Posted on 06/02/2003 5:37:27 AM PDT by runningbear
Defense Team Seeking Man Named 'Donnie' as Laci Peterson Murder Suspect
Defense Team Seeking Man Named 'Donnie' as Laci Peterson Murder Suspect
Monday, June 02, 2003
MODESTO, Calif. — New details have come to light about the person Scott Peterson's defense team says they believe could be responsible for the murder of his 8-months-pregnant wife, Laci Peterson (search).
The defense has revealed that it is searching for a man named "Donnie," with no known address and a possible tie to illegal drugs, including methamphetamines, Fox News has learned.
Peterson's attorneys say they're also still combing for signs of a brown van reportedly spotted in the area when Laci disappeared on Christmas Eve. They believe that Donnie and others are linked to the van.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated as battles over personal belongings continued this weekend between the Petersons and Laci's family, the Rochas. The latest squabble was apparently over Laci's wedding ring, which Scott Peterson wants back.
In an interview with Fox News, Rocha family attorney Adam Stewart said he was retained about two months ago by Laci's mother, Sharon Rocha, to oversee the property matters in the case.
Rocha asked Stewart not to discuss the wedding ring details with Fox News. But Stewart did say that the Peterson family ignored the Rochas' repeated requests to go into Laci and Scott's Modesto (search) home to go through some of Laci's belongings.
The Rochas had a list of 22 items -- many of them of sentimental value, like her wedding dress and the crib for the unborn baby Conner -- that they wanted to retrieve.
But after her requests were ignored, she and the rest of the Rocha family grew frustrated --leading to their surprise visit on Friday to get the mementos they sought, Stewart told Fox News.
Against the advice of their attorney and unbeknownst to the defense, the Rochas arrived at the house Friday morning and left with several carloads of belongings -- including the crib, the dress, the rocking chair in the baby's room and other items.
"Sharon's objective, at the start of all this, was to get inside the home and look at her daughter's belongings," Stewart told Fox News. "She wanted to have that time. I think she would give back everything she has of Laci's to have that time."
The incident infuriated the Petersons and their lawyers. The battle between the two families played out at least partly in the media over the weekend.
After the anguished families clashed Friday over the Rochas' removal of personal items, a new tiff arose surrounding Laci's wedding ring -- which the Peterson family wants back, according to The Modesto Bee.
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POLL: FETUSES ARE PEOPLE, TOO
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June 2, 2003 -- Almost half of Americans believe life begins at the moment of conception, a new poll says. Forty-six percent say a fetus should be considered a person as soon as conception occurs.
Another 24 percent believe human life begins only when the fetus can survive outside of the womb. Just 11 percent believe life begins at birth, according to a Newsweek poll released yesterday.
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(((if you are eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, might want to put it down before reading the NY Daily News article)))
Laci's Memorial Pic
Laci's kin retrieve her stuff
By MAKI BECKER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Scott Peterson's parents accused their former in-laws of trespassing yesterday after Laci Peterson's family went into the couple's former home and took out truckloads of the dead woman's mementos.
The bizarre scene underscored simmering tensions between the families since Scott Peterson has been accused of murdering Laci Peterson and her unborn baby, Conner.
Laci Peterson's relatives entered the suburban Modesto home one day after lawyers hammered out a deal that would allow them to visit next week.
But Laci Peterson's family members and their friends arrived yesterday morning and began loading pickup trucks with furniture - including the white rocker Laci Peterson had planned to use to lull her baby to sleep - and boxes of goods.
Scott Peterson's attorneys were furious with Laci Peterson's relatives, including her mother, Sharon Rocha, accusing them of trespassing.
The Rochas' attorneys told the Modesto Bee the accusations were "ridiculous."
Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie Peterson, told the Bee, "I have a lot of empathy for Sharon but she does not have a right to go in our house and take what she wants."
Also yesterday, ABC's "Good Morning America" reported that it had obtained a copy of Laci Peterson's sealed autopsy report, which showed her ribs were broken, her maternity bra was torn or cut and a long strip of duct tape was found between what's left of her legs.
Laci Peterson's remains were found badly decomposed and her head, arms and parts of her legs were missing. But her torso has yielded some tantalizing clues of who killed her and her unborn son - and when.
Forensic experts say it's possible that if the duct tape had been used to bind her body before it was dumped into the San Francisco Bay, there's a chance the adhesive glue still bears the fingerprints of her killer.
"I don't know after three months in the water but I would not dismiss the possibility until I've checked it [for any prints]," said Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist.
Caffeine in system
The report also said she had caffeine in her system. If the levels are high, and Laci Peterson had a habit of drinking coffee at a certain time of day, "that might tell you what time of the day this [slaying] occurred," Spitz said.
Laci Peterson's body washed ashore in Richmond, Calif., on April 14 - just a couple of miles away from where her husband, Scott Peterson, said he was fishing Dec. 24.
Cops believe Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife in their home on Dec. 23 or 24 and then dumped her body while on his alleged fishing trip, according to a police document.
Scott Peterson, now charged in the murders of his wife and unborn son, says he is innocent.
ABC's story came a day after MSNBC reported the coroner's findings on Baby Conner's remains that showed that the infant's neck was wrapped in plastic tape.
"By releasing the autopsy reports the court will allow .....
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Songwriters offer tribute to Laci, son
Songwriters offer tribute to Laci, son
By GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: May 30, 2003, 07:43:51 AM PDT
Moved by the Laci Peterson story, two songwriters 77 miles apart independently produced musical tributes to the slain Modesto woman and her unborn son, Conner. Although they do not know each other, both musicians said they were inspired by media reports of a May 4 public memorial in Modesto attended by about 3,000 people. Both songs draw heavily on images of mother and child safe and happy in heaven.
"Everyone has been moved by the events as they unfold," said Tony Handy, 50, of Oakland. "As the story went on, I wanted to get more involved."
The same goes for John Strand, 51, of Escalon, who said he wishes that he had been moved before the memorial service.
"You can't orchestrate inspiration," Strand said, "and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was inspired."
Strand's song, "Remembering Laci," is a piano ballad that can be heard on The Bee's Web site, modbee.com. Sprinkled throughout the piece are references to Conner and flowers.
"I feel it's a song of comfort," Strand said.
Handy described his song, "Straight to Heaven," as a pop tune with strains of jazz and soul. Part of the chorus says, "Gone straight to heaven, where princess angels live on."
Both men previously wrote musical tributes about other tragic events.
Strand, a guard at Deuel Vocational Institution near Tracy, composed "Song for America," a patriotic folk song, four days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Handy, an activist who has worked for nonprofit agencies, once wrote a tune about a high school student killed in Los Angeles, his hometown, when a classmate's gun accidentally discharged at school.
A Follow up from Sacramento story in Jan this year
Aspiring Rapper Gets One Year for Murder Cover-up
Aspiring Rapper Gets One Year for Murder Cover-up
A Sacramento man was sentenced to one year in prison Friday for helping cover up the murder of a pregnant teenager.
During his sentencing, 21-year-old James Kaleo Ross apologized for his role in hiding the murder of Quinnisha Thomas. He said he decided to help in the crime because he was afraid of the accused gunman in the case, 17-year-old Deondre Terrell Hudson.
The body of Thomas, who was eight months pregnant, was discovered January 13 in Sojourner Truth Park in the Greenhaven area of Sacramento. She had been shot in the back of the head.
Prosecutors contend that Hudson, who was Thomas' boyfriend at the time, murdered the pregnant woman and her unborn child. They said Hudson and 20-year-old Kevin Duran Coleman then put Thomas' body in the trunk of Ross' car and disposed of it at the park while Ross remained in his car.
Hudson was purportedly angry about Thomas' pregnancy and worried it would hurt his goal of a career in rap music which he was pursuing with Ross and Coleman.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Eeeuuwwww...Jeff/Geoff, ditch the mullet, not a good look, guy!
mvpel, I don't think you are correct in the matter of the diamond ring being community property.
I live in a community property state and this is what I have been told.
Anything that you brought into the marriage is your own personal property. Also any gifts that may be given to one or the other of the couples is their own personal property. Such as a grandmother gave Laci a gift of something (at the moment I don't remember what it was). When a person marries the other person gives the bride or groom (A GIFT) of a wedding ring. This then is personal property and belongs to that persons estate.
Community Property is whatever is purchased for the mutual benefit of both after the marriage.
In the absense of a Will the Community Property would be divided in half, and 1/2 of the community property plus the deceased's personal property would go to the next of kin.
If you have a Will, most married couples have Community and Personal Property "With right to survivorship to the living spouce.
If this is what Scott and Laci had, in the case of Scott being convicted of killing Laci, this part of the Will would be null and void. He cannot profit from her death.
His half of the Community Property is still his and he can keep any proceeds from his half even if convicted. He Just cannot have any of Laci's half of the Community Property or any of her Personal Property.
Yep, that's what I'm thinking, too. And, was he going to try and claim that jewelry on his homeowner's when no one was 'looking?' On none of the other posters that were out did I see anything about jewelry. Oh, boy, does he ever have some 'splaining to do.
I sure hope that the prosecutors have a copy of that flier. And, I hope that the bad seed gets up on the stand when the trial starts. I'm sure I'm dreaming about that one if Geragos has anything to say about it. ;)
PUBIC?????
You know, HLL, after the way MG tried to suck us all into thinking he'd turned into a human being, I'm afraid you're right. Guess no one asked Fieger to represent her/him in this case, he needs "exposure" right now, so he gets on TV a lot and plays the good guy.
Nancy Grace and Chris Pixley may think Scott is not entitled to anything if convicted, but obviously they don't know the law.
CALIFORNIA STATE PROBATE CODE
251. A joint tenant who feloniously and intentionally kills another joint tenant thereby effects a severance of the interest of the decedent so that the share of the decedent passes as the decedent's property and the killer has no rights by survivorship. This section applies to joint tenancies in real and personal property, joint and multiple-party accounts in financial institutions, and any other form of co ownership with survivorship incidents.
This states that the killer is not entitled to any part of the deceased half.
IT DOES NOT SAY HE IS NOT ENTITLED TO HIS OWN COMMUNITY PROPERTY.
Or "strands of hair vs. one hair".
Did you or anyone catch exactly what Dr. Baden said on Greta tonight about the clothes she had on? I thought he was telling us something we hadn't heard before, (since I thought Laci's body was naked except for the bra) but I couldn't understand what he said.
I had a hystorectomy many years ago and my current physician asked me if I had a full hystorectomy or a partial. I told her I thought I had a partial.
She then did the exam and told me I had a full hystorectomy because my cervix was also gone. I said I thought a full hystorectomy meant when they took the ovaries also. She said No! its when the cervix and uterus are removed.
I then asked her the same question as you did, and she said it just is still attached to the pelvic canal.
LOL!
I thought the same thing. I also thought that about David Westerfield in the Daniel Van Dam case.
Whimpy voice from such a big man.
And I will bet when they shake your hand it is like holding a wet dish rag. I don't like it when a man doesn't have a good grip in a handshake.
I think you're probably close to the mark, HLL...
Never!
Power of Attorney is ONLY GOOD AS LONG AS THE PERSON WHOM YOU HAVE POWER OVER IS LIVING.
This gives a person the power over your business in the case you are not able to handle matters. Such as if you were physically ill, mentally ill, or in prison. Once you are dead there is no Power of Attorney over you.
No, it is not because Scott is still considered the rightful owner of Laci's part of the property.
If you go back and read my postings at #245-#379, I do believe you will see that he has the right through the Power of Attorney to have the Peterson's sell the Community Property, but none of Laci's Personal Property. (Which I believe her ring is considered Personal Property since it was a gift to her by Scott) Half of the proceeds from the sale of Community Property would then go into the estate of Laci Peterson, which Scott cannot benefit from IF HE IS CONVICTED OF KILLING HER.
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