Homicide victims usually know killer

The Modesto Bee ^ | Posted: January 28, 2003 @ 04:50:10 AM PST | Patick Giblin

[runningbear]

Homicide victims usually know killer

Homicide victims usually know killer

By PATRICK GIBLIN
BEE STAFF WRITER

If Laci Peterson has been killed, statistics say she was likely slain by someone close to her.

Police still hold out hope for the pregnant, 27-year-old woman's safe return, but veteran investigators know that with each passing day since her disappearance on Christmas Eve, the chance diminishes.

"For much of our search, when we're looking in places under water, we're looking for a body," Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden said earlier this month.

According to the California Department of Justice, more than 63 percent of the people who were arrested in California on homicide charges in 2001 knew their victims.

That's why detectives usually start investigating family members when they suspect a homicide has occurred, said Mike Van Winkle, spokesman for the department's Division of Law Enforcement.

"About three years ago, we had a female agent who didn't show up for work," he said. "The husband said she left in the morning, but our detectives took a look at him anyway. Pretty soon, he told us where to find the body."

It makes sense statistically why police are increasingly focusing on Laci Peterson's 30-year-old husband, Scott Peterson. According to the California homicide figures:

Approximately 46 percent of victims were related to the killer in some other way.

Nearly 7 percent of victims were killed by their spouses.

About 7 percent of the victims were killed by a parent or child.

About 4 percent of the killers had an "other" relationship with the victim. That could mean they were dating or roommates, for example.

About 36 percent of the victims did not know the person who killed them.

But just because Scott Peterson is the husband does not mean he's guilty of anything, Van Winkle cautioned.

Neither does the news that he had a romantic relationship with a Fresno woman he met in late November, a criminal justice expert said Monday.

Jeanette Sereno, a lawyer and assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice with California State University, Stanislaus, warned that Scott Peterson's reported liaison doesn't make him guilty of homicide.

"In fact, just because he (might be) a suspect doesn't automatically make him the defendant," she said.

According to several studies on marriage -- including a 1998 study by the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California at San Francisco -- nearly one-fifth of spouses will have affairs during their marriages. Yet few end up in homicide.

Laci Peterson's case has another factor -- she's pregnant. Their son is due on Feb. 10.

According to a 2001 study by the American Medical Association, the leading cause of death for pregnant women is homicide. The study randomly looked at the cases of 247 pregnant women who died and found that 50 of them were murdered.

The other women died from heart problems, car accidents, previously unknown medical problems or complications from the pregnancy.

"Typically, pregnant women don't participate in risky activities such as hiking, mountain climbing or drinking in bars," Sereno said. "They are eating well and seeing their doctors, so their deaths normally would be something out of their control."

Bee staff writer Patrick Giblin can be reached at 578-2347 or pgiblin@modbee.com.

Posted: January 28, 2003 @ 04:50:10 AM PST

[Yeti]

Little Connor's eyes close, and he can't hear the beating heart of Mommy anymore. Mommy ! I can't hear you ! Mommy !

You know, for a while, I had my doubts about Scott doing it.

But now that you posted that, I realize: Scott Peterson must die!

[Rheo]

Hopefully they have looked into her OB/GYN office for any recent miscarriages who might have been as far a long as Laci.

Regarding the bankruptcy...I can find no info to prove that it happened so we don't even know if the financial rumors we are hearing are true or false.

[Yeti]

Well, we don't know anything for sure, but SP claims he DID tell police about Amber, didn't he?

What's her alibi?

[Snickersnee]

A "Cintonian" response fer sher!

[alexandria]

But I have to cringe when it is suggested that because Laci was pregnant, Scott's "needs" had to be met elsewhere. We are all adults, here, and there ARE ways he could have had that sexual tension relieved, without going outside of the marriage. So, scratch that excuse off the list, at least if I were on the Jury

You DID understand what I posted in response to Yeti's suggestion right? Example: HUMM?... NAH! Next!

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm still waiting to find out if he revealed that before or after Amber went to the police. Besides..supposedly Amber's dad says that sp still pursued Amber even after the rumors were floating around.

Think about it..why would he admit to police before laci's family? Maybe he was trying to spare their feelings...but that doesn't add up to his behaviour for the past month. We've not seen him around family members too much...and that 'kind of' indicates a lack of concern for family members.

[spectre]

Yeah, I understood :~) I was thinking perhaps we needed to use the words "Clinton/Lewinsky or Ritter"..to get the point across, delicately, of course.

Kim, maybe he told the cops that he had been unfaithful to his wife, but passed it off as just a one night stand, and really couldn't remember the girls name...something like that. "You know, wife big as a blimp, what's a guy to do"...wink, wink.

So he admitted to screwing around, but didn't tell them how serious it was, or who it was with?????

So when the cops wanted to question him further about it, Scott was "less than cooperative".

sw

[spectre]

Just speculating about what he told the cops..

[landerwy]

jumblies???

[iaf97]

The facts are consistent with:


Scott did it.
A stranger did it.
A jealous girlfriend of Scott's did it.
Laci's secret lover did it.("Come on over, my husband has gone fishing and I want to talk to you about something that's been on my mind: we have to stop seeing eachother.)

And if you claim to have evidence that rules out 2 thru 4 of the above, I wish you would share it with us instead of trying to spin your way to some imagined debating victory.
Copious amounts of blood having been cleaned up would rule out #2, and lots of blood in the boat or truck would solidify #1. Without either of those, we are left with several possibilities.

Lets put it this way. Possibilities based on fact are admissible in a court of law. Possibilities based on speculation are not. I don't know of any facts that point to a stranger at this time. The only girlfriend we know of for sure has been excluded as a suspect by LE. There are no facts known at this time re a secret boyfriend. The facts we do know all seem to point to SP. He was the last person to see her alive. He was her husband who was having an affair at the time she was 8 months pregnant. His credibility is definitely in question since he has admittedly lied both as to an affair and as to life insurance. His alibi is fishy. :) Apparently Laci did not do what he claimed she did re the walk in the park. The crime scene appears to have occurred in the home although the forensic evidence is not complete. Reasonable doubt is not any doubt. It must be based on fact. Circumstantial evidence is good evidence and it all points to him. In a court of law jurors are encouraged to consider the demeanor of the witness when testifying. His demeanor and actions are definitely causing me to focus on him as the only likely suspect at this time.

[Yeti]

Think about it..why would he admit to police before laci's family?

IF HE WERE INNOCENT

he might tell the police immediately because it could affect the investigation, but not tell the family because it only adds to their pain and confusion.

When, exactly, would have been the right moment to tell them? Before or after the cry-fest? Just before a press conference?

"Oh, by the way, I was cheating on Laci at the time. Just thought you should know."

So I can't blame him for not telling her family or the press, although I can blame him for cheating in the first place.

So long as he did tell the cops immediately he did the right thing then.

What was her alibi?

[alexandria]

Hopefully they have looked into her OB/GYN office.

You know, we have not even heard A WORD from her OB/GYN about her. Not even, "when Laci came last for her check-up on_____ we determined her to be in excellent health, blah, blah, pregnancy progressing normally..."

[alexandria]

jumblies???

[Rheo]

Nope....there are a lot of people we haven't heard from and probably won't hear from.....like the person who introduced Scott to Amber as unmarried, anyone explaining why Scott was in San Luis Obispo at the beginning of Dec, etc.

If Scott were cleared as a suspect, ha, would this story stay in the news with such intensity?

[Doc Savage]

I see we are back to the bereft-mother-miscarriage-I-must-have-a-baby-so-I'll-rip-one-out-of-Laci novels. So your theory as I understand it is that a woman who was a patient of Laci's OB/GYN physician or practice miscarried and just happen to notice that Laci was due at approximately the same time so she arranged to stake out Laci's home for days just waiting for that singular moment when SP left to go fishing so that she could enter Laci's home, subdue her, cut the baby out of her womb with Laci still alive, steal the baby and leave......or, she kidnapped Laci on the street in broad daylight on Christmas Eve and they are now holding her captive at a secret location until she gives birth at which time they will kill her and dispose of the body.

Is that pretty close? Of course we know the first scenario is not true since Laci's body has not been recovered and no idiot baby snatchers would stick around long enough to properly dispose of her body and clean up the evidence of their debauchery.

And since there are no witness to a daylight abduction in Modesto, no signs of a struggle, and no screams for help heard by anyone, the abducters must have been extremely efficient and lucky.

Checking her OB/GYN practice for recent miscarriages????? If the police are doing that they should admit they are grossly incompetent and step down from the investigation. Only one suspect had a motive, and you can see him cry on TV tomorrow morning!

[Yeti]

what I posted in response to Yeti's suggestion right? Example: HUMM?... NAH! Next!

And as much as I have had to defend it, that was also how I felt about my suggestion. Not saying "Ooh! Ooh! This is what happened!" Just, "Well, y'know, there are people like that, you'd be surprised..."

There really ARE people like that. And of all the groups, I would not think this group here is one that would be "shocked at the very notion" that there are folks like that.

Sheesh!

[KneelBeforeZod]

don't mean nuthin'

same reason as "you are more likely to have a car accident within 5 miles of your home"

[Lanza]

I missed the interview! Tell me, has Laci's family made a statement about SP's GMA performance?

[shezza]

Bump for later perusal....

[landerwy]

Yes! On post 272 Devil used that term. I believe I know what Devil means but I was wanting a clarification.