10 minutes could be lifetime
By JOHN COTÉ and GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITERS
Last Updated: November 20, 2003, 06:04:52 AM PST
The case against accused double-murderer Scott Peterson could come down to roughly 10 minutes.
That's the amount of time from when someone used Peterson's cell phone in or near his home the morning of Dec. 24 until a neighbor said she found the Petersons' dog standing in the road, its leash dangling from its collar.
If the 10:08 a.m. call indicates the time Peterson left his home, his alibi appears to hang on his pregnant wife mopping the floor, leaving to take the dog for a walk and being abducted during that 10-minute stretch.
Neighbor Karen Servas testified that she found the Petersons' golden retriever standing in the street at 10:18 a.m. She deduced that time after checking a time-stamped receipt and clocking how long it took her to retrace her route.
Peterson told police he left home about 9:30 a.m. Dec. 24 to go fishing in San Francisco Bay, stopping at a warehouse he used in his work as a fertilizer salesman to get his boat and to check his e-mail, Detective Al Brocchini testified during Peterson's preliminary hearing.
Peterson said that when he left, his wife was preparing to mop and planning to run errands before walking their golden retriever, McKenzie, Broc- chini said.
"Laci asked the defendant to bring in a bucket," Brocchini testified. "She was going to mop, clean up the kitchen, go shopping for a dinner or a brunch they were going to have, and then walk the dog."
Prosecutors contend that Peterson murdered his wife and unborn son late Dec. 23 or early Dec. 24. He could receive the death penalty if convicted on both murder counts.
The bodies were found in April along the bay's eastern shore, less ......