

In legal briefs filed Thursday in Stanislaus County Superior Court, police said the affidavits they had filed outlined evidence in the case and named witnesses. They said revealing that information could hurt their investigation as they follow up on 9,000 tips in the case.

Girolami sealed the papers and said he would reconsider motions by three California newspapers to unseal them at a May 27 hearing.

The search warrants, affidavits supporting them and lists of items seized are expected to contain a summary of evidence compiled in the case.

Donald Pearce and Steven Todd, below, were arrested Friday on burglary charges. Police say the case has no link to Laci Peterson's disappearance.

A burglary across the street from Laci Peterson's home had nothing to do with the Modesto woman's disappearance, police confirmed Friday. The announcement coincided with police saying they had arrested two suspects in the burglary and determined that they were not involved in the

Detective Doug Ridenour said the men were booked late Thursday at Stanislaus County Jail.

Based on interviews with the suspects, police said the burglary on Covena Avenue in the La Loma neighborhood took place between 4 and 7 a.m. Dec. 26. Scott Peterson reported his pregnant wife missing about 6 p.m. Dec. 24.

Police previously had said possible scenarios for Peterson's disappearance included her interrupting a burglary at her house or being abducted after witnessing the crime across the street. At that time, police knew only that the burglary had occurred around Christmas, while the homeowners were away.

"We're confident in our minds that we have resolved one crime," Ridenour said Friday, "and now we can get back to focusing on Laci's disappearance."

Meanwhile, searchers also worked outside the county. The effort to find Peterson stretched into rural areas and waterways in Tuolumne, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Merced and Mariposa counties, Sgt. Ron Cloward said.

Just as the media circus surrounding the Laci Peterson case has subsided, the new DNA laboratory in Richmond that identified her remains is in the news again -- this time to help county authorities positively identify a girl found dead in Castro Valley.

Although this new case is generating only a fraction of the media interest as that of Peterson, the goal of the forensics facility is the same: to use cutting-edge DNA testing to make positive IDs of missing people.

"They realize the urgency of the case, and they've assured us they'll get the results to us as quickly as they can," said Sgt. Scott Dudek of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department.

The speed in which the state-of-the-art lab can match DNA samples to a person is crucial to investigators because the most important questions in the case can't be answered until the victim's identity is known.

"We can't know who, how or when she got killed until we find out the identity," said Dudek.

A repeat post from the end of the last thread, if you read it please disregard. It took so long to research I wanted to reach as many as possible. I apologize for any inconvience it causes you...:-)

First, My best to TBS. You are missed,and God speed.

Second: Hang in there Blondee123. Deep breaths and long walks,maybe helpful....{:-)

Third: D_A;All

"Her(Amber)best bet is to say nothing to them(Defense)."

If she is complicit shut up. IMHO...If not, maybe talk to defense and take Michelle Hart and anything in her past out of their "shock and awe".

Fourth:All

IMSHO(strong). I Have mentioned the Mouser Trial here several times. I have read more. I see strong resemblences(damn spacebar) between the two cases, legally and procedurally speaking, possibly very strong. Read it, understand it, save yourself some grief. Take notes!

He was convicted on absolutely no direct evidence(most of you will love it IMHO,from reading threads), no compelling exclusionary evidence IMHO. Prosection's chief witness is a liberal Ca. ex-cop,currently residing in South Carolina. A child abuse expert, with no scientific experience and 100(jesting) behavioral courses). He used "I do not recall" more times than "Clinton". Prodan is his name.

He never intervied one person, visited the crime scene(no need b/c it was not the crime scene anyway IMSHO) or saw the body even once,to the best of my knowledge. Yet he reconstructed the crime scene, the crime, transporting of the body, and the recovery scene situation. At trial he had not one piece of evidence to show corroboration of findings:No pictures, No papers, and mostly no memory even.

Prodan(s) out right lied at premlimary hearing regarding the "existence"(IMHO this is why they are going to maybe try Grand Jury this time) of three reliable eye witnesses(all familiar with victim) who make prosecution assumption pragmatically impossible.

If you want to be a woman killer see Ca.IMSHO....and kill randomly, in households with white men in residence. You will live a long time, unless terminal disease gets you ......:-)

There is going to be a war here, a long war, a very long war....IMHO if prosecution has it's way five years to trial. It will last over a year in proceeedings IMHO. Mouser case took three years and trial lasted 5 mts and its a relatively simple case.

As far as contestants moral high ground is concerned, there will be none(except in the emotions of the moment). Lies lies and more lies mostly from prosecution in Mouser. In Peterson, they will get a run for there money....;-0)

Just a suggestion:

http://www.corpus-delicti.com/mouser.html

The comments on the site are from the defense prespective,
but complete trial testimony of witnesses is provided, allowing for independent conclusions. Personally I have only read the testimony so far, so as to keep independent perspective. If you intend to follow this case,IMHO read it and take notes, in years to come you will be glad you did!

FYI:FWIW
Mouser Case Appeal in Fift District Ca. Appellate Court in Fresno...Almost three years and until now only briefs filed. Mouser first appellate brief 324 pages.

IMHO...A Modesto jury will convict a "ham sammich"....;-0)....Ray has been nieve, the Ca. LE is not Incompetent, they are dangerous. Epitomical Provincial Justice deserving of appeal and overturn. Over 60% of death cases are overturned. Hell Ca. don't care they will just try them again and again. Dam a Constitution, full speed ahead. SP,Ca.LE....Both ethically and morally void and deserving of eachother.

Hopeless situation;don't know how much more I want to take. California people don't seem to care,so why should I;hell they're paying for it.... $100 billion deficit(No sorry, they borrowed $40 billion more since I started this post. Ray must work on typing skills!) and still electing the same Scum. It's none of my business ....[:-}

Gee, these burglars' story doesn't add up with Geragos'. Someone must be lying to us. Wonder who?

Let me get this straight: the burglars are surprised by Laci, returning from walking her dog; they take away the annoying and dangerous (to them) witness, and do her in. Problem solved. But.... they don't finish their burglary? They don't take ANYTHING from Laci's house? Even thought they know she won't live to tell on them?

Oh, wait! I'm sorry. He means, Laci surprised the burglars at that OTHER house! Yeah, sure. Laci Peterson: Pregnant Neighborhood Watch Captain. She can walk the dog, but she can't run. (I could run if I HAD to, at least I could certainly waddle pretty quickly, and my screaming ability was totally intact, when I was 7-8 months pregnant. People have to be in good shape to even sustain a pregnancy!) She didn't make a peep. No screams, no nothing. Mmm-hmm.

If I were those burglars, I'd be mad that someone was trying to hang something much worse than burglary on me. I think, if I were those burglars, I'd be thinking of saying, "Hey, you know, come to think of it, we did hear sounds of domestic violence from that house across the street, when we were around there in the wee hours!"

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