Theories unfold as hearing nears in Peterson case

The Contra Costa Times ^ | Oct 12, 2003

[Canadian Outrage]

No you aren't off the wall. Nancy Grace gave the odds when it's a Mito/DNA match. It was in the billions I think or hundreds of millions anyway. I agree that These Defense Challenges are Standard. These guys ALWAYS challenge the State's evidence and of course the Detectives are always messing with and contaminating the evidence, and they are lying, and there is an interruption in the chain of evidence handling...blah blah blah!!

[Sandylapper]

Oh, btw, CO, Rowlands did say tonight that there would be a hearing or something this coming Friday and we'd know whether the prelim would start on Mon., the 20th. He said the consensus was though, that it would be delayed until the 27th to give MG time to finish his other case.

[Velveeta]

It says in today's filing that the original hair was 5 to 6 inches long. That hair split into two pieces, one 4 3/8" and one 1 5/8". Can someone please tell Geragos that if you add that together, voila, you get 6 inches. I've heard that pliers are hard on the hair and may have made it more fragile.

Bottom line....no mystery, the hair broke. Geragos is fishing.

[Canadian Outrage]

I remember that too SL!! It was surmised that SP probably got rid of some evidence related to Laci in the dumpster. He could have been throwing away some cleaning up rags, some of his clothes that he was wearing when this occured, or God only knows what else. And I read that report about someone hearing screaming the night of the 23rd too. That is probably one of the witnesses from the neighbourhood that has been kept out of the media.

[Devil_Anse]

Is that the article Ray was talking about? Didn't it say that the dumpster involved was near E&J Gallo Winery... I think that is on or near Santa Rosa Avenue (which turns off of Yosemite Blvd.?), or something like that?

The woman who said she heard the screams around 10:15 a.m. lives on the border of the park.

[Canadian Outrage]

I guess one week won't be too hard to swallow. The 27th is our Anniversay. That would be a nice thing for my Anniversary.!! *grin*

[Devil_Anse]

Well, but even when the odds are in the billions, I think they still always state DNA results in probabilities, don't they? Hence their use of the phrase "probable" in describing the hair which is thought to be Laci's?

[Canadian Outrage]

Yeah, they state it as the probability of it being from anyone but Laci as being 1 in ?????????

[Devil_Anse]

I think I heard that it's at the hearing this Friday that Geragos' team will formally ask for the continuance of the prelim. The 27th... drat!

Wonder if they have other motions that they were planning to hear right b/f starting the prelim. Wonder if maybe they could at least dispense with some of those on the 20th, with McAlister sitting in.

[Canadian Outrage]

Right. There are some "other" matters to be decided at the hearing. It may even be the challenges to certain evidence. I remember reading exactly what it was about but I'd have to find that on my office puter.

[Devil_Anse]

Hey, I never heard about that, about someone saying they heard screaming the night of the 23rd?? Creepy.

I always, always, wanted to know if they ever found anything in the dumpster, and we never heard another word.

[MaggieMay]

Sept 23rd NE article on Merlin.Titled,"Bloodhound sends investigators off in the right direction".
link
http://www.findlaci2003.us/ne-9-23-03-bloodhound.html


One of the key witnesses in the Laci Peterson case is a dog- a 4 year old bloodhound
named Merlin.

Merlin and his handler, Cindee Valentin, helped search for Laci last Dec. 26, two days
after she was missing. And the dog gave the cops the first hint she may have been
the victim of foul play.

"Following Laci's scent, Merlin stopped in his tracks at the end of the Petersons'
driveway, rather than continue to LaLoma Park one block away, where her husband
Scott claimed she'd gone to walk the family dog."

"The bloodhound instead set off in the opposite direction toward Yosemite Blvd."
said a source close to the case.

"It told cops, Laci left in a car and not on foot."

Merlin continued to follow Laci's scent for several miles before losing the scent.
"The dog stopped at a dumpster on Yosemite, where it is possible some physical
evidence may have been dumped," said a detective assigned to the case.

Peterson's defense attorneys want to know how good a dog Merlin is. They have filed
papers with the court seeking complete backgrounds on Valentin and the bloodhound,
though their credentials seem impeccable.

Valentin is a volunteer trainer and dog handler in the Costa County Sheriff's Reserve
Division. Merlin is her personal dog, and has worked with her on numerous cases.

"Cindee Valentin is a highly trained individual in search and rescue and in evidence
handling," Contra Costa Sheriff's spokesman, Jimmie Lee, told the NE.

In addition to training dogs for Contra Costa Sheriff's office and the California
Rescue Dog Assoc., Valentin teaches seminars in the training of guide dogs,
rescue and cadaver searching dogs.

[Devil_Anse]

Oh, BOY, wait'll the husband finds out the delightful evening you've lined up for your anniversary!

Well, how COULD he ask for anything better than seeing the wrap-up of the first day of the prelim, perhaps accompanied by champagne, flowers, and a really nice meal?

[Canadian Outrage]

For sure. And HE will be doing the cooking that night and he can "serve" right here at the computer!! LOL

[Canadian Outrage]

serve ME, that is!! I'm sorta getting cross eyed. Another hard day at the Salt Mines (Law Office)!! I think I should get the 27th off don't you?

[Devil_Anse]

"where it is possible some physical evidence may have been dumped"

And as far as I remember, that's all we heard about the dumpster! Wouldn't it be great if they'd found something in it, like clean-up rags or something? Clothing? (shudder!)

[Canadian Outrage]

I'm off to bed gals. See ya tomorrow.

[Sandylapper]

Think it is that article Ray was talking about. Yes, there was a woman who said she heard screams around 10:15 a.m. on the 24th. Don't know what happened to her or if she'll be called to be a witness.

[Sandylapper]

I can see CO's husband now handing her a bottle of champagne, flowers, and a take-out dinner to eat while she sits at the computer. ROFL As an added gift, he relinquishes the computer for his nightly bridge game.

[trussell]

Thankyou for keeping us updated on this. I appreciate the work you put into these posts.

Blessings,
trussell