Witnesses: Jury Wrongly Convicted Peterson

foxnews.com ^ | Tuesday, December 07, 2004 | AP

[crushelits]

Witnesses: Jury Wrongly Convicted Peterson

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — In tearful testimony, Scott Peterson's (search) family and friends pleaded with jurors to spare his life, contending that he was mistakenly convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci.

Defense witnesses have already testified that Peterson sang to seniors on Sundays, distributed food and clothes in Tijuana and that he was a good friend and loving son.

On the fifth day of the trial's penalty phase, Peterson's relatives questioned the jury's verdict.

"I don't believe he's guilty," said his uncle, John Lathamke to see him die. It would tear our family apart."

But jurors showed no expression, some even looking away or toward the ground as Latham spoke.

Testimony in the seven-month-old trial's penalty phase was set to continue Tuesday and run into the next day before closing arguments. Jurors were expected to begin deliberating Thursday whether to sentence Peterson to life without parole or the death penalty.

Peterson was convicted Nov. 12 of one count of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife, Laci, and one count of second-degree murder for the killing of her fetus.

Prosecutors say he smothered or strangled Laci Peterson (search) in their Modesto home on or around Christmas Eve 2002, then dumped her body into San Francisco Bay. The remains of the victims were discovered about four months later a few miles from where Peterson claims to have been fishing alone the day his wife vanished.

[Positive]

"Not unless they knew the EXACT spot where Scott had been fishing; that spot just happens to be the exact spot you needed to dump a body for it to come to shore where it did."

Don't take this personally Howlin, but you are just wrong on this. The laws of physics dictate that Laci's body almost certainly washed ashore some distance from where she was initially dropped into the bay. Theoretically the body could have been dumped out to sea and washed up on shore in the bay.

"Well, there in lies the problem with your theory: he WAS seen, which is why he had to admit where he really was...

If you were to re-read my reply you would see that I was talking about people SEEING him DUMP SOMETHING into the bay...are you saying that someone testified as to seeing that?

In fact did anyone actually testify in court that they saw him at the marina? Seems redundant to me since Scott himself stated that he was at the marina.

[Annie03]

The testimony about Laci punching a dog who was fighting with her dog did come out today....and that Scooter stepped in (peaceful guy that he is). More brilliant defense strategy from Geragos & Co.

[Howlin]

Where did her family bury her head, arms and legs?

Gosh, you really are as dense as I have heard.

THE FISH ATE THEM when the anchors pulled them off because of the "sway" of the currents.

Geez.

[Howlin]

What you said! And most excellently, I might add!

[AnAmericanMother]

You did fine. I was just able to refine on what you wrote.

(Another lawyer here, but no longer in private practice. I did occasionally represent a bank, but mostly big bad insurance companies -- largely fire insurers but some property and excess carriers.)

[onyx]

The laws of physics dictate that Laci's body almost certainly washed ashore some distance from where she was initially dropped into the bay. Theoretically the body could have been dumped out to sea and washed up on shore in the bay.





Oh God.
You have NOT paid attention to the evidence presented
TO THE JURY. The dumping spot and the spots where
she and her baby finally managed to wash ashore, is
exactly where the experts had predicted and anticipated.

[Howlin]

Don't take this personally Howlin, but you are just wrong on this. The laws of physics dictate that Laci's body almost certainly washed ashore some distance from where she was initially dropped into the bay. Theoretically the body could have been dumped out to sea and washed up on shore in the bay.

You, too, need to call the judge and inform him that the expert witnesses who testified during the guilt phase about the tides, etc., will all full of bull.

[Howlin]

Don't take this personally Howlin, but you are just wrong on this. The laws of physics dictate that Laci's body almost certainly washed ashore some distance from where she was initially dropped into the bay. Theoretically the body could have been dumped out to sea and washed up on shore in the bay.

You, too, need to call the judge and inform him that the expert witnesses who testified during the guilt phase about the tides, etc., will all full of bull.

[onyx]

Yours is one terrific post.
A little difficult to wade thru... lol.. without paragraphs..

[Positive]

"Did you hear her say this?"

"You didn't hear the tapes, did you?"

I can't hear your voice but I seem to detect a tone of disdain in your response to my question. I don't take this case personally. It's just one of several thousand murders that occur annually in the US and the media decided to make a circus out of it. If you take it personally, I'm sorry that you have this burden.

No, I did not hear any tapes relating to this case. Were there tape recordings of Scott's mother saying these things made available to the public?

Did you hear her say these things?

[Sacajaweau]

And if your 7 months pregnant wife was "missing", would you break your routine? Of course!!!....just like every normal person.

[onyx]

Hellooooooooooooooooooooo.
A dead body (what's left of it) will float.
Anchors do not.

[Howlin]

Jackie Peterson told her son to "deny everything" when talking to detectives, prompting one investigator to conclude his parents "know more about what really happened to Laci Peterson."

Investigator Steve Jacobson wrote this report after listening to a phone call Jan. 17, 2003, a few days after reports of Peterson's mistress surfaced in the press: "On January 17th Scott receives a voice mail from his mother. His mother tells him he should 'deny, deny, deny' and that she was told that years ago by an attorney. His mother tells him his sister Susan (Caudillo) needs to get a yes or no answer from him. His mother thinks that may not be a good idea. His mother said he must deny 'anything.'"

[Howlin]

I didn't really read your post cause it ain't really that easy to read....

Surely you wouldn't want to take the time to read the facts.

[Sacajaweau]

I've got ten years on ya....And if I was your missing wife, it would kill me that you cleaned yourself up and made yourself "sweet and neat" before calling someone to tell them I'm missing.

[Positive]

"Goodness, have you not being paying ANY attention? The tide charts PROVE that where he said he was fishing is the EXACT spot where the bodies would have had to have been dumped for them to come ashore where they did."

"It's a SCIENCE, you know."

Ok, OK, Howlin, this will be my last response to you. You obviously are both too emotional and too uninformed.

1) Scott certainly did not give the police the exact location of where he dumped the body.
2) Even if he had, tide charts would not "prove" the "exact spot" where the body would have washed ashore. (I seem to recall (I may be wrong) that Laci's body and the baby's body washed ashore some distance apart - this would prove that your theory is false.)
3) What's a science? Tide charts specifying the exact spot that a dismembered human body will wash ashore after being submerged in a body of water where there are lots of variables not accounted for?

No there is no such science.

If I were being tried for something, I wouldn't want you on the jury, you're too gullible... and if you didn't like me you'd vote guilty.

[onyx]

And let's not forget Scott's "whew" that was accidentally
caught on tape when he was listening to his phone messages
wherein Sharon Rocha informed him that it was not Laci's
body earlier on.