Posted on 06/07/2003 5:43:07 AM PDT by runningbear
So far the police have only mentioned a "violent death" the "soft kill" thing is media fluff.
But I will say that the terms are not necessarily a contradiction. The "violent death" statement came from police at the press conference when Laci's status was changed from a missing person to a probable homocide victim. Dying at the hands of another in any way shape or form should be considered "violent". The term "soft kill" still denotes the violent act of killing another but it is being used to calm speculation on a mutilation type killing.
"As the investigation has progressed, we have increasingly come to believe that Laci Peterson is the victim of a violent crime," said Detective Craig Grogan, the lead investigator.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
MODESTO, Calif. — The distraught former girlfriend of murder suspect Scott Peterson (search) met with prosecutors over the weekend about her potential testimony in the preliminary hearing.
A source close to Amber Frey (search) told Fox News that she and her high-profile attorney, Gloria Allred (search), met with prosecutors in Modesto, Calif., Saturday to discuss the possibility that Frey would take the stand in the hearing, set for July.
The judge in the criminal case has considered a gag order to prevent more leaks from the defense and prosecution, but Allred said that would hurt her client and scare others away from coming forward with information.
"A gag order against Ms. Frey would render her helpless in the face of a continued onslaught of rumor and innuendo," Allred said.
Superior Court Judge Al Girolami has declined to issue a gag order on lawyers to prevent evidence leaks in the case, but he could do so at a later date.
The source also said Frey was very upset about the possible upcoming release of nude photographs of her. Hustler publisher Larry Flynt (search) is currently in hot pursuit of nude photos of Frey, which she says are unauthorized for publication.
The source told Fox that Frey is still feeling overwhelmed. Frey, a 28-year-old single mother and massage therapist, has said she didn't know Peterson was married when she dated him.
In other developments, Fox News has learned of a leak in the case involving a theory that Peterson might have drugged his wife. Peterson apparently was surfing the Web for the so-called date-rape drug, GHB, in the weeks before Laci was killed.
Peterson, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder for allegedly killing his wife and their unborn son. Laci, 27, was eight months pregnant when she disappeared from the couple's Modesto home on Christmas Eve.
Her body and that of the baby washed up in April on the shores of San Francisco Bay, where Peterson said he was fishing the day of her disappearance.
On Friday, in a rare show of emotion, Peterson dabbed his eyes as a judge decided not to release the autopsy reports for Laci and the couple's unborn son, Conner.
Prosecutors had asked last week that the autopsy results be unsealed ......
No degree but try here.
http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa090301a.htm
Yes Sandylapper I was discussing this last night. It is VERY troublesome to me also. I had said that the two terms are on the opposite ends of the "descriptive" spectrum. We know that the MPD has been playing this case "close to the vest" therefore i strongly doubt that they would throw around a term like "violent homocide" in Febuary only then to have a leak that states MPD described the murder as a "soft kill". Devil stated that all killing is violent, agreed on that but I just don't think the MPD would be that careless on their terminology being so disparate. I believe this whole GHB thing is a bunch of hooey! Mainly bc MPD would not have seeked the death penalty on a theory that cannot be substantiated. I.E no hyoid bone to prove strangulation and a body present in water for three months obliterating any chances of proving abnormal levels of GHB. As Henry Lee would say "Someting no' righ'" I really do hope MPD has got GOOD SOLID EVIDENCE that we are not privy to. Because Marc Geragos is gonna be a force to content with. He is a "big city" attorney who may just dominate and overpower the Stanislaus County DA's team, If the evidence they have is not on the strong end of the spectrum.
I know what you are saying RG but STILL something is bothering me here. How do we know that there was not brain matter/ fluid that was found on the second search? That would jibe with violent homocide. Why not just say "homocide" if they knew in Febuary that Scott fed laci GHB and strangled her. I believe that Laci and Scott got into an argument perhaps triggered by laci finding out about Amber. He had been planning on knocking her off but had put it off.
If he fed her GHB this would indicated more planning, and we have discussed frequently that if he plannned (not premeditated..which is a given IMHO) this, he would not have done it this way. Especially knowing now that he told Laci's sister that he had a golf game the next morning.
I still think there is more blood or body fluid that would indicate a VIOLENT death more than the drugged strangulation death (soft kill). This also jibes with what had been released b4 MG got on the case.
The defense has the power to subpeona witnesses and to compel testimony. The defense can also introduce earlier statements made by the witness. All; that needs to be done is to read the initial statements and then go over the number of times LE questioned and re-questioned that witness.
Did LE point out inconsistencies in the witness' statement or conflicts with other "know facts".
Do this enough times with enough witnesses and the jury starts to think that LE is pushing its own agenda.
Just speculating now, but think about this scenario.
LE is certain Scott did it, but doesn't really have a lot of physical evidence. They follow Scott, plant a device in his car, etc. not because they think he will lead them to anyone, but because they want more time to develop evidence.
Then he goes to San Diego and withdraws a lot of money--suddenly they think he is going to flee to Mexico. So, they arrest him, but before they really wanted to.
Now they have a real problem. he has a number of constitutional rights, a speedy and public trial among them.
Does anyone know if he has "waived time" , i.e. given up his right to a speedy trial?
Part of Westerfield's strategy was that he did not waive this right and the prosecution was really under the gun to get all thier evidence together in 12 weeks, which is the limit. Came close to working for him also.
If Scott really did it, his case will get weaker over time, while the prosecution's will get stgronger as they analyze more evidence. It is to his advantage to demand a speedy trial.
The police don't ever have to re-question a witness who is not being completely honest. The witness knows. As a matter of fact, the big gripe here is that the MPD didn't talk to these media propelled witnesses enough. The police don't waste their time with them, knowing that they will be discredited at trial if the defense insists on calling them.
The witness will hear the facts through the media as they come out while the prosecution's case is presented at trial. When it is the defense's turn, the witness will realize that his story is beyond belief. The defense may be told by the witness that he made up his previous statements or he may just recant. If the defense attempts to require his testimony remain as previously stated, THAT may be suborning perjury in addition to being a case loser.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.