Laci's things in tug of war

The Modesto Bee ^ | May 31, 2003 | Garth Stapely and John Cote'

[A CA Guy]

You are going to be one broke fellow later in life if you pursue all your issues through court.

They were her family and there is a gray area there where it wouldn't be said they out-right broke the law.

You would suggest every-time there is a dispute over $1000 worth of stuff that you would go to court and spend upward of $10,000 in court with a smile on your face.
No way!

If you really want something like they did, you have to get it. Otherwise, who ever is in possession of this stuff if it goes to court automatically gets it.
That's pretty much how I've ever seen it work.
I've never seen charges pressed in family courts over this kind of action either. Especially not with the parents and brother of a murder victim.

[runningbear]

I think even though the Rocha's at first gave all doubt in this case, little by little stuff has eroded it, and now with all the hoopla of the Geragos team, most likely it was that, which broke the camel's back, so to speak for the Rocha's. They are (Petersons)despictable people!

[Lanza]

I am not saying it is a "slam-dunk" concerning what we know. I have to believe the police have much more including forensics. Laci was ruled a homicide before she was ever found, after police spent 2 days in that house. Chandra Levy was never ruled a homicide until she was found.

I will not be a candidate for the jury, because I don't live in CA. I can have an opinion and it is this; I believe SP is guilty just on his horrid behavior from the moment his wife went missing. Calling your mistress and saying "I want to spend my life with you" when the entire country is out looking for your wife sounds as cold as it gets. Even if he was at a loss of romantic feelings for Laci (it happens in the best of marraiges), if he cared about her as a human being the girlfriend would not be top priority when Laci was missing not to mention hihs baby.


I confess I could not be an "open minded juror" on this case.
I think the guy is a sociopath (I believe that is the term Mark Geragoes called him on one show before he took the case saying "if he did this" while insisting the police should be getting an arrest warrant for SP).

[MizSterious]

CF, maybe you should look up California law before you state that matter of factly. From what the attorneys are saying, it would appear the house is sort of in limbo, and even though Laci is dead, she is still 50% owner of the house--which is to say, it's not "his" either and won't be unless he's exonerated.

[Howlin]

Actually, it's in limbo, which is exactly why the Rocha attorneys have been trying to get Geragos to do the right thing for the last month.

Because he is accused of her murder, he just cannot dispose of her belongings; the people who would be her heirs when he is convicted have a right to ask the court to STOP him from doing just that; they have that right.

Leaving aside the fact that it makes him look guiltier and guiltier; claiming that they can't go in because it's a crime scene after HE tried to SELL the house within weeks of her disappearance strikes me as JUST a little bit disengenuous.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, I havn't been in this situation - no one in my family will put me in their will (for their own protection, I'm sure)... that being said, I understand the 'moral' argument you are making... However, this is just another example of two families fighting over material things (liek the crib - it's not like the baby ever USED it, so where, really, is there any 'sentimental value' in it?) after a tragic death - saw it any times in my own family, and was disgusted by them too...

Bottom line is, no matter how it's spinned, it was theft...

[A CA Guy]

I totally think the family was taking back what went into the home before the marriage that was with her and her family for decades.
The family treasures would be sold or confiscated by lawyers if they didn't go in there.

Being only his family had access to the place, it is obvious the other side never intended to give the stuff back.

They maybe would have given back diplomas, but that was about all.

[Lanza]

Does it make any difference to you that the DA's office told the Rochas they could go in the house?

[runningbear]

wacky jackie said so, from Greta, and LKL....

[Howlin]

However, this is just another example of two families fighting over material things

Actually, this is no such thing; it's an example of a heartless family denying another family access to their dead child's possession JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Makes no difference to me - it's not the DA's house - he also has no right to give people permission to go in to someone elses home and take other people's property... If the DA did that, then it may be time to find youself a new DA

[A CA Guy]

I understand your moral issue, but the facts are that when the court system gets involved, it can cost $20,000 to get back a box of chicklets.
They did the right and only thing they could do unless they are a wealthy family with money to burn in court.

If everybody had endless wealth to go into family court to do this I would have no argument. But the system as it stands favors the side in possession of the goods and makes the other side who wants the stuff pay a fortune.

The other issue is the stuff could have disappeared from the house by the time $20,000 was spent to get it back.
That also is common when only one side has access to property.

My sister left her ex and had a thousand pounds of living room furniture that the ex claimed must have been stolen or was taken by my sister.
In court it was established that he never called to cops to make a report of a theft and he never asked my sister if she had taken it when it was missing.
The courts gave a (Oh well that happens all the time) kind of reply.

You can't wait therefore and need to go get your stuff.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Ok, so the house is in 'Limbo'... it still doesn't belong to the Rocha's - which means, as I said, they entered a home where they had no legal right to do so, and removed property which they had no lega right to remove - which equals THEFT. Period.

Regardless of why they did it... "Our feelings wee hurt" "People were mean to us" "Society made us do it" whatever... excuses, nothing more...

[runningbear]

yeah know, you just can't read what Laci gave in either circumstances prior to her missing, and death of who had permission to come to her house, and same to the Peterson. As it was stated from the beginning, several people had keys, access to the house. And since the death certs are not filed, prior access still holds, only difference is, scaughty's parents hold scaughty's half interest until, (my opinion). So, sorry, no "no or yes" answers would do for me...

And, have to say, ya such a great debater....;o))

[runningbear]

yes they are if you have the info to look it up in each county of where the property(s) is(are) located.

[A CA Guy]

Correct Howlin and it would cost a small fortune in court to get family stuff back.
Meanwhile with only one side having access, stuff could spirit away in no time.

That family did the right thing.

It also gave them a small bit of power in a horrible situation.

We are looking at a box spring for a baby bed in one picture for heaven's sake...that is heart breaking.

[Howlin]

Evidently the Modesto Police Department and the DA didn't think it was theft; nobody was arrested.

They stated it was a civil matter; and I, for one, am glad to see the Rochas stand up and stop taking crap from Mark Geragos and the Petersons.

[Chad Fairbanks]

You raise an interesting point - the whole Prior Access thing, etc...

The thing that makes me not like what they did (aside form my own twisted sense of legalism) is that they had a list of 22 items, which they paired down to 16, of things they wanted of Laci's... 7-8 truckloads of stuff makes me seem to think they took a LOT more than they originally wanted. That raises all kinds of alarms in my head...

[WellsFargo94]

Does anyone have the capability to enlarge these pics focusing on her hands?

It always amazes me when seeing Scott pose with Laci in this picture vs. seeing him pose with Amber. He looks so much happier with Amber...very telling.

[Howlin]

What would you do if you had to sit and listen to that crap Mark Geragos spews day in and day out, cults, mystery women, brown vans, not to mention his leaking of that DREADFUL autopsy about Connor, all the while knowing he won't give you your daughter's DIPLOMA and wedding dress.

If I had been out there, I would have gone with them.