SCOTT TRYST TWIST

The NY Post ^ | Nov 6, 2003

[Velveeta]

Just heard it. He had a .22 in his truck. I didn't hear if it was a rifle or a pistol, did you?

Sure explains why he didn't need a fishing pole or bait thoughm huh? Just SHOOT the sturgeon, voila!

[Yaelle]

Peterson news - it was a loaded 44 pistol in Scott's truck, and there were unopened packages of fishing lures in there too. When the cop asked to test Scott for gunshot residue Scott asked him "If I touched my boat motor, would it be on me?" More news at top of hour... from KFI AM's Laura Ingle.

[Lanza]

Policeman also confirmed the cement pieces in the boat, and saw a homemade anchor at warehouse. Up until now, it was unconfirmed.

[cyncooper]

This is actually good news people

Absolutely. And I did hear the part about Laci's mom getting up and leaving the courtroom when this revelation was made, but had forgotten. Thank you for adding that.

[An American In Dairyland]

>>I can guarantee you there's footage of Scott on his cell phone! Other than that, I can only imagine.<<

I hope they got footage of Snott kicking Laci's cat. Seriously, IMO being abusive to small animals often is a clear indication of what kind of a cruel and violent person someone is.

[Yaelle]

Whoops - you heard .22 and I heard .44 -- I guess I could have mixed it up -- need to hear it again at the top of the hour.

Do you think he could have SHOT her and had no one hear? Also there was no blood.

Could he have shot her in the pool? Is that why they drained it? Would he have dosed her with GHB, gotten her in the pool and shot her? Wouldn't the water be red?

[cyncooper]

When the cop asked to test Scott for gunshot residue Scott asked him "If I touched my boat motor, would it be on me?"

Thanks for filling that in. I heard Greta refer to Scott asking about touching a motor, but I had missed what had led up to him asking such a thing.

[Velveeta]

He was worried about gunshot residue?!?

[Velveeta]

He could have knocked her out at home, either physically or with a drug. Then he could have shot her at the warehouse. I wonder if that's a more secluded area and considering the holidays, nobody would be around.

We'll soon see!

[cyncooper]

Policeman also confirmed the cement pieces in the boat, and saw a homemade anchor at warehouse. Up until now, it was unconfirmed.

Yup. I noted the same thing in my #116. On the record and no longer rumored.

[Velveeta]

Posted on Thu, Nov. 06, 2003

Detective testifies to finding gun in Scott Peterson's truck
BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

MODESTO, Calif. - A Modesto Police detective who spent last Christmas Eve launching an investigation into Laci Peterson's disappearance testified Thursday that officers found a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun in Scott Peterson's pickup truck.

It was the first hint that Peterson, accused of killing his pregnant wife and unborn son, owned a weapon. But Modesto police detective Al Brocchini made no connection between the weapon and the death of pregnant substitute teacher Laci Peterson. Brocchini testified for 90 minutes Thursday on the sixth day of a hearing to determine if Peterson will stand trial for murder.

Brocchini, under questioning from Stanislaus County prosecutor Rick Distaso, also explained that as the Christmas Eve investigation began, Peterson denied having an extramarital affair and worried about his boss learning that he stored his boat in a company warehouse.

Before Brocchini's testimony, Peterson defense lawyer Mark Geragos told Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Al Girolami that he recently discovered that the FBI conducted closed-circuit television surveillance of Peterson's home after his wife disappeared.

Geragos said he will subpoena the FBI for copies of the tape and seek a motion to dismiss charges against Peterson.

The 31-year-old former fertilizer salesman faces two counts of murder for the death of his wife and unborn son. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Brocchini said he arrived at the Peterson house on Covena Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Dec. 24, about four hours after Laci Peterson's stepfather Ron Grantski reported her missing to police.

The detective described Scott Peterson as cooperative, saying the fertilizer salesman never told him to leave or get out of his house.

Brocchini also recounted writing down all the phone numbers in Peterson's cellular phone log and taking pictures of Peterson's boat stored at a warehouse. He said the boat contained two fishing poles, a lifejacket, a homemade boat anchor consisting of cement poured into a bucket and yellow-handled pliers.

Much of the Peterson's preliminary hearing has focused on a single piece of human hair wrapped in the pliers, which prosecutors maintain was a hair from Laci Peterson.

Brocchini also described Peterson's remarks about a bucket and mop that have dominated testimony in recent days. He said Peterson told officers that his wife asked him to bring the mop bucket into the house before he left on a fishing trip to Berkeley Marina on the morning of Christmas Eve. He said Peterson said his wife was mopping floors when he left.

Peterson, Brocchini said, told him he moved the bucket outside the house and dumped its contents when he returned home because he worried the family cat would spill the bucket or drink from it.

The testimony about location of the mop bucket is central to a prosecution argument that Peterson mopped the floors after killing his wife on the night of Dec. 23. The family's housekeeper has testified that she mopped during a routine house cleaning on Dec. 23.

Police asked Peterson why his fishing clothes were in the washing machine, Brocchini said, and that Peterson told them the clothes got wet while he was fishing.

The newest testimony followed several days of FBI and defense experts talking about mitochondrial DNA evidence used to link the hair in Peterson's boat to Laci Peterson, and recollections from Peterson's mother and sister about events before her disappearance. The Petersons' housekeeper also testified about cleaning Peterson's home before her disappearance, while police recalled early conversations with Scott Peterson as the investigation started.

Police arrested Peterson in April near San Diego where he was carrying $10,000 and his brother's driver's license and had dyed his hair blonde. His arrest came days after the bodies of his wife and unborn son surfaced in San Francisco Bay near Richmond, about three miles from where he said he was fishing on the day of Christmas Eve.

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7199213.htm

[cyncooper]

Ping for some interesting information coming out in today's hearing. Especially beginning at post #105.

[Yaelle]

That's what Laura Ingle just reported. When he was asked about being tested, that was his first question.

I wonder why Sharon left the room. Was that the straw that broke the camel's back, that Scott had a gun in the truck? He must not have been known to have one. I guess all doubt left her?

[Lanza]

Did you hear on court TV that SP called detectives at 3:00am that night/day asking if they were using "cadaver dogs" to search the park. The detetive said no they weren't becuase they were looking for a missing person not a dead one.

[An American In Dairyland]

>>Also, if he really was on the boat early on, when sturgeon fishers really do go out, why make up that he was home til 9 or 10 chatting with lovely Laci? Why not just say that he left before she awoke? What's that all about?<<

He had to set up the dog walking story. How would he know she was walking the dog at whatever time if he was long gone fishing? If he didn't have her outside the house and getting abducted, the police would look for signs of a breaking and entry in the house and there wouldn't be any signs of that making Snott look all the more suspicious.

>>The anchor stuff -- how could he have done that all so quickly that morning?<<

I think he made the anchors ahead of time--in the days or weeks prior to killing Laci. This was no crime of passion. It was premeditated down to almost the last detail IMO. The only thing that may have changed was the timing. I still think his schedule may have been pushed up by a call from Amber who possibly had just heard back from her private detective and had some things to say to Snott and/or Laci.

[cyncooper]

Police asked Peterson why his fishing clothes were in the washing machine, Brocchini said, and that Peterson told them the clothes got wet while he was fishing.

Oh, I heard Greta or Claudia report about his timely clothes washing, too.

Interesting.

And bringing the bucket in for Laci, then coming home to find the bucket and decide to dump and move it right away? I had missed that. How bizarre:

Brocchini also described Peterson's remarks about a bucket and mop that have dominated testimony in recent days. He said Peterson told officers that his wife asked him to bring the mop bucket into the house before he left on a fishing trip to Berkeley Marina on the morning of Christmas Eve. He said Peterson said his wife was mopping floors when he left.

Peterson, Brocchini said, told him he moved the bucket outside the house and dumped its contents when he returned home because he worried the family cat would spill the bucket or drink from it.

[Yaelle]

I agree about the premeditation. Absolutely. This was no crime of passion.

Three floor moppings in 24 hours? My floors are jealous. No way was Laci mopping that morning if the housekeeper had just mopped. And why would Scott RE-MOP when he got home?

Asking about cadaver dogs in the night after his beloved wife is missing????? THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN.

[Lucy Lake]

Whoops - you heard .22 and I heard .44 -- I guess I could have mixed it up

More likely the news media got it mixed up.

[Yaelle]

Worried about the family cat, my butt. This bucket is becoming verrrrry interesting too.

[An American In Dairyland]

>>Police asked Peterson why his fishing clothes were in the washing machine<<

Shades of OJ...didn't the police find his clothes freshly washed and still in the washer when they came to question him, too?