Perhaps, but even if they had started such proceedings, they would not have a right to possession of anything of Laci's until after Scott's guilt is proven in a court of law. That is Scott's property, unless and until he is found guilty. They used the Modesto Cop Self Help Remedy to obtain by force what they could not have legally.
I was convinced 99.9 percent of the guilt of the guy who supposedly killed Elizabeth Smart. I was horrified when I read about the boys who killed their sister in Escondido. Then it turned out that these people didn't do it. I agree that it looks pretty darn bad for Scott, but I stick by my prediction that he won't be convicted unless the prosecution comes up with evidence tying him to the bodies. Placing him in the bay won't be enough by itself, not with burglars casing the neighborhood, not in the absence of blood in the house, not with an autopsy that could be interpreted as some kind of ritual killing, not with a dog wandering and a neighbor who claims he saw a pregnant lady walking a dog.
When they come up with that additional evidence that I haven't heard about yet, I'll be one of the first to jump on the bandwagon, believe me. I think he did it, but not beyond a reasonable doubt. Give me a fingerprint on the duct tape, and I'll be ready to hang. But right now, it's a little premature. And it remains his property that was taken from his house.