Defense Team Seeking Man Named 'Donnie' as Laci Peterson Murder Suspect

Fox News ^ | June 02, 2003 | Fox News

[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

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 kin retrieve her stuff

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.

[Devil_Anse]

Your post makes good sense, Spunky. It also seems logical to me that whatever Scott owned before the crime, he still owns. I'm not sure, but I remember hearing Nancy Grace and Chris Pixley that evening, and I really think they were talking about Scott not ending up owning any of Laci's property. I don't think they thought to say, oh yes, of course, he still owns his OWN property.

If/when the Rochas prevail in a civil suit against him, Scott won't own the property he owned at the time of the crime, either.

PS I hope Fred Goldman has his lawyers keep watch on every bit of un-exempt property OJ ever owns, so they can scoop it up to pay the judgment against OJ. BTW, I feel very sure that his attempts to foil that judgment were the reason OJ took up residency in Florida. Guess if Scott beats this murder rap, he'll be moving to Florida, if he stays in the U.S. at all.

[Devil_Anse]

Aha! I thought Geragos might try something like this. The DA, Geragos might argue, demonstrated his "bias" when he and the police failed to prosecute the Rochas (and announced that they wouldn't prosecute) for the "burglary".

Even more, the wiretap stuff, in which the attorney's calls got inadvertantly wiretapped--Geragos is gonna be making hay out of that.

[Devil_Anse]

If Geragos is flirting with disaster, I hope disaster responds and wants to marry him!

[Devil_Anse]

Somewhere on this thread, Sacajaweau also comments on the improbability of Laci's wearing diamond earrings and bracelet to "walk the dog". That is in response to the original FBI missing poster, posted somewhere on here by IamHD. It describes Laci as a missing person wearing a diamond ring, diamond earrings, and diamond bracelet!

[Jackie-O]

Sure, you always log on after I hit the sack..I'm beginning to think your avoiding me! ;0)

[Devil_Anse]

"Claim the jewelry on his homeowner's"

Bingo!!

If Scott was the source for the information on that flier (and who else would it have been??), I'm surprised he didn't describe her as wearing all the jewelry she'd ever owned, and carrying two expensive Tiffany lamps, plus carrying a briefcase full of money!

You can bet that if he told what's on the flier to the FBI, the prosecution will indeed have a copy of all that he said.

[Jackie-O]

I'm a little crabby right now..I was next door having my daily argument with cabin over coffee about Snott's guilt...cabin insists that he didn't do it but he has NOT followed this case, and I think he just loves to pi$$ me off at 6AM!!

[Devil_Anse]

No, unfortunately I didn't hear it! I only knew about it b/c someone somewhere on here posted about what he said!

Remember back when her body was first found, we were all debating about what they meant when they described the clothes? Remember how we weren't even sure it was Laci? And we were all impatiently waiting for the DNA results? Look how far the prosecution's case has come, with the finding of the bodies! They are very lucky in that respect. What's to say those bodies might have been washed out to sea, and never ever found? Of course, the divers have been hard at work, and IMO, they got the reward they deserved when the bodies washed ashore.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks for the info! I can't picture what all those organs really look like when they're in place--and it's just as well that I can't!

This reminds me of the time when I was a child, when I used to see the uvula in the back of the mouth, and I thought it was "a tonsil". So I asked my father, did I have one of my tonsils taken out? He said no, and he drew a little diagram of where the tonsils really are, and then he said what I saw was a uvula. That was when I learned there WAS such a thing as a uvula. I'm glad I asked!

[Devil_Anse]

Yeah, all in all, I'd say Scott needs a personality transplant. And a conscience transplant. And a...

[Devil_Anse]

We need to sort out what we heard about this. I think I heard it said that the cervix was still intact. Apparently others heard it as the uterus.

Spunky tells me that it is indeed possible for the cervix to still be in the body, even when the (rest of the?) uterus isn't.

[Devil_Anse]

Absolutely not! In fact, I had to go all over the threads just to see your posts, lol! See, the difference is, you hit the sack around the time a normal person does, whereas I get stuck waiting around for the computer, and if I get it late, I can't resist staying up half the night on it!

The other day I worked on that thing I had to write, and when it was done, I hung out till early evening, then I lay down while watching TV and slept 4 hours! So then when I woke up late in the evening, there I was--getting up, just when most people are going to bed. I'm still trying to get back to a reasonably normal schedule.

Sandy was just asking about Baden's remarks on Greta. I missed the remarks. Didn't someone say something about the bra being cut or torn? Was that Baden?

[Jackie-O]

I heard that the cervix was still intact, and the uterus was present..intact to me ment that she had not given birth vaginally so I'm interested in knowing if the uterus ruptured when gasses built up, expelling the baby...

[Devil_Anse]

Who's "cabin"? Is that an acronym?

Yes, it's really funny how virtually the only people who seem to really believe in Scott's innocence are those who only dabble in this case's coverage. When some of them get interested and get up to speed, I've noticed that they usually say, "okay, I admit he looks guilty". Unless, of course, they have some other axe to grind. Some people don't ever want to be seen appearing to side with the police. It's not "cool". Some people like to think of themselves as still having a little bit of outlaw in them--reminds them of their youth, I think.

[runningbear]

;o)

[Jackie-O]

I was just kidding..I know you've been busy.
I didn't catch what Baden said about the bra. I did post some of Badens comments last night, I think he is starting to change his tune about the murder..IMO he seemed to be interpreting things in favor of the Defense, but changing his tune now...