Fact-based Reporting by
Rob Roman and Amanda Chen
The same model as Peterson’s 14 foot Sportfisher boat
An appeal was filed for Scott Peterson on July 5th, 2012 and is winding its way through the California Supreme Court system right now.
If you can believe it, the 2005 Scott Peterson Murder case and trial was even bigger than the Jodi Arias murder case. A lovely, sweet and vivacious young wife who was nearly eight months pregnant had disappeared on Christmas Eve.
Laci Rocha in Middle School
The Disappearance
The media storm was palpable, omnipresent, and forceful. Near San Francisco, in quiet Modesto, California, squadrons of police and volunteers were dispatched. Bloodhounds and cadaver dogs joined the search, helicopters whirled overhead, hundreds of posters were stapled up everywhere by shattered family and friends. It grew into a Goliath story on TV and in most newspapers over the holidays and then far beyond. It cut directly to the heart.
Scott Peterson in Middle School
Suspicion
Weeks later, people were up in arms because the man whose pregnant wife had disappeared on Christmas Eve, 2002, seemed so detached and nonchalant. He didn’t participate in interviews, he didn’t help in the search, and he didn’t even help to staple missing persons’ posters to telephone poles.
Laci Rocha and friend
Scott Lee Peterson was irritated by all the invasive questions asked by reporters and the police. He kind of looked like he wanted everybody to just go away so he could go play some golf.
The former country club caddy, turned fertilizer salesman was arousing deep suspicion.
Happier times
The TV cameras sometimes caught the handsome and athletic Scott Peterson talking secretively on the phone. Later the world would find out he was talking to his latest lover, the blond and athletic Amber Frye.
Later in April of 2003, the body of a baby boy washed up out of the cold San FranciscoBay onto the nearby Richmond shore, the umbilical cord was still attached. This was only 5 miles north of the Berkeley Marina, where Scott Peterson went fishing in his new 14 foot Sportsfisher aluminum boat on the same day Laci disappeared.
The Berkely Marina
One day later, as if protectively following her baby boy, the lifeless body of Laci Peterson emerged out of the bay. Her feet, hands and her head were missing.
Scott and Amber 2 weeks before Laci disappears
With the certainty that this was now a double homicide, what does Scott Peterson do? He continues to call his girlfriend excessively, he plays golf frequently, and he begins preparing to leave the town, the state, and possibly the country.
By then, the media was in a frenzied pitch and people were screaming for his arrest for the murder of his wife and unborn son.
In case you need a refresher or you never heard of this colossal case, here is a summary from Wikipedia:
Overview
“Scott Lee Peterson (born October 24, 1972) is a man convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son in Modesto, California in 2002. Peterson’s arrest and subsequent trial received significant American news media coverage until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. He remains on death row in San Quentin State Prison while his case is on appeal to the Supreme Court of California. He maintains his innocence.”
“On December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson was reported missing from the Modesto, California home she shared with Scott. She was eight months pregnantwith a due date of February 10, 2003, and the couple had planned to name the baby boy Conner. The exact date and cause of Laci’s death was never determined. Peterson initially reported his wife missing on Christmas Eve, and the story quickly attracted nationwide media interest.
Modesto police did not immediately identify Peterson as a suspect, largely because Laci’s family and friends maintained their faith in his innocence during the month following the young schoolteacher’s disappearance. Eventually, police grew more suspicious due to inconsistencies in his story.
On January 17, it became known that Peterson had numerous extramarital affairs, most recently with a massage therapist named Amber Frey. Frey approached police about Peterson, whom she had just begun to date, after discovering he was actually married to a missing woman.
Amber Frye, my-oh-my
At this point, Laci’s family announced that they had withdrawn their support of Peterson. They later said that they were angered not by the affair, but that Peterson had told Frey that he’d “lost” his wife and that he would be spending his first Christmas without his wife — 14 days before Laci disappeared.
To the Rochas, this meant that Peterson had already planned to kill Laci long before her disappearance.
On April 14, 2003, the remains of a fetus washed ashore from San Francisco Bay in Richmond’s Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, north of the Berkeley Marina, where Peterson had been boating the day of Laci’s disappearance.
The next day, a partial female torso missing its hands, feet, and head washed ashore in the same area. The body was identified as Laci Peterson, the fetus as Laci’s unborn child. Autopsies were performed, but due to decomposition the exact cause of death could not be determined. The medical examiner did note that Laci had suffered some broken ribs prior to her death.
Prosecutors suggested that Laci could have been suffocated or strangled in the couple’s home. The FBI and Modesto Police Department performed forensic searches of the couple’s home, Peterson’s truck, the tool box in the back of his truck, his warehouse, and his boat.
Peterson was arrested on April 18, 2003, in La Jolla, California, in the parking lot of the Torrey Pines Golf Course, where he said he was meeting his father and brother for a game of golf. (Evidence found in his car strongly suggested he was just about to flee the country).”
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Peterson
Trial media circus with tents
The Evidence
There was very little direct evidence in the case. There was very little physical evidence. Proving murder as opposed to other scenarios required the analysis of circumstantial evidence.
Circumstantial evidence necessarily involves the patterns, the attitudes, and the character of the suspect.
Peterson had months to hatch his murder plan. Still, in the Peterson case, there are literally hundreds of pieces of circumstantial evidence that fit together logically.
In the Peterson case, even the greatest lawyer would have a very difficult time rationalizing the hundreds of interlocking pieces of circumstantial evidence.
The Facts
Graduating from a preppy Catholic high school in San Diego, Scott drove his black Porsche straight to ArizonaStateUniversity in 1996. As captain of his high school golf team for three years, he was hoping for a golf scholarship. ArizonaState was the number one golf school in the country at that time.
Scott was beating his dad at age 14, and he was one of the best on his high school team. At Arizona, almost every player was much better than Scott. He transferred back home to a California StateTechnical College
in San Luis Obispo, California. He met Laci Rocha where they dated and quickly married.
Scott’s father was a trucker and he started his own packaging business. Scott’s father put his life into this business to make it successful. To help Scott get a good start in life, he handed the business down to his son. Scott showed his appreciation and devotion by keeping the business a few months, then selling it for a profit. Scott then spent all the money.
Peterson married Laci Rocha in 1997, after only a few months of dating. Laci was a strong willed woman who quickly took control of Scott, the marriage and his business aspirations. Laci graduated and was working in another town. Scott lived separately with 3 roommates while he finished college.
Infidelity
Scott took a 20 year-old girlfriend in his first months of marriage
He bought her 12 dozen rose bouquets on the first date, and bought her expensive jewelry and clothes. Scott told his lover, Janet Ilse, that he definitely did not want children, because that would interfere with his lifestyle.
Laci found out about the girlfriend, but forgave him over time. Scott’s roommates had no idea that he was even married. They only knew that different women, including Laci, were staying over from time to time.
Laci in the Fall
As far as Laci having a baby, Scott managed to
hold Laci off until 2000, but Laci wanted to start a family of her own. Laci had difficulties conceiving, and Scott managed to conveniently be on “business trips” whenever Laci was at her most fertile time.
In 2002, Laci, in opposition to Scott’s desires, finally became pregnant. Scott wasn’t happy or excited about this in the least. His feigned enthusiasm around Laci, but his comments to family and friends betrayed his true feelings. Scott was enjoying being free to do his business and having a child was to him a millstone around his neck.
Peterson told his girlfriends he was married way back when, once upon a time. With the explosion of the internet, he wanted to protect against the ones who found out he had married, but now he needed a reason why there was no record of divorce. He started saying that he had “lost” his wife.
Scott and Amber
In the late summer of 2002, he met a single mom and massage therapist named Amber Frye. When one of Amber’s friends found out Scott was married, he told Amber and the friend he had lost his wife recently. He repeated his desire not to have children to Amber. Reportedly, he was very good with Amber’s 20 month-old baby. Gotta do what you gotta do. Scott told Amber he had to go on a business trip to Alaska or Maine or France, etc. whenever he needed to keep her at bay.
More Evidence
Then Scott decided to keep Laci at bay instead. In the late summer of 2002, he bought a $250,000 life insurance policy on Laci. In the Fall, he bought a small fishing boat. Scott bought this fishing boat, though he took no interest in fishing and told no one of his purchase.
Later, he bought an eighty pound (36 kg) bag of cement, and three fake diplomas.
Just days before Christmas, Scott studied the US geological survey for water currents around Brooks Island in San FranciscoBay. Scott was running low on funds and he convinced an upset and reluctant Laci to pawn her family heirloom jewelry for cash.
the cement dust reveals 5 anchors were present
On Christmas Eve day, Scott went fishing for a long time and Laci disappeared. In his warehouse, police found a flat bed trailer with a fine dust all over it. There were five impressions in the dust of the same size and shape as the single homemade cement anchor found in Peterson’s boat. Also found was the mold to make the cement anchors, an empty bag of cement, and a pair of pliers with one single hair consistent with that of Laci Peterson stuck in the tongs.
Changing Stories
Peterson’s story was that the last time he saw her was 9:00 AM on the 24th, Christmas Eve day. During calls to family, friends and police, Scott let it slip that he had not seen his wife alive on the evening of the 23rd. Scott did not seem emotional or upset about Laci’s disappearance. He became guarded, defensive,
and even angry when questioned about Laci.
A second time, Scott let it slip that the 23rd may have been the last day he saw Laci alive, describing a Martha Stewart Living TV show Laci was watching about lemon meringue pies. Several times when he described details about the morning of the 24th, he kept recounting events such as the TV show which only could have happened on the morning of the 23rd.
He made a phony sounding telephone message to Laci on the afternoon of the 24th asking her to pick up a package he didn’t have time to get. He showed the police his parking receipt at the Berkeley Marina without being asked to produce it.
There’s evidence that Scott planned a golf alibi immediately after the disappearance, but switched to the fishing alibi quickly when it became clear the golf alibi wouldn’t hold up. Scott denied the early alibi, saying it was ridiculous because it was too cold to play golf that day. Yet he spent many hours out on the bay.
It’s a 90 mile drive one way from his home at 523 Covina Avenue in Modesto to the Berkeley Marina. That’s about 3 hours of driving.
Asked what kind of fish he was fishing for, Scott gave an answer of sturgeon, a fish that was out of season and for which his fishing gear was inappropriate. The middle of the day was also unusual for fishing.
a picture paints 1,000 words
Laci’s stepfather was an avid fisherman and he said Scott was not interested in fishing and never took him up on many invitations to go. The one time Scott did go, he left his fishing pole at Laci’s step father’s house and he never came to retrieve it.
Scott also stated that blood was sure to be found in his truck because he cut himself that day. He tried to delay a search of his warehouse by telling the authorities that the electric was out. This was not true. Experienced detectives and even inexperienced police became suspicious of Scott after asking just a few questions.
Just a week before Laci went to a Christmas party alone, claiming Scott was off on business. Scott was actually at a Christmas party with Amber Frye, they had sex that night, and Scott promised Amber he would try to “clear his schedule” for her after the holidays.
Conner’s nursery in a state of readiness
note the nautical theme
Two days after Laci’s disappearance, Scott consoled himself by adding a few pornographic channels to his cable menu. If he was expecting Laci to be found, would he have done this? Scott grew a goatee and dyed his hair blond in order to avoid the press.
Scott’s girfriend turned on him
He snuck around, worried he was being followed. He claimed his hair turned blond after swimming in his friend’s pool. Scott’s friend testified he never swam there. Also, it’s impossible for chlorine to change black hair to blond unless it’s in extremely high concentrations.
Peterson steered clear of Amber Frye between Christmas and New Year’s, but he called her many times per day. He did not help to put up posters and he did not get directly involved in the search for his pregnant wife. When everyone else was desperately searching for Laci, Scott was off to the side enjoying seductive cell phone calls with Amber Frye.
More Facts
Scott’s aloofness caught on cam
When the story of the pregnant and missing Mrs. Scott Peterson broke big on the news, Scott backpedaled. He explained to Amber that he had not lost his wife earlier in the year like he said, but now, she really was lost. Amber wasn’t buying it. She went directly to the police and helped them by recording her phone calls with Scott.
On January 5th, 6th, and 9th of 2003, undercover police followed Peterson to the Berkely Marina, where he would park and stare around out at the water. These were exactly the three days that the local paper, the Modesto Bee, said that divers would be out there searching for Laci.
“On April 13, 2003, a couple walking their dog in Point Isabel State Park found a male fetus. The next day, the body of a pregnant woman washed ashore nearby was discovered by another dog-walker. This was some 90 miles from the couple’s home, but just 5 miles from the Berkeley Marina where Scott had said he’d gone fishing the morning of Christmas Eve.”
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Peterson
The baby was proven by DNA to be Scott and Laci’s son Conner, and the body with the hands, feet, and head missing was proven to be that of Laci Peterson. The police were already following Scott around town and they had tapped his phones. Scott was doing everything he could to evade the media and the police. The police then placed a GPS monitor on Scott’s rental car.
There is no one among Laci’s family who doesn’t think Scott is guilty. In addition, his own blood sister thinks he’s guilty and she even wrote a book naming 33 reasons why she believes this.
Laci’s Dad after the sentencing
A neighbor found the unaccompanied golden retriever near the Peterson’s home on Christmas Eve morning. He was dragging his leash which was covered in mud. Laci was always the one who took the dog for a long walk every morning. The dog was found and returned to the Peterson’s fenced in yard at 10:18 AM on December 24th.
Peterson claimed he left the house at 9:00 AM. According to phone tower records, Scott was somewhere between his driveway and 1 ¼ miles away at 10:08 AM. After 1 ¼ miles, the signal switches to a different tower. Therefore, if Laci was harmed by anyone other than Scott, most likely they had only 10 minutes to do it.
The Trial
Marl Geragos, Scott’s famous attorney
The trial was an enormous media event. Court TV, the forerunner of HLN was front and center. The venue was changed to the next county, the jury was sequestered, and some juror members were dismissed for misconduct.
Scott Peterson had the famous defense attorney Mark Geragos, at his side. He had represented such people as Susan McDougal, Gary Condit, Wynona Rider, and Michael Jackson. Mark Geragos gave innocent explanations for scores of circumstantial evidence alleged against Peterson. Still, twelve people found him guilty of 1st degree premeditated murder of his relatively helpless wife and his defenseless unborn son. After careful deliberation, they sentenced him to death.
Escape Attempt
Swimming in friends pool caused Scott’s
hair color change and a beard to grow
According to the Rocha families’ website about their daughter Laci, this is what was found packed into Scott’s rental car when he was arrested at the golf course:
| $15,000 CASH
-BROTHER’S I.D.-John Edward Peterson -2 VISA CARDS & 1 MASTERCARD – Scott’s Name -1 MASTER CARD – Scott/Tradecorp -1 AMERICAN BUSINESS CARD – Scott/Tradecorp -SISTER’S VISA CREDIT CARD –Ann E. Bird -MOTHER’S CHEVRON CARD – Jackie Peterson* -FOREIGN CURRENCY (for Mexico) -MAPQUEST MAP TO AMERICAN BODYWORKS, Amber Frye’s workplace-4 CELL PHONES -LARGE TENT -TENT COVER* -WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM-CAMPKIT WITH COOKING UTENSILS & ROPE -CAMPSTOVE -COOKING GRILL -FIRE STARTERS-FILET KNIFE -2 FOLDING KNIVES * * * |
| -2 PACKS RAZOR BLADES-9 PAIR OF SHOES -RUBBERIZED BOOTS – Lace up
-HIKING BOOTS -LOW TOP HIKING BOOTS -2 PAIR BROWN SLIP-ON CASUAL SHOES -FLIP FLOPS (Sandals) -2 PAIR BLACK DRESS SHOES-2 PAIR DRESS SOCKS* -2 NECKTIES -10 PAIR ATHLETIC SOCKS -1 PULLOVER SWEATER -1 SCARF -1 BLACK DRESS BELT-RAIN PANTS -SWEATSHIRT* -AT LEAST 6 PAIR UNDERWARE BRIEFS -4 PULLOVER LONG-SLEEVED SPORT SHIRTS -2 PAIR SHORTS-1 BUTTON DOWN SHIRT -2 PAIR CASUAL PANTS -1 PAIR RUNNING PANTS -1 PAIR LEVI JEANS-1 JERSEY -3 T-SHIRTS -2 LONG-SLEEVED CASUAL SHIRTS -1 PAIR ATHLETIC SHORTS– * -COWBOY HAT -12 TABLETS OF VIAGRA * -WATER BOTTLE-16 MUSIC CD’S * -Undated bill of sale with an unverified signature |
Meticulous Planning
This is the work of a meticulous planner. It seems like he was going on a survival mission, and he wasn’t going alone. This is a person who thinks things out deliberately and in great detail.
The Trial and Aftermath
Scott Peterson’s trial was a media giant.
Preliminary hearing
“On November 12 the reconstituted jury convicted Peterson of first-degree murder with special circumstances for killing Laci and second-degree murder for killing the fetus she carried. The penalty phase of the trial began on November 30 and concluded December 13 when, at 1:50 P.M. PST, the twelve-person jury returned a verdict of death.
Scott talking to Amber during the search
Members of the jury stated in later press appearances that they felt that Peterson’s demeanor – specifically, his lack of emotion and the phone calls to Amber Frey in the days following Laci’s disappearance – indicated he was guilty.
They based their verdict on “hundreds of small ‘puzzle pieces’ of circumstantial evidence that came out during the trial, from the location of Laci Peterson’s body to the myriad of lies her husband told after her disappearance.”
They also decided on the death penalty because they felt Peterson betrayed his responsibility to protect his wife and son.
Scott not sweating the trial
Was the Scott Peterson murder trial a fair trial?
Perhaps it was not. The higher courts are determining that now.
Scott’s most recent photo
Will Scott Peterson successfully appeal his conviction and get a new trial? There is a decent chance of a successful appeal and a new trial.
If he gets a new trial, will there be a better outcome? It’s very possible. It can’t get much worse.
Laci at her prom
Who murdered Laci and Conner Peterson?
Scott’s last day of freedom. (Portrayed by Dean Cain in a 2004 TV movie).
Scott Peterson murdered Laci Peterson and Conner Peterson beyond any and all reasonable doubt. He is now in San Quentin Prison, overlooking the bay where Laci was found. This is where he absolutely belongs.
Interesting fact:
High profile attorney Mark Geragos wanted to bring a full size boat into the courtroom. The judge said Not a chance. Geragos brought a replica of Scott’s boat and he parked it as close to the court as possible. The idea was that jurors could see the boat and see how difficult it would be to handle the anchors and the body without capsizing.
Trial watchers filled the boat with cards, candles, flowers, etc. They made the proposed defense exhibit into a memorial for Laci.
Intended defense exhibit became an impromptu memorial for Laci
Interesting fact:
Scott Petersons mother, Jackie, was raised by Catholic nuns after her father was murdered when she was a toddler. Scott was the youngest of five children and the only child that Lee and Jackie Peterson had together.
Interesting fact:
Top PGA Pro Golfer Phil Mickelson was a former high school teammate of Scott Peterson.
Intersting fact:
Laci had a boyfriend in high school into college. This was her first serious relationship and it lasted three years, ending shortly before she met Scott Peterson. Laci was brought up in such a caring and wonderful family, that the idea of a manipulative and mean man was foreign to her. This boyfriend also became angry at times and was dominating towards Laci. After they broke up, he moved to WashingtonState and got involved with another woman. They got into a big argument and he shot her in the back. He was sentenced to ten years in prison and is still there.
– Interesting thoughts for those who might believe in predestination. –
The mold Scott used to make the 5 homemade anchors:
Spotlight Theory: When Laci was found, there was duct tape still around her thighs. In the late evening of the 23rd or the early morning of the 24th Scott choked or strangled her to death. Then he snuck her inside his truck and cleaned up the scene. He waited until around 10:00AM. He put the leash on their dog and opened the door. Then he drove away, making a phone call to his lover, Amber Frye.
He drove to his warehouse where he transferred Laci’s body to his fishing boat and covered it with a tarp. The body was covered with canvas or netting, to make it appear like boating gear. He headed to Berkeley Marina. There were quite a few people about and he had to get a ticket to park. He was concerned about this. Peterson said he was fishing near Brook Island. The bodies washed up a little over a mile from there.
He launched the boat and headed northwest. When he was sure the coast was clear, he tied one anchor around Laci’s two ankles, one anchor to each wrist, and one anchor around her neck. Scott used rock climbing rope and wrapped the rope around many times. Then he dumped her over the side. Scott fractured her ribs in the process.
Scott’s rental car loaded with travel gear and money
Scott returned to his warehouse, cleaned up and waited. He returned home and waited some more.
After many weeks, the body separated from the anchors and drifted northeast. The baby separated form Laci’s body, and floated ahead of her due to the smaller mass. The baby washed up on shore and Laci’s body followed One day behind.
A home made anchors poured by Scott
After the Sentencing
Back at the courtroom, only after the sentence was pronounced, the Rocha family was allowed to address Peterson. They were no longer under oath and no attorney could object. After sitting through the trial, listening to the defense and watching Scott smiling, and acting smug, they were finally going to have their say.
Then the emotional fireworks began:
Laci after graduating college
One-by-one, Laci’s family members stood just yards away from Scott Peterson and ripped into him letting loose a flurry of rants, diatribes and tirades. Laci’s brother told Scott he had a gun and a bullet just for him, but he decided it was better not to put him out of his misery. Laci’s mother used the voices of Laci and Conner, saying “Daddy why did you kill me?”, “Scott, why did you kill your family?”
Ms. Rocha went on about how Scott had planned the murder for weeks. She even let his attorney have it. Laci’s brother Brent verbally attacked Scott so severely that Scott’s father, Lee Peterson, lost control and yelled out “You’re a liar!” in open court. It was a real emotional battle of the families.
The family members didn’t scream for revenge, but they were terribly hurt by Scott and they expected justice.
After the trial and sentencing, Laci’s family acted like Laci would have acted. They were in control, tough minded but fair. They were sensitive to Scott Peterson’s family. Laci’s family and friends did not attack defense witnesses. They trusted the system to work for them.
Laci and her Mom
In Loving Memory of Laci Rocha Peterson and Conner Peterson
When you look at the families’ web pages, you are filled with a sense of caring and love. These people are honest and good people. Their heartbreak and love of Laci are completely genuine.
Full bag of unused “Find Laci” Buttons found in Scott’s car
Read between the lines
Please don’t miss this absolutely fabulous, fair-minded and touching website about the Peterson case by Laci’s family and friends:
http://www.findlaci2003.us/index.html
Your comments and opinions are appreciated and very welcome
Unlike Many Blogs, All Comments Are Welcome And Will Be Posted
Sources:
Interview with Scott Peterson’s family.
The Crime Library – An excellent resource on all kinds of killers.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/family/laci_peterson/3.html
Murderpedia – An excellent reference on convicted killers around the globe.
http://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/peterson-scott-lee.htm
Positive news for Scott Peterson’s pending appeal.
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Peterson-appeal-may-be-helped-by-ruling-3718197.php
Someone who read Scott’s sister’s book came up with 41 reasons why Scott Peterson is not guilty. That’s 8 more than she had for Scott being guilty.
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=64230
An article about Scott Peterson on death row, the article deceptively contains zero quotes from Scott.
http://sfist.com/2012/07/06/im_still_innocent_says_scott_peters.php
Another site with all the reasons people think Scott Peterson was wrongly convicted.
http://www.oregonherald.com/eforums/messageview.cfm?catid=37&threadid=92
This is an article by someone who is worried that Scott Peterson will win his appeal.
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/140020/scott_peterson_thinks_he_has
Here’s an article comparing the Peterson case with other domestic violence cases.
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