Woman goes public

BART AH YOU/THE BEE
In a news conference in Modesto on Friday, Amber Frey of Fresno acknowledged having a romantic relationship with Scott Peterson

The Laci Peterson case took a dramatic twist Friday when a 28-year-old single mother acknowledged having a recent romantic relationship with Scott Peterson.

Amber Frey, who lives in the Fresno area, said in an emotional news conference Friday night that Peterson told her he was not married when they met Nov. 20.

On Dec. 30, Frey contacted police after seeing Scott Peterson's photo in reports regarding his wife's disappearance. She has been eliminated as a suspect in the investigation, Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden said.

Scott Peterson did not answer his home or cell phone on Friday night, and he did not return messages seeking comment. Wasden said Peterson has not been eliminated from the investigation.

Hours earlier, Laci Peterson's family held its own emotional news conference at the Red Lion Hotel.

"Scott Peterson did admit to me that he was having an affair with a Fresno woman," said Brent Rocha, Laci Peterson's older brother. "I trusted him and I stood by him in the initial phases of my sister's disappearance. However, Scott has not been forthcoming with information regarding my sister's disappearance. I'm only left to question what else he may be hiding."

Last week, a Rocha family member said detectives had told them of Peterson's recent affair and that he had taken out a $250,000 life insurance policy on his wife during the summer.

Asked about the report the next day, Scott Peterson told a Bay Area TV reporter, "It's a bunch of lies."

Eight days later, Frey stood in front of dozens of reporters at the Police Department and spoke about her relationship with Scott Peterson. Police

revealed the woman's identity because several reporters had started to contact her, Wasden said.

"When I discovered he was involved in the Laci Peterson disappearance case, I immediately contacted the Modesto Police Department," Frey said. "I am very sorry for the pain this has caused Laci's family, and I pray for her return."

Frey's voice shook and she cried several times as she spoke, occasionally taking measured breaths before continuing with her statements.

A group of Laci Peterson's friends stood behind the rows of TV cameras and took in Frey's words. They displayed very little emotion. As soon as Frey stopped talking and left the room, most of Laci Peterson's friends also exited.

"It's emotional for these girls to see her," said Terri Western, whose daughter is a close friend of Laci Peterson's. "But they applauded her for coming forward with this information. This whole thing is absolutely the worst and most difficult thing any of them have ever had to deal with."

Janey Peterson, Scott Peterson's sister-in-law, said later on CNN's "Connie Chung Tonight" that she did not know Scott Peterson had an affair until she heard the news Friday.

"It would not change what I am doing to help find Laci," Janey Peterson said. "And, to be honest, we don't have the extra emotions and we don't have the time to chase down all these peripheries. Trusting in the Lord is all that we have."

Laci Peterson was about eight months pregnant when she was reported missing on Christmas Eve. Her husband told police he last saw her that morning as he left to go fishing in Berkeley.

The case has drawn intense media coverage. Frey implored her friends not to talk to reporters, and Wasden asked the media to respect the privacy of the woman and her 23-month-old child.

"I do believe our entire nation and possibly most of the world is aware that Laci Peterson is missing," Wasden said. "Now, what this is starting to do is border on pretty close to being destructive. We've given the information we feel we need to give so that a young woman who had the courage to come forward and give us information will not be harassed as she tries to go on with her life."

A few hours earlier, the Rocha family walked into the Red Lion Hotel together. In their hands, several family members held prepared statements.

The Rochas looked out through teary eyes that were dark around the edges, proof of the hellish month they have endured. Police later said they had told the family about Frey's planned appearance.

It was the family's first news conference in more than a week, and the first since detectives told the Rochas that Scott Peterson was having an affair.

Family friends said that disclosure appeared to divide the Petersons and Rochas. Before Friday, Laci Peterson's side of the family rarely appeared without someone from Scott Peterson's family.

"This past month has been the most painful time I've ever experienced," she said, looking down as tears flowed. She tried to say more, but the words did not come.

Her brother, Brent, stepped up. He offered his thoughts regarding Scott Peterson, then

directed his message to his younger sister, Laci Peterson, and her unborn child, who had been named Connor or Conner.

"Laci, the last month has been the most disturbing and emo- tional time of my life," he said in a voice that trembled as he struggled for control. "Your disappearance has completely changed my life as I once knew it. I miss your beautiful smile and your fun-loving personality.

"We talked about our children growing up together, spending summers at each other's house. Family events will be very lonely without you and Connor. Wherever you may be, I hope you know how much I love you and how important you are to me. My search for you will never end."

Rocha folded his piece of paper and stepped back to rejoin his family. Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, slowly approached the mass of microphones.

MODESTO, Calif. -- In a day filled with tear-stained press conferences Friday, the woman who was having the affair with Scott Peterson came forward to offer her sympathy to the family of his missing wife, Laci, and was cooperating with police investigators.

Hours earlier, Laci's family held an emotional press conference of their own, saying they no longer supported Scott and asked him to cooperate with investigators.

The woman, Amber Frey of Fresno, said she did not know Scott was married until she heard about the case. She came forward on Dec. 30 and has been cooperating with police ever since.

"First of all, I met him on Nov. 20," the single 28-year-old mother said. "When I was introduced, I was told he was married. Scott told me he wasn't married. We had a romantic relationship. When I discovered he was involved in the Laci Peterson case, I immediately contacted the Modesto Police Department."

"Although I could have sold the photos of Scott and I to the tabloids, I didn't want to jeopardize the investigation. I knew it (going to the police) was the right thing to do. I am very sorry for Laci's family and the pain it has caused them. I pray for her safe return."

Modesto police said they had brought Frey forward because her identity had been uncovered by the media covering the case and they were hounding her. They added that Frey was not a suspect in the case.

The stunning 20-minute press conference came just hours after Laci's family met with the press in an emotion-ladden news conference of their own.

Appearing before the national media for the first time in more than a week, Laci's brother -- Brent Rocha -- said that Scott had admitted to him he was having an affair.

"On Jan. 16, 2003, by telephone Scott Peterson admitted to me he was having an affair with a Fresno woman," Rocha said. "I confronted him after viewing pictures of him with this woman."

The family was shown four photos of Scott and the woman by Modesto police a little over a week ago. They were also told Scott had taken out a $250,000 insurance policy out on Laci Peterson's life.

"I would like Scott to know I trusted him and stood by him in the intial phases of my sister's disappearance," Rocha said. "However, Scott has not been forthcoming with information regarding my sister's disappearance and I'm only left to question what he might be hiding."

Laci's mother -- Sharon Rocha -- made an impassioned plea for her daughter's return.

"Since Christmas Eve, our one and only focus has been to find Laci and bring her home to us," she said choking back tears. "I love my daughter and miss her every minute of every day. I miss seeing her. I miss our talks together. I miss the excitement in her voice when she talks about her baby...Someone has taken all this away from me."

In an exclusive interview with KTVU Friday night, Scott Peterson said he wanted to keep the lines of communication open with Laci's family. He said he watched the news conference and "was moved" by the outpouring of emotion from the Rocha family.

On Thursday night, another one-time supporter of Scott Peterson said he too now questioned the Modesto man's motives.

Brad Saltzman, who manages the Red Lion Inn in Modesto, the site of the now closed Laci Peterson search center, said Thursday night his support for Scott has waned since last weekend's efforts in Westwood.

The hotel used as the headquarters for that search is run by the same ownership group as the Modesto Red Lion and Saltzman was a key figure in setting it up.

"It's funny because last week a correspondent asked me if I had ever seen Scott cry," he said. "I thought about it, and I've seen other family members cry but I had never seen Scott cry. His demeanor was like it was empty, and he liked the attention from the media."

"I was able to take him the back way (in the hotel). I was able to take him up the service elevator, but he chose to go in front of the media and it was a media circus out there. That's why I think he intentions weren't to find Laci."

"I put in endless hours as a volunteer to help him, and when he was done with the volunteer efforts he packed his car and left," he said. "There was a thank you and goodbye, (but) it made me wonder what his real motives were."

"Unfortunately I don't think it was to find Laci. I think it was to look good in front of the media, and to show him shaking hands with volunteers, and that's not right because of all these people who have put in countless hours to help find Laci. It's not right."

Peterson's sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, defended him during a series of Friday evening calls to national television networks.

"There is absolutely no way Scott had anything to do with Laci's disappearance," she said. She was unaware of any affair and frankly, it wouldn't matter. It's a distraction from what our primary focus needs to be, and that's to bring Laci home.

"Scott's going to be OK at the end of this road, but we don't know that about Laci, and that's where our focus needs to be," she told CNN's Connie Chung.

There were other developments Friday in the case of the missing mother-to-be who vanished from her home on Christmas Eve day.

BART AH YOU/THE BEE
Friday at the Red Lion Hotel, Laci Peterson's family makes an emotional appeal for her safe return.

This is a glimpse of the Babies R Us online registry for Laci Peterson that shows gifts the pregnant Modesto woman, who's been missing since Dec. 24, had registered for.

A baby-shower date for Laci Peterson came and went with no party. The expectant mother, though, is still listed on a gift registry at Babies R Us.

Friday, the chain store's online registry showed that three gifts had been purchased: a First Years 4 Stage Bath System, a Graco Care Station Pack 'n Play and a Fisher-Price Deluxe Take Along Swing.

Hers is the only name listed on her gift- registry form, but an employee at Babies R Us in Modesto said that is not unusual.

labeled "Additional name (optional)." Some women list a maiden name, nickname or the father, Cabrera said.

Some of Peterson's girlfriends spent Jan. 11, the scheduled day of a shower, working at the volunteer search center established in the wake of Peterson's disappearance on Christmas Eve.

Her due date is Feb. 10, and she and her husband, Scott, already know the baby is a boy. They had picked a name: Connor, or maybe Conner.

Kim Petersen, spokeswoman for Laci Peterson's side of the family as it deals with her disappearance, said Laci had difficulty getting pregnant and wondered if she would ever have a baby.

Susan Medina, who lives across the street from the couple, told about the day in early December when she came outside and discovered that a tire on her car was almost flat.

He doesn't look like he lost 15-20 lbs. in that picture either.

No, it doesn't does it? I was surprised when I read (was it his father?) who said he's lost all this weight....I notice no difference in weight...and that many pounds would be noticeable (5 or 10 probably wouldn't be, depending on clothes worn).

Howlin, I am chagrined that you would call me a pontificating disruptor.

I have the greatest respect for you. I have been here four years and have never been accused of being a disruptor before, especially by such a respected and accomplished freeper.

I think issues of single motherhood, boyfriends, and the effect of the combination on crime, present and future, most certainly belongs on a crime thread. Single motherhood is responsible for more crime than almost any other modifiable social factor.

The fact that this particular single mother managed to expose her child to a murderer within weeks, perhaps days, of "being introduced" is in my view quite salient commentary.

That's all I have to say. I responded to you out of respect, I don't usually respond to insults.

I won't do it again.

I think you might have taken it the wrong way; this is a thread about crime. If you look back, too many have come on here with their "one issues" and have tried to take these threads off topic, beating their own drums.

Too many have come on here moralizing, when the major thrust of these particular threads is discussion of crimes; granted some of it is wild speculation, but interjecting the morals of this girl into the discussion just diverts attention from where it should be; of course, that is MY opinion.

Those are all valid points, and my objecting to them on these threads doesn't mean I think they are any less important. It's just that once we start moralizing, we're off topic.

Of course, part of it could be that the thread last night went so off topic that it was unreal to watch; all of a sudden we had people saying Mother Teresa was in hell. And, needless to say, being who I am, I just couldn't let those kinds of remarks pass. I admit I was just as much at fault as those doing the trashing of this woman.

Perhaps I was too harsh in my reply to you. I apologize. I just don't see what her values, of lack thereof, if you all think that way about her, have to do with Laci Peterson being missing. I'm interested in what you have to say about the case; I'd be glad to join you in another thread discussing the world going to hell in a hand basket.

I heard that too--that supposedly Scott told Amber that he wanted them to be "exclusive."

Even now, they have only known one another 2 months.

Y'know, it makes me think that maybe Scott was the jealous type. Perhaps he is the type who would hit the roof if he even thought a woman who was "his" had any interest in another man...but who also believes that HE is doing nothing wrong if he himself cheats a little.

But we have every reason to think she has done more to aid the investigation than Laci's own husband, since she has eliminated herself as a suspect, and Scott has not.

The only thing he hasn't done is take a lie detector test. How do we know that she has?

We don't know all there is to know yet, wimpy. If they were swingers, he might feel obliged to hide some things to protect Laci's "honor." There is plenty yet that we don't know.

For all I know he did it. I just think we should stay circumspect until we know more. And don't let's rule out anyone until we know more.

I am not concerned about Amber's delay coming forward at all for many reasons.

1. If you remember we didn't see Scott on the tube for a few days, and when we finally did he had that ball cap pulled down. You really couldn't tell what he looked like. I remember my mother and I discussing how we are curious to what the husband looks/is like during that first week.

2. When I was 28 I never watched the news, and I don't remember that any of my girlfriends did either (Yes, I fully admit to being shallow then. I liked shopping, Oprah and keeping up with celebrities. Because of my total dusgust for Bill Clinton, my life changed into a news junkie/political activist). Any major news like this I would have heard from my mother or at the water cooler at work. I would not be surprised if she heard about this from someone and not from the news.

3. I have friends that as of this week had not heard about this case (and it has been on our local news at times). They are not shallow (like I was), just busy moms that can barely get a shower and a sandwich in, so they are not glued to the tube.

4. Amber's a single mom that was probably busting her rear-end getting ready for and then having Christmas with her child and family.

That's just my thoughts on Amber. I would like to think someone said to her "Hey, isn't that guy you are dating named Scot Peterson too?," and the ball started rolling. Once confirmed it was him, she probably went to the police. She may have even talked to her parents telling them her devastating news. The police seemed to confirm her story .

I guess I am in a minority here, but -- a single mom(of a toddler), masseuse(Ahya, we are a lagiddimit gentlemen's sports massage establishment) who boinks a man she hardly knows(but thinks might be rich).

So she boinks some guy she thinks is rich, and you automatically put her into the "REDLIGHT DISTRICT"?

Regardless of who she co-mingles she still has a respectable amount of CLASS by not selling out to the real WHORES - The media.

"Sorry ladies, birds of a feather flock together, and I think a small amount of digging will expose a nasty little nest of sleaziness in this circle of friends and family."

This is essentially what I said to my husband some days ago. Nobody seems to want to talk about those alleged assault charges in Laci's past.....charges that reportedly came from her decking a girl in a fight over a boy. Granted, it happened when she was in high school, but it still speaks to what kind of a person she was and how she behaved in male/female relationships. Before I get attacked for "blaming the victim," let me point out that I am NOT blaming Laci for what happened her. I am simply agreeing with Yeti's "birds of a feather" assessment and pointing out that we already have some evidence that it may be valid.

She met this man she thought was single.

...and not only did she think it, he was introduced as such.

I totally agree with your assessment. Just because a woman is romantically involved with a man does not make her a sultry tart...

I would be more inclined to think she was lonely, before she was some harlet!

Ok my wife would like to make a comment here, I knew this was gonna happen!!!!

My wife wants to know what happened to his wedding ring?

I don't think that is too hard of a deduction.

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