Prosecutors want autopsy results unsealed

Prosecutors have reversed their position and are now asking a judge to unseal autopsy reports for Laci Peterson and her unborn son after details allegedly from one report were leaked to the media Thursday.

“The information being leaked has clearly been skewed in favor of the defense,” prosecution documents filed in court Thursday say. “The People cannot see why the autopsy documents should not be released.”

Defense attorney Mark Geragos strongly denied the leak came from his team. "I don’t know who they got the document from and I certainly didn’t want the document public," Geragos said.

The prosecutors’ shift on the autopsy reports came after NBC News reported they had obtained “a portion of the coroner’s report on the autopsy on the fetus.”

The document says the fetus was found with 1 1/2 loops of plastic tape around its neck and had a significant cut on its torso that had been inflicted after death, MSNBC reported on its Web site.

The information could be used to bolster a defense theory that Laci and her unborn child were slain in a ritualistic killing, possibly by Satanic cult members.

Stanislaus County Judge Al Girolami had ordered the autopsy reports tentatively sealed on May 15 at the request of prosecution and defense attorneys. He was scheduled to make a final decision on the sealing by today.

A statement released Thursday from the district attorney’s office says prosecutors “cannot verify the accuracy of any media statements concerning the contents of the autopsy reports without violating the court’s order.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Dave Harris had argued in favor of sealing the documents at a Tuesday hearing, saying it was necessary to protect Scott Peterson’s right to a fair trial.

Charity Kenyon, an attorney representing a coalition of newspaper organizations, including The Bee, said during the hearing that the public’s right to view court documents was a fundamental component of a transparent legal system.

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Peterson D.A. wants autopsies released
Prosecutor appeals to judge after reports leaked

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A frustrated Stanislaus County district attorney did an about-face Thursday and asked a judge to release autopsy reports on Laci Peterson and her unborn son, saying that leaks about the condition of the baby's body were "skewed in favor of the defense."

District Attorney Jim Brazelton stopped just short of accusing defense attorneys for Scott Peterson -- who have hinted that a satanic gang was responsible for killing Laci Peterson and the couple's unborn baby -- of leaking selected details from the autopsy. But in asking a judge to lift a seal on the document, Brazelton said prosecutors hadn't released the document, even to Modesto police or to Laci Peterson's family.

Brazelton filed court papers to make the autopsy public hours after the cable news outlet MSNBC reported that the unborn baby had been found with a loop and a half of plastic tape around his neck and that there was a "significant cut" on his torso inflicted after death.

"The information being leaked has clearly been skewed in favor of the defense," Brazelton, who originally had asked for the autopsies to be sealed, said in his motion Thursday. "By releasing the autopsy reports, the court will allow the media to see what the actual facts are, and then accurate information may be reported."

Mark Geragos, who is defending Scott Peterson on capital murder charges that he killed his wife and their unborn son, did not return phone calls to his office Thursday, but told the Associated Press that he would not comment on the reports.

Girolami "more than telegraphed that he does not want us commenting on the case" during a closed meeting in his chambers Tuesday, Geragos told the AP.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department, whose coroner conducted the autopsies, would not confirm or deny the information in the leaked report.

The bodies of Laci Peterson, 27, and her unborn son, whom the couple had planned to name Conner, were found in mid-April after washing ashore along the Richmond shoreline.

May 30— Laci Peterson's head and parts of her limbs were missing and plastic tape was wrapped around the neck of her child, according to the full autopsy and coroner's photographs exclusively seen by ABCNEWS.

According to the autopsy, the skin of the child was not decomposed at all, though the right side of his body was mutilated, and the placenta and umbilical cord were not found with the body.

The autopsy said that the cause of Laci Peterson's death was undetermined, and there was no evidence of man-made wounds, despite the fact that her head and all or part of her limbs were missing.

Peterson's body was so badly decomposed it barely looked like a body after it was found in San Francisco Bay last month. However, the autopsy report showed her cervix was intact.

Experts are divided over whether the new revelations about the condition of Laci Peterson's body and that of her child will help prosecutors or Scott Peterson's defense.

On Thursday, sources close to the investigation told ABCNEWS the sealed autopsy report indicated a piece of nylon tape was looped around the child's neck when it washed ashore last month, and that there was a laceration or tear on the tiny body.

There also was tape on Laci Peterson's lower torso, outside her clothing, when her body was found April 14, a day after her baby's remains were recovered, the sources said.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Good Morning America that the limbs and head were probably removed before Laci was put in the water.

The grisly new details could fuel speculation as to whether the baby ever lived outside the womb, which defense attorneys could use to undermine the prosecution's case against Scott Peterson, Laci's husband and the father of the child they had planned to name Conner.

The prosecutors handling the case said Thursday that since the autopsy was starting to be leaked to the media, the whole report should be released.

"The information being leaked has clearly been skewed in favor of the defense," Deputy Stanislaus County, Calif., District Attorney David Harris wrote in a statement released late Thursday. "By releasing the autopsy reports the court will allow the media to see what the actual facts are and then accurate information may be reported to mitigate recent adverse publicity."

While the defense and prosecution dispute what the latest revelations might mean, experts also appear divided.

When asked what the tape on the bodies might mean to the case, Robert Pugsley, a law professor at the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, told ABCNEWS Radio: "This 8-month-old fetus was the direct intended victim, as well as the mother, of the homicidal activities of the murderer.

"This is a clear indication that the state is perfectly justified — indeed, I think, obliged — to pursue the double-homicide case which they've already laid," he said.

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MODESTO, California (CNN) -- On the heels of gruesome information leaked from the autopsy report on Laci Peterson's unborn child, the prosecutor in the case filed a motion Thursday seeking to unseal the reports on both the mother and child so that the media can report "accurate information."

Stanislaus County District Attorney James Brazelton said the people of California have the right to correct inaccurate information, suggesting the media reports on the autopsy are not.

"By releasing the autopsy reports, the court will allow the media to see what the actual facts are and then accurate information may be reported to mitigate recent adverse publicity," his motion read.

Brazelton earlier Thursday released a statement, saying he "cannot verify the accuracy of any media statements concerning the contents of the autopsy reports without violating the court's order."

"It continues to be the view of the district attorney that the evidence in this case should be presented in court through testimony of witnesses and not selectively leaked to the news media by unknown persons whom the press will not identify," he said.

Scott Peterson, 30, is awaiting trial on two counts of murder for the deaths of his wife Laci, 27, and their unborn son, who was to be named Connor. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Peterson insists he is innocent.

Just two days ago, Superior Court Judge Al Girolami heard arguments on whether to keep the autopsy results sealed, with prosecutors and the defense arguing that unsealing them could jeopardize Peterson's chance for a fair trial. News organizations countered by saying the results are a matter of public record and should be released. Girolami did not rule on the matter at that time.

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May 30, 2003 -- Laci Peterson's unborn child had plastic tape wrapped around his neck and a large cut across his shoulders when he was found in the shallow waters of San Francisco Bay.

The shocking revelation opens the possibility that the 81/2-month fetus had been born and then strangled, a forensic expert told The Post.

According to sources close to the probe, the boy, who was to be named Conner, was found with 11/2 loops of plastic tape around his neck, with an inch gap in between the tape and the skin - making the tape resemble a noose.

Noted forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee said that would be "with strangulation." Lee, who is not connected with the case, said it was possible the child had been born and then strangled - but cautioned that more details needed to be revealed before he could say conclusively.

The latest blockbuster details were first reported by MSNBC and later confirmed by The Associated Press.

The revelations could bolster the defense's contention that members of a Modesto satanic cult - not Scott Peterson, Laci's husband - killed his wife and unborn child, Lee said.

"This opens up a lot of interesting questions," said the doctor, who provided DNA expertise for the O.J. Simpson double-murder case.

The new headline-grabbing murder mystery has intensified since Laci's headless body washed ashore in San Francisco Bay on April 14. The fetus was retrieved a day earlier.

Sources involved in the case told Fox News that investigators were not ruling out that the plastic tape could have been floating debris that managed to wrap itself around the baby's neck.

Top forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden doubts the fetus was actually born, but was still intact in the womb when Laci died. If the baby had been separated, Baden said, the tiny body would have deteriorated faster than Laci's.

Reacting to yesterday's stunning autopsy details, District Attorney James Brazelton lashed out at the media, saying that because of the leaks, his office had filed a motion to unseal the full 25-page autopsy report.

"The information leaked has clearly been skewed in favor of the defense," the motion stated.

Peterson, 30, who has pleaded not guilty, is in jail pending his trial on charges of double murder. Mark Geragos, Peterson's defense lawyer, has asserted that a mystery brown van was seen around the Petersons' neighborhood sometime around his 27-year-old wife's disappearance.

The defense also contends it knows at least four or five people who were actually involved in the "satanic" killing.

A preliminary hearing has been set for July 16, when prosecutors will have to show they have sufficient evidence to try Peterson on murder charges. If he is convicted, he could face death by lethal injection.

A spokesman for the Contra Costa County coroner's office left a recording saying officials would not comment.

Geragos To Rochas: 'If You Want War, You'll Get War' POSTED: 7:58 a.m. PDT May 30, 2003

MODESTO, Calif. -- Defense attorney Mark Geragos allegedly told the attorneys representing Laci Peterson's family that "if you want war, you got war" after negotiations to allow the Rochas to enter their late daughter's home broke down on Thursday afternoon.

"We thought we had it worked out with Geragos (who represents Scott Peterson) that she (Sharon) could come in here (Laci's home) next Tuesday (June 3)," said Al Clark, one of the two attorneys the Rocha family has hired to attempt to gain access to the home of their daughter.

"He (Geragos) called us in a very loud, very boisterous manner (on Thursday) and said he's not going to allow anyone in the house...I called Sharon and this is right after she heard about the autopsy report and she was very emotional as you can understand and she just said 'I've got to do something.'"

When asked what exactly Geragos said, Clark said he was told by his partner Adam Stewart that the famed defense attorney said: "The words he used were 'If you want war, you'll get war.' I can only think that we were suppose to file a lawsuit to get back a wedding dress and photos. It just seems ridiculous to me."

"It's the straw that broke the camel's back, especially the way he talked to us...I even told her as a lawyer I have to advise you not to go into the house," Clark continued. "But if I were a parent, act by your heart and she acted by her heart."

The Rochas had been prevented by the family of Scott Peterson from entering the home.

What the family did was that a group people including Sharon, Laci's stepfather Ron Grantski, Brent Rocha -- Laci's brother -- and several friends entered Laci and Scott's home and removed items -- including a rocking chair and nursery furniture -- and then sped off as the news media and police looked on.

Matt Dalton, a member of the Geragos defense team, arrived at the home a short time later and told reporters that his concern was that the Rochas "had planted evidence." He then sped off to allegedly file a burglary report with the Modesto police.

Earlier, a representative of Geragos had dropped off other personal items of Laci's that Sharon Rocha had requested at her Modesto lawyer's office. Those items included a Tiffany lamp Laci inherited from her late grandmother and also three unopened Christmas presents.

Despite the developments of the last 24 hours, Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Al Girolami decided late Friday to keep the autopsy sealed until a hearing scheduled for June 6. He also did not issue a gag order.

Meanwhile, the Rochas also denounced as "incredibly insensitive" the leak of an autopsy -- allegedly by defense attorneys -- that indicated that the body of Laci Peterson's unborn son had a significant cut and plastic tape wrapped around the neck.

A source close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed information in the autopsy to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Prosecutors responded later in the day by saying it was misleading and asking that the results be unsealed.

Analysis Of Friday's Events

Analysis: San Francisco Assistant DA Jim Hammer And Santa Clara County Crime Lab Chief Benny Del Re

Analysis: Defense Attorney Bob Moore Analysis: Law School Dean Peter Keane: Satanic Murder Unlikely

"The information being leaked has clearly been skewed in favor of the defense," wrote Deputy Stanislaus County District Attorney David Harris. "By releasing the autopsy reports the court will allow the media to see what the actual facts are and then accurate information may be reported to mitigate recent adverse publicity."

Through their spokeswoman, Kim Petersen, Peterson's relatives said they learned the autopsy details from the television, without warning

Erin McGinnis' Friday Report From Modesto: 'No Evidence Of Man-Made Wounds' On Laci's Body

"No family should ever have to learn the autopsy results of somebody they love on national TV, and that's exactly what happened," Petersen said Friday on NBC's "Today" show.

She said Sharon Rocha was "devastated."

"She asked me to go out and convey the pain that was inflicted on their family. ... She just implores the media to be sensitive and remember that this isn't a story, this is their life," Petersen said.

The information was first reported by cable news channel MSNBC, which said it had received a portion of the autopsy report completed by the Contra Costa County coroner's office.

Results had been sealed by court order after Stanislaus County prosecutors said releasing them would jeopardize Scott Peterson's right to a fair trial.

Only the prosecution and defense were given copies of the reports and prosecutors said they had not shared results with police or Laci Peterson's family.

In a statement, District Attorney James Brazelton said "evidence in this case should be presented in court through the testimony of witnesses and not selectively leaked to the news media by unknown persons whom the press will not identify."

The Contra Costa County coroner's office did not comment on the report.

Part of the autopsy indicated the unborn baby boy had one and one-half loops of plastic tape around his neck, MSNBC said.

Scott Peterson, 30, of Modesto, is accused of killing his wife and unborn son, whom the couple had planned to name Conner, last Dec. 23 or 24 in their home. Laci, 27, was eight months pregnant at the time. The bodies washed ashore in San Francisco Bay last month.

Contra Costa County authorities concluded their autopsy report earlier this month, but did not disclose the cause of death.

It's possible the baby's body was cut shoulder to shoulder or became wrapped in the tape because of its long submersion in San Francisco Bay, the MSNBC report said, adding that the part of the coroner's report the network received "doesn't prove anything one way or another."

Geragos would not comment on the report. He said Girolami, during a closed meeting in his chambers Tuesday, "more than telegraphed that he does not want us commenting on the case."

Girolami had said he was considering a gag order to prevent news leaks.

Geragos has suggested that members of a satanic cult were the killers. He has also hinted that a female mystery witness could lead authorities to the real killer and free Scott Peterson.

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